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At the end of year 8 students will be able to:

·         Create a range of digital solutions, such as interactive web applications or programmable multimedia assets or simulations of relationships between objects in the real world.

·         Use computational thinking such as decomposing problems and prototyping

·         Analyse the properties of networks.

·         Acquire, analyse, validate and evaluate various types of data, and appreciate the complexities of storing and transmitting that data.

·         Use structured data to model objects.

·         Define problems and identify the key elements of the problems and the factors and constraints at play.

·         Design user interfaces; considering user experience factors such as user expertise, accessibility and usability requirements.

·         Use general-purpose programming languages, and incorporate subprograms into their solutions.

·         Manage individual and team projects by collaborating on-line.

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Digital Technologies – Work Plan

Content Elaborations

1.      Networking

ACTDIK023 - Investigate how data is transmitted and secured in wired, wireless and mobile networks, and how the
specifications affect performance (ACTDIK023).

a)       Network structure: backbones, ISPs, wireless/wired, mobile, DNS, how the internet/network works

b)       How data is transmitted: routers, hubs, switches, bridges.

c)        Protocols: Client-Server relationship. Http, Ftp, and Tcp/Ip protocols

Suggested Activities

·         Student centred research project dealing with the network topics above

·         Class jigsaw project

2.     Data Representation

ACTDIK024 - Investigate how digital systems represent text, image and audio data in binary (ACTDIK024)

a)       Binary numbers: convert decimal to binary and back. Eg what is ‘A’ in binary    “A” = 65 = 01000001

b)       Character Set Codes: ASCII, UNIcode

c)        Image formats : Bitmap (bmp, jpeg, png) vs vector (SVG, flash) and consequences when magnified.

d)       RGB colour: Bitwise representation of colour

e)       Sound formats: MP3, WAV

f)        Embedded vs linked media elements

Suggested Activities

·         Create a binary number generator/convertor in Actionscript

·         Create a setColour function in AS3 for use in a digital art program

·         Create an ASCII code generator/decoder/encoder

·         Examine file sizes of Flash projects after embedded bitmap vs flash vector objects, mp3, wav objects are embedded or linked

3.     Acquire Data

ACTDIP025 - Acquire data from a range of sources and evaluate authenticity, accuracy and timeliness (ACTDIP025)

a)       Design search engine queries: use of inURL and inTITLE

b)       Compare data from a range of sources: wikis, websites, books, people, AustBureauStats,

c)        Compile data: into digital format

d)       Checking authenticity of data

Suggested Activities

·         Study google’s http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html and use it in searching for information.

·          Create a word processed report (using a formal report format) on the differences (inclusions, exclusions, evidence base) between a range of source’s information including a check on the authenticity of material presented. Analyse the data and identify facts vs opinions. Topics for the search can be both student and teacher initiated.

4.     Model Data

ACTDIP026 - Analyse and visualise data using a range of software to create information, and use structured data to model objects or events (ACTDIP026)

a)       Create spreadsheets and DBs.

b)        Eg. Budget spreadsheet with summary stats, data plots to identify trends and outliers. Using conditional formatting in spreadsheets, organise, sort and filter data in spreadsheets

c)         eg. Create databases in Access and query using simple SQL

d)       Define data, information, knowledge and wisdom, look at modelling relationships between data

e)       Define DB structure: fields, tables, rows, records.

Suggested Activities

·         Create a ‘budget’ spreadsheet with summary stats, data plots to identify trends and outliers. Using conditional formatting in spreadsheets, organise, sort and filter data in spreadsheets. Do spreadsheets in year 7 and databases in year 8

·         Use a ‘key entity’ (properties) model to design a 3rd normal form relational database. Linking ‘key entities’ with relationships that produce other informational entities.

Eg. Customers – order – products.  Students – enrollment in – School

·         Create a ‘friends/schools’ relational database (two-three tables) in MS-Access.

·         Create simple SQL queries to query a single table in the friends/schools database.

5.     Systems Design - Model Real-World Systems

ACTDIP027 - Define and decompose real-world problems taking into account functional requirements and economic, environmental, social, technical and usability constraints (ACTDIP027)

a)       Determine attributes of real-world objects eg. For a computer game or database

b)       Decompose a problem into sub-elements. Eg. Objects, movements, collisions for a computer game.
Information flow and ‘operations on objects’ in an information system

c)        Decompose into events, objects and actions, user events/interactions for a computer game

d)       Decompose a problem into a data flow diagram or decision tree

e)       Two paradigms- 1.top down design – chunk into more simpler parts until each part is computable

f)                        2. Bottom up design – start simpler and add complexity until the model is
developed far enough.

Suggested Activities

·         Use a ‘key entity’ (properties/attributes) model to design a 3rd normal form relational database. Linking ‘key entities’ with relationships eg. For the students/schools database above.

·         Model a computer game’s key objects (with a view to expose the OOP paradigm) especially -  the properties of the objects, the constructor functions, public methods. I have a OOP designed simple tank battle game that I’ve written for use in this section.

·         Decompose the tank battle game into objects, events and actions, and user events/interactions

·         Students can design their own simple computer game/social network system using different design paradigms such as top-down, bottom-up, or prototyping (especially for a dummy user interface). A social network system would be good to use, to show data flow diagrams and decision trees (especially in terms of user menu options).

6.     Systems Design – User interface

ACTDIP028 - Design the user experience of a digital system, generating, evaluating and communicating alternative designs

a)       Design user interface – storyboard a game, prototypes and mock-ups of a solution

b)       Compare different user interfaces – in similar/different systems, re-usability of interface elements,
looking at/presenting alternative designs for the same solution.

c)        Principles of UI design – application and evaluation of UI solutions according to design principles.

Suggested Activities

·         Students can compare the UI of popular social network programs/web interfaces.

·         Students can prototype the UI to their own social network system after learning something about the design principals of digital user interfaces.

7.     Algorithm Design – diagrams and Structured English

ACTDIP029 - Design algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English, and trace algorithms to predict output for a given input and to identify errors (ACTDIP029)

a)       Investigate common algorithms – search, sort, merge, program structures ie. sequence, iteration and branching.

b)       Testing Algorithms – walkthrough with test data.

c)        Structured English/ pseudocode to design an algorithm.

d)       Diagrams to design an algorithm – flowcharts, NS charts?, structure charts from code.org

Suggested Activities

·         Students can learn some simple algorithms for search, sort, merge, using program structures of sequence, iteration and branching.

·         Students can use blockly to design simple algorithms https://studio.code.org/s/20-hour    start at stage 9 The Farmer. This will get students used to structured design charts

·         Students can use blockly  https://developers.google.com/blockly/  to create their own structured design charts for solutions to various problems. I have designed a generic blockly web page for use with this.

·         Students can turn structured design charts into structured english (optional pseudocode) and vice versa.

8.     Implement/Modify programs

ACTDIP030 - Implement and modify programs with user interfaces involving branching, iteration and functions in a general-purpose programming language (ACTDIP030)

a)       Develop and modify digital solutions using branching, iteration and functions (ie. A game that models real world objects)

b)       Program a robot to recognise objects based on a property such as colour.

c)        User navigation structures eg. Menus and quit button that checks if the user really wants to quit.

Suggested Activities

·         Create a Chopper pilot in Actionscript

·         Create a Gravity/friction balls in Actionscript

·         Create a Plane shooter in Actionscript

·         Create a Pong style game in Actionscrip

9.     Collaborate on-line when developing solutions

ACTDIP032 - Plan and manage projects that create and communicate ideas and information collaboratively online, taking safety and social contexts into account (ACTDIP032)

a)       Create web based systems (html and css)

b)       Establish netiquette rules within the group

c)        Discuss school policies about using mobile phones/ social media for on-line collaboration

d)       Project management of a solution (eg. Gantt chart software, task and team management, timelines, saving and back-up procedures, versioning)

10. Evaluate Solutions

ACTDIP031 - Evaluate how student solutions and existing information systems meet needs, are innovative, and take account of future risks and sustainability (ACTDIP031)

a)       Compare solutions to similar problems,

b)       Judge quality based on criteria,

c)        Compare touch input to mouse keyboard especially in terms of accessibility

d)       Look at e-waste issue – heavy metals, toxic toner

e)       Cloud based info system vs Client based

Suggested Activities

·         Create a simple touch input program in Actionscript and recreate it using mouse/keyboard input then compare these based on criteria especially when used on different platforms (eg. Windows based machines v android devices). I have some simple touch input AS3 examples that can be tested in Device Central.

·         Research e-waste and cloud based info systems vs client based.