What does the Digital communications topic cover?

It covers the main methods of digital communication (email, instant messaging, VoIP, video conferencing and social media) and how to select an appropriate one for a situation, how to judge the reliability of information and sources found online, and social networking and online collaboration including their benefits and risks. It is part of Unit 1, The Digital World, the on-screen examined component.

How do you choose the right digital communication method?

Match the strengths of each method to the situation. Use email for formal messages, attachments and a written record; instant messaging for quick informal real-time text; VoIP for voice calls over the internet; video conferencing for live group meetings across locations; and social media for wide, informal sharing and promotion. Consider whether you need it live (synchronous) or not (asynchronous), one-to-one or group, formal or informal, and whether a record is needed.

How do you judge whether an online source is reliable?

Check the authority (who wrote it and whether they are an expert or respected organisation), the accuracy (is it supported by evidence and free of errors), bias (does the author have a viewpoint or something to gain), currency (is it up to date), and corroboration (do other independent reliable sources agree). Because anyone can publish online, information must be evaluated rather than trusted automatically.

What is a digital footprint?

A digital footprint is the trail of data a person leaves online through their posts, comments, photos and activity. It can remain accessible for a long time, be copied and shared beyond the person's control, and be seen by others such as future employers or colleges, so people should be careful about what they post and use privacy settings.

What are the benefits and risks of social networking?

For individuals, benefits include staying in touch, sharing and finding communities, while risks include loss of privacy, a lasting digital footprint, misinformation and cyberbullying. For organisations, benefits include cheap wide-reaching promotion and direct customer contact, while risks include public complaints, reputational damage and hacked accounts. It should be evaluated by weighing reach and connection against privacy and reputation.

What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information shared without intending to deceive, such as an honest mistake passed on. Disinformation is false information spread deliberately to mislead, for example to push an agenda or cause harm. Both spread quickly on social media, which is why reliability checks such as corroboration are important before sharing.

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WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Communications: methods, reliability of sources and social networking

A deep-dive WJEC GCSE Digital Technology guide to the Digital communications content of Unit 1. Covers the main communication methods and how to choose between them, how to judge the reliability of online sources, and the benefits and risks of social networking for individuals and organisations.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.812 min read3540QS Unit 1 Digital communicationsUpdated 2026-06-15

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

Communication methods
Reliability of online sources
Social networking
How to study this topic
The Communications dot points
For the official specification

The Digital communications content of WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Unit 1 looks at how we communicate digitally, how to judge the information we find online, and the benefits and risks of social networking. This guide maps the topic and links to a focused answer page for each examinable point, all assessed in Unit 1, The Digital World.

Communication methods

You must describe the main methods and choose a suitable one for a situation.

Method	Best for	Note
Email	Formal messages, attachments, a record	Asynchronous; can reach many
Instant messaging	Quick, informal real-time text	Synchronous
VoIP	Voice calls over the internet	Cheap; needs a good connection
Video conferencing	Live group meetings across locations	See and hear each other; no travel
Social media	Wide, informal sharing and promotion	Public; large reach

Choose by matching the method to the need: live or not (synchronous versus asynchronous), one-to-one or group, formal or informal, and whether a record is required. Common benefits are speed, low cost and reach; common drawbacks are reliance on a connection, security and privacy risks, and the loss of tone or face-to-face contact.

Reliability of online sources

Because anyone can publish online, information must be evaluated. Apply these checks:

Authority - who wrote it; an expert or respected organisation is more trustworthy.
Accuracy - is it supported by evidence and free of errors.
Bias - does the author have a viewpoint or something to gain.
Currency - is it up to date.
Corroboration - do other independent reliable sources agree.

Misinformation is false information shared by mistake; disinformation is false information spread deliberately; "fake news" is false stories presented as real. All spread fast on social media, which is why the checks matter before believing or sharing.

Social networking connects people to share content and collaborate online.

For individuals: benefits include staying in touch, sharing and communities; risks include loss of privacy, a lasting digital footprint, misinformation and cyberbullying.
For organisations: benefits include cheap, wide-reaching promotion and direct feedback; risks include public complaints, reputational damage and hacked accounts.

Protect yourself with privacy settings, careful posting (remembering posts last), strong passwords and two-step verification, and caution with strangers and scam links.

How to study this topic

Learn what each communication method is best for, plus its benefits and drawbacks, for recommend-and-justify questions.
Memorise the five reliability checks and be able to apply them to a given source.
Define a digital footprint and explain why it matters.
Practise balanced evaluation of social networking for both individuals and organisations.
Link to other topics: these ideas reappear in the impact and security topics.

The Communications dot points

Each examinable point has its own answer page with worked exam questions and cross-links:

For the official specification

WJEC publishes the full Digital Technology specification, past papers and mark schemes at wjec.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and WJEC's own past papers, because question style is board-specific.

Sources & how we know this

WJEC GCSE Digital Technology specification — WJEC (2021)