Section outline

  • Topic banner: Software

    The instructions that turn a box of electronics into something useful — what the operating system does, which applications do what, and what the licence on the box actually permits.

    By the end of this module you will be able to:

    1. Classify software. Sort any program you meet into system software or application software and justify the choice.
    2. Explain the OS. Describe four jobs the operating system does that you never see happening.
    3. Match tool to task. Choose the right application for a given task and say why the alternatives fit worse.
    4. Read a licence. Tell the difference between proprietary, open-source, freeware and subscription software.

    These four objectives are what the end-of-module quiz measures. The full subject syllabus for this module is listed separately in Full syllabus.

    • Learning objectives

      Duration3 lessons
      Recommended datesMonday 7 – Friday 25 September 2026
      Additional resourcesComputers, Part of Your Life – Grade 10, 3rd Edition

      Lessons

      1. Lesson 1 — System software
      2. Lesson 2 — Windows accessories and software licensing
      3. Lesson 3 — Checkpoint

      • Videos

        • ▶  While you are not looking — ≈ 2 min · Lesson 1 — the five jobs of the operating system
        • Worksheet: While you are not looking File DOCX
          37.5 KB
        • ▶  Free is not open — ≈ 2 min · Lesson 2 — the six licence types, and the one that gets confused
        • Worksheet: Free is not open File DOCX
          37.6 KB

      • Lesson 1 — System software

        • Objectives. By the end of this lesson you can:

          • Distinguish system software from application software and justify the classification.
          • Describe five jobs the operating system does that are never visible when they work.
          • Explain what a driver does and what happens when the wrong one is installed.
          • Name three utilities and say what each protects the machine from.

          Instructional content. 10 slides with speaker notes, plus a printable handout — Software is a set of instructions · Two families of software · Five jobs the operating system does · Drivers and utilities · Match the tool to the task.

        • Slides: System software File PPTX
          64.5 KB
        • Handout: System software File PDF
          94.3 KB
        • Interactive: Five jobs the operating system does H5P

          One slide per job, each with what it looks like when it goes wrong, and a question at the end. Not marked.

        • Interactive: System or application software? H5P

          Drag each term into the gap where it belongs. Everything in it comes from this lesson. Not marked — retry as often as you like.

        • Activity 1: Sort the list Assignment
        • Activity 2: Watch it work Assignment

      • Lesson 3 — Checkpoint · 35 marks

        • 35 marks. This Checkpoint assesses Lessons 1–2 together, not only the last lesson. The lesson activities above are formative and carry no marks; the marks for this topic are all here.

          • Revision challenge — branching scenarios with immediate feedback. Not marked, retake it as often as you like.
          • Knowledge check — 10 marks. Unlimited attempts, best attempt counts, feedback after every answer during the attempt.
          • Marked task — 25 marks, with a due date that is already in your calendar.

          The marked task covers both lessons: twelve programs classified as system or application, the licence type identified for each, three named for removal with a stated consequence, and one task solved using a built-in accessory instead of new software.

          Feedback. Automatic per-answer feedback in the quiz; written feedback on the marked task within five school days.

        • Revision: Fix the Software Challenge File PPSX
          51.0 KB
        • Quiz: Knowledge check
        • Marked task: Audit the software on one device Assignment
          Opened: Monday, 17 August 2026, 8:00 AM
          Due: Friday, 25 September 2026, 11:59 PM

    • Module materials

      The complete subject syllabus for this topic — everything the lessons cover and, where it applies, what they deliberately do not. Slides and handouts are inside each lesson, one set per lesson.

    • Full syllabus Page
    • Discussion Forum
    • Q&A Forum