Skills for Life: Ethical Choices
Ethical choices is one 20 hour Skills for Life unit, written at Entry 1 to Level 2, that learners combine with other units into a Skills for Life, or Skills for Life and Work, Award, Certificate or Diploma. Learners recognise ethical dilemmas, find out who can help, weigh up values, viewpoints and consequences, and make and justify a decision in everyday and work scenarios. Digital demand is low because no criterion needs a computer. Digital work sits in dilemmas about online behaviour and private information, decision flowcharts and consequence maps, online research, and recorded or presented digital evidence.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Four learning outcomes, each with two assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S608E1, S608E2 and S608E3.
- Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes, each with two assessment criteria at Level 1 and at Level 2. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S608L1 and S608L2.
Skills that use Creating digital content
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Creating digital evidence such as recordings and presentations
Possible sources of evidence include reflective journals that are written, audio or video, video recordings of role-plays and discussions, and digital evidence such as PowerPoints, audio responses or online activity logs. Learners at any level can record their choice and reasons this way, but the format is a choice of evidence, not a criterion.
DCF: Creating digital content, Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils record a 30 second audio clip on a tablet saying what they would do in a simple dilemma and why, and save it with a clear name.
- Year 8
- Pupils make a three slide PowerPoint setting out a dilemma, the options and their chosen decision, with an image on each slide.
- Year 9
- Pupils record a short video journal entry on how they would handle pressure to act against their values, then file it in a portfolio folder with their slides and diagram.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Sources of evidence, page 10; Unit overview, page 4
“digital evidence, such as PowerPoints, audio responses, or online activity logs”
Progression step 3
I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:
- text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
- presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
Progression step 4
I can select and use a variety of appropriate software, tools and techniques to create, modify and combine multimedia components for a range of audiences and purposes, such as:
- text and images, e.g. explore and use effectively image manipulation techniques; explore and use appropriately the many aspects of document layout; use animation, video and audio effects such as echo, tempo, envelope, layering, frame rate, key frames
- presentation, e.g. use design tools; adapt themes and colours to suit the purpose; create master templates.
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
Good to know
- The unit codes are S608E1, S608E2, S608E3, S608L1 and S608L2, and the unit is 20 guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3). Learners can complete it at several levels, but "only the highest level of the unit achieved will count towards the GLH" (Specification Section 2.2, page 10).
- No equipment is needed: "Assessment of this unit should not require any specific resources." (page 12), and it is designed to be delivered in "standard classroom environments" (page 11).
- Evidence does not have to be written: "evidence may be verbal, written, practical, or visual, extended written work is not required unless appropriate" (Sources of evidence, page 10). Possible sources include "learner reflective journals (written, audio, or video)", "video recordings of role-plays, discussions, or presentations" and "decision-making flowcharts or diagrams created by learners" (page 10).
- Suggested assessment tasks "are not mandatory". Teachers "may choose to use these suggestions, adapt them, or develop their own alternatives" (Specification Section 4.1, page 18).
- AI use must be acknowledged. "When properly referenced, this can be acceptable", but learners "cannot be credited for any work they produce for assessment which is not their own", and misuse includes "Failing to acknowledge use of AI tools when they have been used as a source of information." (Specification Section 4.6, page 21). Teachers must guard against "the inappropriate use of artificial intelligence tools" (Section 4.2, page 19).
- Appendix A maps this unit to Literacy, Digital Competence, Critical thinking and problem solving, and Planning and organisation (Specification Appendix A, page 28), and the pack says "Digital competence may be developed" through online research and digital evidence (page 4), so the digital work is real but optional.
- The pack opens with a warning about online work: "The UK Government has announced plans to restrict social media use by children under 16" (page 2), so online dilemmas should use made up scenarios rather than learners' own accounts.
Links with other qualifications
The pack names GCSE Religious Studies as a related WJEC qualification (page 7), which covers religious and non-religious ethical and moral issues in much more depth. GCSE Business covers ethical issues and the impact of unethical decisions on a business, and VCSE Public Services covers codes of ethics and making responsible and ethical decisions. For the digital work, online dilemmas and private information link with GCSE Digital Technology, which considers ethical and moral dilemmas linked to technology and digital footprints, and with the legal, social and ethical impacts in GCSE Computer Science. Foundation Humanities covers how different views shape moral and ethical thinking. Within the Skills Suite the pack pairs this unit with Community participation, Democracy in action, Equality, diversity and inclusion, Everyday law, Faith and belief in the community, Healthy relationships, Teamwork, Understanding self and others, Values for life and Fairness and inclusion in the workplace.
Source: WJEC Ethical choices unit delivery and assessment pack, read with the WJEC Entry 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life and Skills for Work specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).