HI Tech: Information and Software Technology

HI Tech: Information and Software TechnologySample teaching program

HI Tech: Information and Software Technology

G.K. Powers

Sample

teaching program

HI Tech: Information and Software Technology by G.K. Powers – Sample teaching program1

HI Tech: Information and Software TechnologySample teaching program

Syllabus overview

The Information and SoftwareTechnology syllabus may be studied as a 100-hour course or as a 200-hour course. It is divided into core and options topics.

The course integrates the study of the core content within the context of options delivered through projects. Not all the core content needs to be addressed in each project. However, the course requires all the core content to be presented and the study of at least two options for a 100-hour course or at least four options for a 200-hour course.

The syllabus allows flexibility in the delivery of content, and particularly in the selection of learning experiences and activities. Units of work may vary in length of time. Schools may decide to combine options and integrate relevant core content areas into more comprehensive units of work. Schools need to consider the specific needs and interests of their students and the local community. Schools need to decide on the sequencing of the content depending on their:

• existing hardware and software
• teacher expertise
• interests of students
• existing programs and local community support.

The course reflects the importance of students learning about new technologies and creativity through projects. Projects are used to integrate core content and the option topics. Students are required to design, produce and evaluate a project within at least one option by applying core content.

How to use this teaching program

This teaching program has been written to enable each school to develop their own teaching program to suit the needs and interests of their students. It is not specific to one school or interpretation of the syllabus. The program is flexible and can be modified from year to year as required. To use this program follow these steps:

• Select the options that are appropriate to your school—at least four options for a 200-hour course. Delete the options that are not required.
• Decide on the sequencing for these options. Two sample overviews have been provided.
• Identify the core content to be integrated into the option topics. A grid for each core topic has been provided to simplify this step. The parts of the core topic or the entire core topic can be selected for each option.
• Use the check box on each option page to record the core content integrated into that option.
• Select a project or projects for each option. A range of projects that cater for students at different levels are provided in the textbook and on the accompanying Student CD.
• Decide the length of time available to teach each option and the integrated core. Allocate time for students to complete their project work.

This teaching program contains a list of resources on the Student CD that can be used when teaching core and options. The teaching program also serves as register. Teachers record what has been taught by marking the check box on each option and core topic. Room for comments is provided for teachers to evaluate their teaching and student learning.

Sample Overview 1—Core content integrated with options using project work

Year 9

Term1 / Option 1: Artificial intelligence, simulation and modelling (3 weeks)
Core topic 1: Design, produce and evaluate (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)
Term 2 / Option 2: Authoring and multimedia (3 weeks)
Core topic 2: Past, current and emerging technologies (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)
Term 3 / Option 3: Database design (3 weeks)
Core topic 3: Data handling (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)
Term 4 / Option 4: Digital media (3 weeks)
Core topic 4: Hardware (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)

Year 10

Term1 / Option 5: The Internet and website development (3 weeks)
Core topic 5: Issues (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)
Term 2 / Option 6: Networking systems (3 weeks)
Core topic 6: People (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)
Term 3 / Option 7: Robotics and automated systems (3 weeks)
Core topic 7: Software (3 weeks)
Project work (4 weeks)
Term 4 / Option 8: Software development and programming (4 weeks)
Project work (6 weeks)

Sample Overview2—Core content taught in option topics

Year 9

Semester 1 / Option 4: Digital media (12 weeks)
Project work (8 weeks)
Semester 2 / Option 3: Database design (12 weeks)
Project work (8 weeks)

Year 10

Semester 1 / Option 5: The Internet and website development (12 weeks)
Project work (8 weeks)
Semester 2 / Option 2: Authoring and multimedia (9 weeks)
Project work (10 weeks)
Option 1: Artificial intelligence, simulation and modelling
Syllabus reference: pp 26–7
Textbook: G.K.Powers, Hi Tech: Information and Software Technology, Chapter 8, pp 165–90 / Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1 Describes and applies problem-solving processes when creating solutions.
5.2.2 Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a range of challenging problems.
5.2.3 Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of information software solutions.
Option content / Core content
Artificial intelligence / C1 Design, produce and evaluate
Definition of artificial intelligence / Project work
Historical perspective of AI: Alan Turing / Defining & analysing the problem
Requirements of AI: Hardware, software / Designing possible solutions
Areas of artificial intelligence / Producing the solution
Intelligent systems: Natural languages / Evaluating the solution
Expert system & knowledge bases: Inference engine / C2 Past, current, emerging tech.
Neural networks / Past technologies
Agents and demons / Current technologies
Modelling and simulations / Emerging technologies
Purposes of models and simulations: Definition / C3 Data handling
Advantages and limitations: Predictions, trial situations / Data and information
Requirements of models and simulations / Data coding
Hardware: Simulators, analog computer, virtual reality / Data sources and data types
Software: Modelling and simulation programs / Primary storage
Using models and simulation programs / Secondary storage
Spreadsheets: Row, column, range, label, value, formula, function / Data transmission & compression
Data security
What–if predictions: Goal seek / C4 Hardware
Spreadsheet design: Instruction, input, calculation, output / Functions of hardware
Processing
Resources: Student CD / Input devices
Literacy worksheet 1.1 Social issues / Output devices
Literacy worksheet 1.2 Hardware requirements / Classification of hardware systems
Literacy worksheet 1.3 Past, current, emerging technologies / Troubleshooting & maintenance
Literacy worksheet 1.4 Software / C5 Issues
Literacy worksheet 1.5 People / Legal issues
Literacy worksheet 1.6 Data and spreadsheets / Ethical issues
ICT worksheet 8.1 Gold Coast conference / Social issues
ICT worksheet 8.2 Spreadsheet simulations / Industrial issues
Tutorial: Expert system—Whale watcher / C6 People
Interactive: Pizza shop / System development
eTester / Operations and maintenance
Project 1.1 Can we go on an excursion? / End user support
Project 1.2 Wheel and deal / C7 Software
Project 1.3 Simulation / System software
Cross project 1 School disco / Application software
Cross project 2 Skate park / Interface design
Cross project 4 Best and Fairest / Features of a GUI
Teacher comments:
Date started: / Date finished:
Option 2: Authoring and multimedia
Syllabus reference: p 28
Textbook: G.K.Powers, Hi Tech: Information and Software Technology, Chapter 9, pp 191–213 / Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1 Describes and applies problem-solving processes when creating solutions.
5.2.2 Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a range of challenging problems.
5.2.3 Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of information software solutions.
Option content / Core content
Multimedia products / C1 Design, produce and evaluate
Define multimedia: Interactivity, hypertext / Project work
Education: CBT / Defining & analysing the problem
Entertainment: Computer games / Designing possible solutions
Information: Multimedia encyclopaedia, multimedia kiosks / Producing the solution
Data types / Evaluating the solution
Text: DOC, TXT, RTF, PDF / C2 Past, current, emerging tech.
Graphics: Bit-mapped graphics, jaggies, BMP, JPEG, GIF, / Past technologies
TIFF, PICT, vector graphics, CDR, WMF, EPS / Current technologies
Audio: WAV, MP3, WMA, MIDI / Emerging technologies
Animation: SWF, animated GIF, MOV / C3 Data handling
Animation: Cel-animation path-based animation, tweening / Data and information
Video: MPEG, AVI, DivX, WMV, MOV / Data coding
Authoring software systems / Data sources and data types
Presentation software: Slides, onscreen presentations / Primary storage
Multimedia authoring: Director, Authorware, Hyperstudio / Secondary storage
Web authoring: Macromedia Dreamweaver, FrontPage / Data transmission & compression
Multimedia design / Data security
Design principles: Consistent, navigation, simple, data types / C4 Hardware
Script and storyboard: Storyboard layouts / Functions of hardware
Processing
Resources: Student CD / Input devices
Literacy worksheet 2.1 Hardware / Output devices
Literacy worksheet 2.2 Issues / Classification of hardware systems
Literacy worksheet 2.3 Data / Troubleshooting & maintenance
Literacy worksheet 2.4 Past, current, emerging technologies / C5 Issues
Literacy worksheet 2.5 Multimedia specialists / Legal issues
Literacy worksheet 2.6 Interface design / Ethical issues
ICT worksheet 9.1 Total Music / Social issues
ICT worksheet 9.2 Presentation / Industrial issues
Tutorial: Macromedia Flash / C6 People
Interactive: Electronic year book / System development
eTester / Operations and maintenance
Project 2.1 Fave rave / End user support
Project 2.2 Sports Shorts / C7 Software
Project 2.3 CD10 / System software
Application software
Interface design
Features of GUI
Teacher comments:
Date started: / Date finished:
Option 3: Database design
Syllabus reference: pp 29–30
Textbook: G.K.Powers, Hi Tech: Information and Software Technology, Chapter 10, pp 215–38 / Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1 Describes and applies problem-solving processes when creating solutions.
5.2.2 Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a range of challenging problems.
5.2.3 Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of information software solutions.
Option content / Core content
Database development / C1 Design, produce and evaluate
Define and describe a database: Flat file, relational, DBMS / Project work
Components of a database: File, record field, character / Defining & analysing the problem
Data dictionary: Field name, data type, field size, description / Designing possible solutions
Tables and forms: List, label / Producing the solution
Collecting, organising and storing data / Evaluating the solution
Sources of data: Primary source, secondary source / C2 Past, current, emerging tech.
Database storage: File size, backup, grandfather-father-son / Past technologies
Validation & verification: Range check, list check type, check / Current technologies
Methods of processing and analysing data / Emerging technologies
Editing: Insert data, delete data, move and copy data / C3 Data handling
Sorting: Ascending order, descending order / Data and information
Searching: Query, relational & logical operators, wildcard / Data coding
Mathematical calculations: Predefined & custom calculation / Data sources and data types
Methods of presenting information / Primary storage
Report: Header, body text, footer / Secondary storage
Design principles: Well designed forms and reports / Data transmission & compression
Macros: Creating macros, running macros / Data security
Integration / C4 Hardware
Importing & exporting: Embedding linking, cut, copy, paste / Functions of hardware
Mail merge: Creating data source and merging documents / Processing
Input devices
Output devices
Resources: Student CD / Classification of hardware systems
Literacy worksheet 3.1 Jobs involving databases / Troubleshooting & maintenance
Literacy worksheet 3.2 Database-related issues / C5 Issues
Literacy worksheet 3.3 Past, current, emerging technologies / Legal issues
ICT worksheet 10.1 Database in the office / Ethical issues
ICT worksheet 10.2 BuyIT / Social issues
Tutorial: Microsoft Access / Industrial issues
Interactive: DVD collection / C6 People
eTester / System development
Project 3.1 Classmate database Part I / Operations and maintenance
Project 3.2.1 Part Mart / End user support
Project 3.2.2 Classmate database Part II / C7 Software
Project 3.3 Remember when… / System software
Cross project 1 School disco / Application software
Cross project 2 Skate park / Interface design
Cross project 4 Best and Fairest / Features of a GUI
Teacher comments:
Date started: / Date finished:
Option 4: Digital media
Syllabus reference: pp 31–2
Textbook: G.K.Powers, Hi Tech: Information and Software Technology, Chapter 11, pp 239–60 / Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1 Describes and applies problem-solving processes when creating solutions.
5.2.2 Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a range of challenging problems.
5.2.3 Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of information software solutions.
Option content / Core content
Digital media / C1 Design, produce and evaluate
Purpose of digital media: E-music, digital newspapers / Project work
Digital media products: DTP, bit-mapped & vector graphics, / Defining & analysing the problem
audio, MIDI sequence, animation, video production / Designing possible solutions
Manipulation techniques / Producing the solution
Graphics: Cropping, resizing, moving, rendering, effects / Evaluating the solution
Audio: Amplify, equalisers, stretch, noise removal, echo / C2 Past, current, emerging tech.
Animation: Tweening, morphing / Past technologies
Video: Trimming, splitting, combining, effects, transitions / Current technologies
Digitisation and file sizes / Emerging technologies
Text: Optical character recognition / C3 Data handling
Graphics: Bit-mapping, file sizes / Data and information
Audio: Sampling, sampling rate, bit resolution, file sizes / Data coding
Video: Frame rate (fps), frame grabber, file sizes / Data sources and data types
Data compression: Lossy, lossless / Primary storage
Display and distribution / Secondary storage
Displaying: Screen, printer, speaker / Data transmission & compression
Distribution: Optical disks, the Internet, streaming / Data security
C4 hardware
Resources: Student CD / Functions of hardware
Literacy worksheet 4.1 Past, current, emerging technologies / Processing
Literacy worksheet 4.2 Issues / Input devices
Literacy worksheet 4.3 Data and Hardware / Output devices
ICT worksheet 11.1 Digital media / Classification of hardware systems
ICT worksheet 11.2 Australian Music / Troubleshooting & maintenance
Tutorial: Microsoft Paint / C5 Issues
Interactive: File types and media types / Legal issues
eTester / Ethical issues
Project 4.1 Help! / Social issues
Project 4.2 Music to my ears / Industrial issues
Project 4.3 Out of the box / C6 People
Cross project 1 School disco / System development
Cross project 2 Skate park / Operations and maintenance
Cross project 3 Interactive zoo / End user support
Cross project 4 Best and Fairest / C7 Software
System software
Application software
Interface design
Features of a GUI
Teacher comments:
Date started: / Date finished:
Option 5: The Internet and website development
Syllabus reference: pp 33–4
Textbook: G.K.Powers, Hi Tech: Information and Software Technology, Chapter 12, pp 261–86 / Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1 Describes and applies problem-solving processes when creating solutions.
5.2.2 Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a range of challenging problems.
5.2.3 Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of information software solutions.
Option content / Core content
The Internet and intranets / C1 Design, produce and evaluate
Define & describe the Internet: Making a connection, ISP / Project work
Historical perspective: ARPANET, BITNET, DNS, HTTP / Defining & analysing the problem
Intranet: Extranet / Designing possible solutions
Internet addresses: IP address, domain name, URL / Producing the solution
Uses of the Internet / Evaluating the solution
Email: Email address, message, attachment, netiquette / C2 Past, current, emerging tech.
Research: Search engine, keyword search / Past technologies
Chatting: Chat room / Current technologies
Messaging: Newsgroup, message board, IM / Emerging technologies
Internet software and protocols / C3 Data handling
Browser software: Web browser, favorites, bookmarks / Data and information
Web authoring software: Dreamweaver, FrontPage / Data coding
Types of protocols: TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, SMTP / Data sources and data types
World Wide Web / Primary storage
Information medium: Website, interactive, types of website / Secondary storage
Internet security: Cookie, proxy server, firewall, anti-virus / Data transmission & compression
Website development / Data security
Features of a website: Home page, contact, hyperlink / C4 Hardware
Designing a website: Good design principles, data types / Functions of hardware
Processing
Resources: Student CD / Input devices
Literacy worksheet 5.1 Past, current and emerging tech / Output devices
Literacy worksheet 5.2 Data handling / Classification of hardware systems
Literacy worksheet 5.3 Issues / Troubleshooting & maintenance
Literacy worksheet 5.4 People / C5 Issues
Literacy worksheet 5.5 Software / Legal issues
ICT worksheet 12.1 My website / Ethical issues
ICT worksheet 12.2 The Internet and website development / Social issues
Tutorial: Macromedia Dreamweaver / Industrial issues
Interactive: Email and aspects of the Internet / C6 People
eTester / System development
Project 5.1 Putting it together / Operations and maintenance
Project 5.2 Old news / End user support
Project 5.3 Web Threads / C7 Software
Cross project 2 Skate park / System software
Cross project 3 Interactive zoo / Application software
Cross project 4 Best and Fairest / Interface design
Features of a GUI
Teacher comments:
Date started: / Date finished:
Option 6: Networking systems
Syllabus reference: pp 35–7
Textbook: G.K.Powers, Hi Tech: Information and Software Technology, Chapter 13, pp 287–12 / Syllabus outcomes
5.2.1 Describes and applies problem-solving processes when creating solutions.
5.2.2 Designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a range of challenging problems.
5.2.3 Critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of information software solutions.
Option content / Core content
A communications network / C1 Design, produce and evaluate
Nature and role: Define a communication network / Project work
Advantages and disadvantages / Defining & analysing the problem
Protocols: TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, AppleTalk / Designing possible solutions
Data transmission / Producing the solution
Data transmission modes: Simplex, half duplex, full duplex / Evaluating the solution
Data transmission rates: Bits per second (bps), baud rate / C2 Past, current, emerging tech.
Data transmission—wire: Twisted-pair, coaxial, optical fibre / Past technologies
Data transmission—wireless: Radio wave microwave satellite / Current technologies
Network basics / Emerging technologies