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AOs/LOs by level

Technological practice (TP)

6-1 | 6-2 | 6-3

7-1 | 7-2 | 7-3

8-1 | 8-2 | 8-3

Technological knowledge (TK)

6-1 | 6-2 | 6-3

7-1 | 7-2 | 7-3

8-1 | 8-2 | 8-3

Nature of technology (NT)

6-1 | 6-2

7-1 | 7-2

8-1 | 8-2

Design in technology (DET)

6-1 | 6-2

7-1 | 7-2

8-1/2

Manufacturing (MFG)

6-1 | 6-2

7-1 | 7-2

8-1/2

Technical areas (TCA)

8-1 

Construction and mechanical technologies (CMT)

6-1 | 6-2 | 6-3 | 6-4

6-5 | 6-6 | 6-7

7-1 |  7-2 |  7-3 |  7-4

7-5 |  7-6 |  7-7

8-1 | 8-2 | 8-3 | 8-4

8-5 | 8-6 | 8-7

Design and visual communication (DVC)

6-1 | 6-2 | 6-3

7-1 | 7-2 | 7-3

8-1 | 8-2 | 8-3

Digital technologies (DTG)

6-1 | 6-2 | 6-3 | 6-4

6-5 | 6-6 | 6-7 | 6-8

6-9 | 6-10 | 6-11 | 6-12

7-1 |  7-2 |  7-3 |  7-4

7-5 |  7-6 |  7-7 |  7-8

7-9 |  7-10 |  7-11 |  7-12

8-1 | 8-2 | 8-3 | 8-4

8-5 |  8-6/7 | 8-8 | 8-9

8-10 |  8-11 | 8-12

Processing technologies (PRT)

6-1 | 6-2 | 6-3

7-1 | 7-2 | 7-3

8-1/2 | 8-3

Knowledge of computer science and software engineering DTG 8-5

Knowledge of the computer science and software engineering disciplines covers the concepts and methods that underly the creation of software and computer systems that meet the needs of users and are reliable, secure, usable, fast, efficient, intelligent, scalable, and easy to maintain or extend.

Learning objective: DTG 8-5

Students will:

  • demonstrate understanding of areas of computer science.

Indicators

  • Discusses solved and unsolved problems in the selected areas of computer science.
  • Discusses examples to explain how practical applications from selected areas of computer science use algorithms and/or techniques from these areas.
  • Explains how key algorithms or techniques address key problems in selected areas of computer science.
  • Evaluates the effectiveness of algorithms and/or techniques applied in selected areas of computer science.

Progression

Initially students learn about basic concepts of algorithms, programming language and user interface. Students progress to learning about tractability, data representations, coding, usability heuristics, formal specification of the syntax of programming languages, and software development methods.

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Teacher guidance

To support students to develop understandings about the areas of computer science, at level 8, teachers could:

  • ensure students understand key problems in selected areas of computer science. Selected areas include: formal languages, network communication protocols, complexity and tractability, Intelligent systems, software engineering, graphics and visual computing
  • ensure students have a framework for investigating areas of computer science that includes understanding the key problems in that area, practical applications, and the use of algorithms and/or techniques from that area
  • provide students with an opportunity to understand how key algorithms and techniques address key problems in selected areas of computer science
  • provide students with an opportunity to understand examples of practical applications in selected areas
  • guide students to evaluate the effectiveness of algorithms, techniques, or applications from selected areas
  • guide students to understand solved and unsolved problems in selected area of computer science
  • support students to practice report writing, including ways to structure a report, and literacy strategies to support report writing in a way that will allow students to explain, discuss, and evaluate.

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Contexts for teaching and learning

  • Areas of computer science are selected from: formal languages, network communication protocols, complexity and tractability, intelligent systems, software engineering, and graphics and visual computing.

    The idea of having a list of possible areas is so you can focus on the areas that best support your programme of learning and are of most relevance and interest to your students.

    For each selected area students will cover: Key problems, examples of practical applications, and key algorithms and/or techniques.

  • Students have most success when they write their reports based on their own experiences rather than writing a theoretical report about the topics. So for example if one of the topics to be covered is tractability students may undertake a range of learning experiences such as ‘the traveling salesman problem’ or ‘the map colouring problem’. They can then write about tractability based on these learning experiences, illustrated with photos or screenshots of themselves involved in these problems.

Resources to support student achievement

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Assessment for qualifications

The following achievement standard could assess learning outcomes from this learning objective:

  • AS91636 Digital technologies 3.44: Demonstrate understanding of areas of computer science.

Key messages from the standard

  • This standard is about demonstrating understanding of areas of computer science. There are six areas of computer science (listed in AS91636 explanatory note 3) and students must select two to cover in their report.

Ensure students understand the language in the standard associated with assessment as well as the specialist language related to computer science. Students obviously need to understand the specialist words such as algorithms or tractability. But in addition they must understand the words used to describe the level of expected performance at each achievement grade, for example, describe, explain, discuss, evaluate. Teachers need to ensure students understand the significance of these words and give students strategies to understand what is expected at each achievement level.

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Last updated May 23, 2018

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