Digital Technology Adventures

Elective Unit

Unit Description

This Computing elective offers a rich and differentiated Digital Technologies curriculum to students with a wide range of interests and skills. The program has a strong focus on self-directed learning and innovative assessment.

For students new to computing, this course will provide an introduction to basic Digital Technologies. In addition to exploring electronics, this course provides students with the opportunity to focus their learning on a specific area chosen by the student. The course culminates in a team project, where students work collaboratively to design and develop a solution to solve a given problem.

Students will be able to choose this elective for either one or both semesters.

Areas of Study

Exploring Electronics

This core unit is designed to foster exploration and creativity as students undertake a series of hand-on challenges using Microbits and Makey-Makeys as well as the supporting software programming capabilities that enable the programming of microcontrollers in both electronic and robotics applications.

Students select one of the following areas for their major focus for the course.

Coding with Python

This stream caters for students at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels as students undertake a series of self-paced modules and progressively work through the foundational elements of coding. The advanced levels include object-oriented design and more complex data-structures.

Robotics

Working with EV3 Mindstorms, students are required to innovate and apply their problem-solving skills to a range of creative design challenges based around a theme (e.g. Natural disasters, Space exploration). This stream is suitable for students with varying levels of experience. Complex engineering solutions can be explored along with advanced multi-tasking programming features.

Website Design and Development

Students in this stream build an understanding around the language of the Web. From coding directly with HTML and CSS through to building a professional-looking website with WiX, students develop their design skills as they explore a range of real-world Website situations. No prior experience with web development is required for this stream.

Assessment

• A selection from Python software, Robot designs and code and Website solutions for an individual project
• A team project to design and develop a software solution