1.8 Systems Development Life Cycle
Select and evaluate systems-development stages and models, including legal, ethical and professional responsibilities.
How to study WJEC GCSE Computer Science
Learn the computing principle, apply it to the named system or scenario, trace the data and control flow, and test the result against requirements.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Investigation, analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, documentation, evaluation and maintenance
Exam cue: Identify the current WJEC unit, the command word and whether the task asks for knowledge, application or computational analysis.
Concept 2
Waterfall, agile, iterative and spiral development approaches
Exam cue: Match the development model and changeover method to uncertainty, risk, user access, time and continuity requirements.
Concept 3
Stakeholders, feasibility, changeover, intellectual property, privacy, legal and professional responsibilities
Exam cue: Use precise terminology, trace inputs and state changes, and test the answer against the data, scenario or program behaviour.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Listing life-cycle stages without showing iteration, stakeholder feedback, evidence or the effect of a chosen development model.
Guardrail: Avoid generic descriptions, unchecked traces and cross-board assumptions; make every answer depend on the named data, system, algorithm or scenario.
Importing the legacy WJEC structure, a different board's content or a Foundation/Higher tier assumption.
Guardrail: Use qualification code 3460QS or 3460CS and the current two-unit untiered structure; do not import a legacy or cross-board route.
Giving a generic description without applying it to the named system, data set, algorithm or pre-release scenario.
Guardrail: Practice cannot replace the annual live brief, specified Python environment, clean-copy rule, restricted examination files or Surpass upload process.
Memory anchors
Feasibility
Testing whether a proposed system is viable within technical, economic, legal, operational and scheduling constraints.
Waterfall
A largely sequential model in which one defined stage is completed before the next.
Agile
An adaptive approach using short cycles, collaboration, working increments and frequent feedback.
Spiral
An iterative, risk-focused model that revisits planning, risk analysis, development and evaluation.
Changeover
The transition from an old system to a new one, such as direct, parallel, phased or pilot changeover.
Evaluation
Judging the completed system against requirements and identifying justified improvements.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
What is the first purpose of system investigation?
What does feasibility analysis examine?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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