Open College Network Northern Ireland · RQF Level 3

OCN NI Level 3 Certificate in Creative Arts and Digital Technologies

You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.

LevelRQF Level 3
Total credits13
Guided learning85 hours
Units in this qualification26

Awarded by Open College Network Northern Ireland · on the Ofqual register

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What you’ll learn

What each unit actually teaches you to do

The OCN NI Level 3 Certificate explores creative arts and digital technologies. It includes units on presentation skills, composition, audio editing, and digital fabrication. This qualification is suitable for those interested in developing skills in the performing arts and related digital fields.

These are the units Open College Network Northern Ireland registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.

Capturing and Editing Audio SequencesReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit develops learners' ability to capture audio sequences using hardware and software, ensuring sound quality. You'll also use audio software tools to edit, enhance, and manipulate audio before presenting the final sequences.

What you'll be able to do

Use audio hardware and software to capture audio sequences effectively, ensuring good sound quality.
Use audio software tools to edit, enhance, and manipulate audio sequences, achieving desired effects.
Play and present audio sequences in a suitable format, considering the intended audience and purpose.

Capturing, Editing and Presenting Video SequencesReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll learn to capture video sequences using hardware and software, edit and combine sequences with video software tools, and present the final video product to an audience.

What you'll be able to do

Use video hardware and software to capture video sequences effectively.
Use video software tools and techniques to combine video sequences.
Use video software tools and techniques to edit video sequences.
Play video sequences to a specified audience.
Present video sequences to a specified audience.

CompositionReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll explore the process of creating original musical compositions, including selecting starting points, evaluating instrumentation, and applying hooks, melody, rhythm, arrangement, and structuring techniques to develop cohesive pieces.

What you'll be able to do

Identify a suitable starting point for an original musical composition
Evaluate the suitability of different instruments for a musical composition
Use hook, melody and rhythm effectively in music composition
Implement arrangement techniques in a musical composition
Implement structuring techniques in a musical composition

Developing WebsitesReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit equips learners with skills to create website structures and styles using coding languages, prepare content with software tools, and publish websites ensuring usability and visual appeal.

What you'll be able to do

Create website structures and styles using appropriate coding languages and design principles to ensure usability and visual appeal.
Use software tools to prepare and optimise content, including text, images, and multimedia, for effective website integration.
Publish websites to a web server, ensuring accessibility and functionality across different devices and browsers.

Digital FabricationReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit covers health and safety considerations in digital fabrication, the use of design software, and practical skills to fabricate designs safely and effectively using digital fabrication equipment.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the health and safety issues associated with digital fabrication equipment and processes
Use appropriate software to create designs for digital fabrication
Fabricate a design using digital fabrication equipment, following safety guidelines and best practices

Event Organisation within the Fine Arts or Performing ArtsReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit covers the planning, publicising, and running of events within the fine arts or performing arts sectors. You'll develop skills in event management, including understanding the roles of key personnel and managing both logistical and creative aspects effectively.

What you'll be able to do

Plan an event within the fine arts or performing arts sectors, considering all logistical and creative aspects
Understand the role of the event manager and the responsibilities of others involved in event organisation within the fine arts or performing arts sectors
Publicise and run an event within the fine arts or performing arts sectors, ensuring effective promotion and smooth execution

Film and Video ProductionReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll gain an understanding of the film and video production process, including pre-production, production, and post-production. They will produce relevant materials and develop a final short film or sequence, recognising certification requirements.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the film and video production process, including pre-production, production, and post-production stages, and the roles and responsibilities of different crew members.
Produce pre-production materials, such as scripts, storyboards, shot lists, and location scouting reports, to plan and prepare for filming.
Produce production materials, including capturing video and audio footage, managing lighting and sound, and directing actors or performers.
Develop a final version of a short film or sequence of a film, including editing footage, adding sound effects and music, and creating titles and credits.
Understand the certification process for films and videos, including legal and ethical considerations, copyright issues, and distribution channels.

Health and Safety in the WorkplaceReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll gain an understanding of health and safety policies and procedures within the workplace. They will learn to maintain a safe working environment and recognise their individual responsibilities for health and safety compliance.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the organisation's health and safety procedures and policy at work
Maintain a safe working environment in own workplace, adhering to relevant health and safety guidelines
Understand own responsibility for health and safety in own workplace, including reporting hazards and following safe working practices

Live Sound EngineeringReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit provides learners with the knowledge and skills required for live sound engineering. You'll be able to set optimal signal-to-noise ratios, maintain a balanced audio mix, communicate with performers, and carry out post-performance activities.

What you'll be able to do

Set optimal signal-to-noise ratio levels for live sound engineering equipment
Maintain a balanced and clear audio mix throughout a live performance
Maintain effective communication with performers and stage crew during a live event
Perform necessary post-performance activities, including equipment shutdown and audio recording management

Multi-track RecordingReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit develops learners' ability to plan and conduct multi-track recording sessions safely and effectively. You'll understand microphone use, health and safety procedures, and manage the recording process from setup to review.

What you'll be able to do

Plan a multi-track recording session, considering factors such as microphone placement, signal flow, and session workflow.
Understand and apply health and safety procedures relevant to recording environments, including noise levels and equipment handling.
Understand the different types of microphones and their appropriate applications in the recording process.
Understand the stages involved in the recording process, from initial setup to final mixdown.
Record an ensemble performance, capturing individual instruments and vocals, and critically review the recording for technical and artistic merit.

Musical Ensemble SkillsReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit focuses on developing ensemble skills, including intonation, timing, and blending. You'll rehearse collabouratively, perform as part of an ensemble, and review both individual and group performances.

What you'll be able to do

Develop ensemble skills on an instrument, focusing on aspects such as intonation, timing, and blend.
Rehearse ensemble performances, working collaboratively with other musicians to refine the musical interpretation and execution.
Give a performance of musical ensemble skills to an audience, demonstrating proficiency and musicality.
Review the performance, evaluating individual and ensemble contributions, and identifying areas for future improvement.

Performance Realisation SkillsReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll develop performance realisation skills by applying stagecraft, lighting, and sound techniques to enhance productions. They will review their own performance and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the production.

What you'll be able to do

Use a range of techniques to effectively realise productions, considering aspects such as stagecraft, lighting, and sound.
Review own performance, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for development.
Review the overall realisation of a production, evaluating its effectiveness in conveying the intended message and engaging the audience.

Preparing for a Career or Further Study in the Creative IndustriesReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll explore employment and education opportunities within the creative industries. They will assess their personal qualities in relation to sector roles and plan a realistic career or further study pathway.

What you'll be able to do

Identify a range of employment and education opportunities available within the creative industries sector
Match personal qualities, skills, and interests to specific opportunities within the creative industries sector
Plan a career path or further study options within the creative industries sector, setting realistic goals and timelines

Presentation Skills in PracticeReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

It teaches you to source relevant information, plan, and deliver structured presentations to an audience. You'll also develop skills to evaluate their presentations, ensuring clarity, organisation, and effective communication.

What you'll be able to do

Source relevant information for a presentation
Plan the structure and content of a presentation
Deliver a structured presentation to an audience, using appropriate techniques
Evaluate the effectiveness of a presentation, identifying areas for improvement

Problem Solving SkillsReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll develop problem-solving skills by selecting appropriate methodologies, creating action plans to address problems, and reviewing the effectiveness of these plans to make necessary improvements.

What you'll be able to do

Select a problem-solving methodology appropriate to the task, considering factors such as the nature of the problem, available resources, and time constraints.
Develop an action plan to address a problem, including identifying specific steps, assigning responsibilities, setting timelines, and allocating resources.
Review the effectiveness of an action plan, evaluating progress against objectives, identifying areas for improvement, and making necessary adjustments to the plan.

Song Writing SkillsReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit develops learners' understanding of popular music genres, subject matter, and the use of lyrical and compositional devices in songwriting. You'll analyse different approaches to creating songs within various popular music styles.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the characteristics of popular music genres and their historical context
Understand how subject matter is explored and presented in popular music
Understand the use of lyrical devices, such as metaphor, simile, and rhyme, in songwriting
Understand the use of compositional devices, such as melody, harmony, and rhythm, in songwriting

Sound Checking an EnsembleReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll gain skills to perform sound checks for ensembles, including preparing PA systems, checking equipment, sound checking individual instruments, and working collabouratively with performers to create balanced audio mixes.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the process of performing a sound check for an ensemble
Prepare a PA system for a sound check, ensuring all equipment is functioning correctly
Sound check individual instruments within an ensemble, adjusting levels and EQ as necessary
Work effectively with performers during a sound check, addressing their needs and concerns
Create a balanced mix for an ensemble, ensuring all instruments are audible and well-defined

Sound for Moving ImageReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll understand the relationship between sound and picture in film and develop skills to plan and record sound for short film productions. The unit covers sound effects, music, dialogue, and their role in enhancing narrative and atmosphere.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the relationship between sound and picture in film, including the use of sound effects, music, and dialogue
Develop a plan for sound in a short film production, considering the narrative and visual elements
Record sound for a short film production, using appropriate equipment and techniques

Studio MixingReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll understand audio mixing principles and demonstrate practical skills using EQ, compression, and panning to achieve balanced mixes. They will also evaluate the qualities of effective audio mixes.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the fundamental principles of audio mixing and its purpose in music production.
Demonstrate practical mixing techniques, including EQ, compression, and panning, to achieve a balanced and polished sound.
Evaluate the characteristics of a well-executed mix, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.

Teamwork Skills in Practice within the Creative Arts and Digital Technology SectorsReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll develop teamwork skills relevant to the creative arts and digital technology sectors. This includes understanding team roles and responsibilities, contributing to goal setting, communicating effectively, improving cooperation, and reviewing team performance.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the different roles and responsibilities of individuals within a team environment
Contribute to the setting of team goals and individual objectives, aligning with overall project aims
Communicate effectively with team members, using appropriate methods to convey information and ideas
Develop a plan to improve co-operation and collaboration within a team, addressing potential challenges
Review team performance against agreed goals and objectives, identifying areas for improvement

Technical Sound and Audio ProductionReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

This unit provides learners with knowledge of health and safety in sound and audio production, operation of audio equipment, development of production ideas, professional working methods, teamwork, and reflective practice.

What you'll be able to do

Understand health and safety issues relating to sound and audio production, including safe handling of equipment, noise levels, and electrical safety.
Use sound and audio production equipment, including microphones, mixing consoles, recording devices, and editing software, to capture and manipulate audio signals.
Develop ideas for sound and audio production, including brainstorming, storyboarding, and creating soundscapes to enhance visual media or stand-alone audio projects.
Understand professional working methods in sound and audio production, including communication protocols, time management, and adherence to industry standards.
Work effectively within a group situation, contributing ideas, sharing responsibilities, and resolving conflicts to achieve common production goals.
Reflect on own work in sound and audio production, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and developing strategies for improvement.

Undertaking a Solo PerformanceReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll enhance technical proficiency on an instrument through structured practice routines and develop an appreciation of diverse musical styles. They will demonstrate their skills in a solo performance showcasing technical ability.

What you'll be able to do

Demonstrate technical skills on an instrument to a proficient level
Develop effective and consistent practice routines to enhance performance
Develop an appreciation of music from different historical periods and diverse styles
Understand the elements of musical competence and the requirements of effective performance

Using Cameras and Accessories for Film and VideoReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

You'll understand safe practices in photographic and video production, the functions of camera features and accessories, and develop skills to capture and transfer high-quality images and video footage.

What you'll be able to do

Understand safe photographic and video making practice, including risk assessments and adherence to health and safety regulations.
Use the features of a camera, including settings for aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance, and understand the function of various camera accessories such as lenses, tripods, and filters.
Use a camera and accessories to capture high-quality images and video footage, demonstrating effective composition, lighting, and sound recording techniques.
Transfer images and video from a camera to a computer or other storage device, ensuring data integrity and appropriate file management.

Using Imaging SoftwareReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

It teaches you to obtain, insert, and combine images from various sources using imaging software. You'll create, manipulate, and edit images, applying appropriate file formats and editing techniques.

What you'll be able to do

Obtain, insert and combine information for images from a variety of sources, including digital cameras, scanners, and online databases, ensuring appropriate resolution and file formats.
Use imaging software to create, manipulate and edit images, including adjusting colour balance, cropping, resizing, retouching, and adding special effects.

Using Multimedia SoftwareReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

It teaches you to plan, create, and present multimedia products using appropriate software. You'll obtain and combine content, edit and format multimedia elements, and evaluate the final product for functionality and appearance.

What you'll be able to do

Plan multimedia products, considering target audience and purpose.
Obtain content for multimedia outcomes from appropriate sources.
Input content into multimedia software.
Combine content to build multimedia outcomes that meet specified requirements.
Use multimedia software tools to edit multimedia content effectively.
Use multimedia software tools to format multimedia content appropriately.
Play multimedia outcomes to test functionality and appearance.
Present multimedia outcomes to a specified audience.

Using Social Media to Market and Promote Events, Products and ServicesReal unit · Open College Network Northern Ireland

It teaches you to understand the opportunities and risks of using social media for marketing and promotion. You'll learn to utilise social media platforms effectively to market events, products, and services.

What you'll be able to do

Understand the opportunities presented by using social media for marketing and promotion, including increased reach and engagement.
Understand the threats associated with using social media for marketing and promotion, including reputational damage and security risks.
Understand the application of social media platforms and tools for marketing and promotion purposes.
Use social media platforms effectively to market and promote events, products, and services.

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

Your passport

Every credit is a stamp you keep

Level 3 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.

Capturing and Editing Audio SequencesCapturing, Editing and Presenting Video SequencesCompositionDeveloping WebsitesDigital FabricationEvent Organisation within the Fine Arts or Performing ArtsFilm and Video ProductionHealth and Safety in the Workplace

Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.

Who’d teach you this

The Evidence Evaluator

Assessor

Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.

Meet all twelve tutors

Where this connects

Where these credits take you

A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration

OCN NI Level 3 Certificate in Creative Arts and Digital Technologies

Manage the work of teams in the creative industries
Monitor and use social media to promote venues and events
Work effectively with colleagues, partners and suppliers in the creative industries
Work on projects involving immersive technology

This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

Where this can lead

Event Production Coordinator

This Event Production Assistant role is your foot in the door to a truly exciting and dynamic industry. If you bring your best, work hard, and stay curious, the opportunities for growth and a rewarding career are immense. We're looking for someone who wants to build something great with us.

See the whole journey →

Opens the roleEvent Production CoordinatorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleEvent Production DirectorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleEvent Production ManagerOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleEvent Innovation CoordinatorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleEvent Production SpecialistOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleEvent Communications CoordinatorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 2 near-identical records folded inSee the role →Future FluencyAll ten future skillsSee how every unit is contextualised by the tenExplore →

Showing 6 roles, drawn from 36 job records mapped to this qualification.

Skills it covers

What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.

Manage the work of teams in the creative industriesMonitor and use social media to promote venues and eventsWork effectively with colleagues, partners and suppliers in the creative industriesWork on projects involving immersive technologyWork on projects involving immersive technologyWork on projects involving immersive technology

How you’ll actually learn this

One-to-one, on your own real work

A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.

One-to-one, on your real workNo lectures, no past-papers. Every unit is practised on the actual tasks your job throws at you, a tutor beside you, not a video in front of you.

Taught to the top, not the testMost courses stop at remembering. Your companion keeps climbing: analysing, judging, creating. That’s the part a machine can’t do for you.

Credits you keep, a map that continuesEvery unit is regulated and yours for good. The day you finish, Zavmo already knows the next role your new credits open.

Capturing and Editing Audio SequencesLevel 3

Applied to your work in any of these jobs

Which job do you mean?

Event Production Coordinator Event Production Director Event Production Manager Event Innovation Coordinator Event Production Specialist Event Communications Coordinator

This unit develops learners' ability to capture audio sequences using hardware and software, ensuring sound quality. Learners will also use audio software tools to edit, enhance, and manipulate audio before presenting the final sequences.

How the thinking builds

Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyse
Evaluate
Create

An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

Your PlanIllustration

Built for OCN NI Level 3 Certificate in Creative Arts and Digital Technologies

26 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by Open College Network Northern Ireland.

Capturing and Editing Audio Sequences
Capturing, Editing and Presenting Video Sequences
Composition
Developing Websites
Digital Fabrication
Event Organisation within the Fine Arts or Performing Arts

and 20 more in the full unit list below.

These are the real units of this credential, in its own order. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

Why it sticks

Most courses stop at remembering

There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.

6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
4AnalyseThe Analyst
3ApplyThe Coach
2UnderstandThe Connector
1RememberThe Builder

Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you

Why this matters: AI can already remember and understand for you. What it can’t do is take your real problem and judge the right call. So the only learning worth paying for is the learning that takes you to the top. That’s exactly what a tutor doing it with you, on your real work, is for.

The value

Why the companion is worth £70 a month

You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.

That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.

Earned on your own work, taught to the top.

Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.

Build my plan, free

No card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.