In this brief lesson, you'll learn what ALTs are, their requirements from the official Computer Science Curriculum Specification, when and how they can be completed, how they are assessed, and our recommended order at Coding Ireland.

Applied Learning Tasks (ALTs) are practical, team-based projects that form a key part of the Leaving Certificate Computer Science course. There are four ALTs, each focusing on different aspects of computer science:

• ALT 1: Interactive Information Systems - Involves creating a database-driven website or application.
• ALT 2: Analytics - Focuses on data collection, analysis, and visualisation to inform decision-making.
• ALT 3: Modelling and Simulation - Requires building models to test scenarios; at Higher level you also explain how agent-based modelling shows emergent behaviours.
• ALT 4: Embedded Systems - Involves programming hardware like micro:bits with inputs and outputs.

These tasks align with the curriculum's strands, helping you apply computational thinking, core concepts, and practical skills in real-world contexts. They emphasise teamwork, problem-solving, and the design process.

According to the official Computer Science Curriculum Specification, you must complete all four ALTs over the two-year course. They can be done in any order, at any stage during 5th and 6th year, giving flexibility to fit your school's schedule.

Each ALT involves working in teams (typically 2-4 students), assigning roles, and following a design process to create an artefact. You'll need to document your work, reflect on the process, and demonstrate outcomes like developing algorithms, using databases, or controlling hardware.

ALTs are not marked for your Leaving Certificate grade. They are practice: each one is a chance to use what you have learned to build something real with your team, and your teacher gives you feedback on it in class.

For each ALT you produce an artefact (the finished product) and a short individual report on how you planned, built and tested it, what your part in the team was, and what you would do differently. That habit of planning, testing and reflecting is exactly what the Coursework Project asks of you later.

The Coursework Project is separate. It is an individual project worth 30% of your Leaving Certificate grade, and it is marked by the State Examinations Commission. The end-of-course exam is the other 70%.

At Coding Ireland, we recommend the following order as it aligns well with the modules in this course, but this is entirely up to your teacher to decide:

• In 5th Year, after completing or mostly completing the modules 'Foundations of CS' and 'Introduction to Python', do ALT 4: Embedded Systems. These modules cover programming micro:bits, which aligns directly with this task.
• In 5th Year, after completing or mostly completing the modules 'Introduction to Web Frontend' and 'Python Web Backend', do ALT 1: Interactive Information Systems. These modules teach web pages and databases, essential for this ALT.
• The final two ALTs (2: Analytics and 3: Modelling and Simulation) could be done in 6th Year, once you've built a strong foundation in data handling and algorithms.