Curriculum aims
Learning and undertaking activities in information and communication technology (ICT) contribute to achievement of the curriculum aims for all young people to become:
successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
The importance of ICT
The increasing use of technology in all aspects of society makes confident, creative and productive use of ICT an essential skill for life. ICT capability encompasses not only the mastery of technical skills and techniques, but also the understanding to apply these skills purposefully, safely and responsibly in learning, everyday life and employment. ICT capability is fundamental to participation and engagement in modern society.
ICT can be used to find, develop, analyse and present information, as well as to model situations and solve problems. ICT enables rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures, and allows students to collaborate and exchange information on a wide scale. ICT acts as a powerful force for change in society and citizens should have an understanding of the social, ethical, legal and economic implications of its use, including how to use ICT safely and responsibly. Increased capability in the use of ICT supports initiative and independent learning, as students are able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to enhance their learning and the quality of their work.
Key concepts
There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of ICT.
Students need to understand these concepts in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding.
Capability
Using a range of ICT tools in a purposeful way to tackle questions, solve problems and create ideas and solutions of value.
Exploring and using new ICT tools as they become available.
Applying ICT learning in a range of contexts and in other areas of learning, work and life.
Communication and collaboration
Exploring the ways that ICT can be used to communicate, collaborate and share ideas on a global scale, allowing people to work together in new ways and changing the way in which knowledge is created.
Exploring ideas and manipulating information
Solving problems creatively by using ICT to explore ideas and try alternatives.
Using ICT to model different scenarios, allowing people to identify patterns and test hypotheses.
Manipulating information and processing large quantities of data efficiently.
Impact of technology
Exploring how ICT changes the way we live our lives and has significant social, ethical and cultural implications.
Recognising issues of risk, safety and responsibility surrounding the use of ICT.
Critical evaluation
Recognising that information must not be taken at face value, but must be analysed and evaluated to take account of its purpose, author, currency and context.
Reviewing and reflecting critically on what they and others produce using ICT.
Key processes
These are the essential skills and processes in ICT that students need to learn to make progress.
Finding information
Students should be able to:
analyse systematically the information requirements to solve a range of problems
scope the information flow required to develop an ICT-based solution
select appropriate information from a wide range of sources, showing discrimination in their choices and judging the value, accuracy, plausibility and bias of information
explore, develop and interpret information to produce solutions that meet user needs
evaluate critically and justify information choices and act on feedback from others where appropriate.
Developing ideas
Students should be able to:
develop efficient and effective ICT-based solutions to a range of problems for themselves and others
select and use, with increasing integration and efficiency, the appropriate ICT tools for given problems
independently explore, develop and interpret increasingly complex ICT-based information to solve problems
use ICT safely and responsibly
critically evaluate and justify the choice of ICT tools and act on feedback from others where appropriate.
Communicating information
Students should be able to:
use a range of ICT tools and media to share, exchange and present information effectively in a variety of contexts
create quality solutions that show they have considered how the information should be interpreted and presented in forms that suit audience, purpose and content
communicate and exchange information (including digital communication) safely, responsibly and securely.
Evaluating
Students should be able to:
review, modify and evaluate work as it progresses, reflecting critically and responding to user feedback
evaluate the effectiveness of their own and others’ ICT-based solutions, using the results to improve the quality of their work and to inform future work.
Range and content
This section outlines the breadth of the subject on which teachers should draw when teaching the key concepts and key processes.
The study of ICT should include:
use of increasingly demanding problems and more complex information from a wide range of sources in a variety of contexts
use of a range of ICT tools to meet the needs of the user and solve problems
developing an understanding of the need to: employ safe working practices in order to minimise physical stress; keep information secure and minimise risks from computer viruses and other malicious practice; manage information, storage and access to secure content and enable efficient retrieval
the impact of ICT on individuals, communities and society, considering the social, economic, legal and ethical implications of access to, and use of, ICT.
Curriculum opportunities
During the key stage students should be offered the following opportunities that are integral to their learning and enhance their engagement with the concepts, processes and content of the subject.
The curriculum should provide opportunities for students to:
make choices about when and where it is appropriate to exploit technology to support them in other areas of learning and everyday life
work creatively and collaboratively, taking different roles in teams
be independent, discriminating and reflective when choosing when to use technology
use ICT to manage themselves, their work and their learning
apply ICT to real-world situations when solving problems and carrying out a range of tasks and enquiries
use initiative to find out about and exploit the potential of more advanced or new ICT tools and information sources
evaluate their experiences of using ICT, considering the range of its uses and its significance to individuals, communities and society
use ICT in other subjects and areas of learning with contexts that are relevant and interesting to them.
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ST. ANNE´S SCHOOL,
S.A.U, CIF A78527827 |