Digital technologies / Year 9 and 10 / Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Curriculum content descriptions

Design algorithms represented diagrammatically and in structured English and validate algorithms and programs through tracing and test cases (ACTDIP040)

Elaborations
  • designing algorithms to solve real-world problems and describing algorithms using flow charts and structured English, for example START, END, IF and UNTIL
  • recognising that different algorithms can solve a problem with different trade-offs
  • tracing algorithms to predict results and program state for a given input, for example desk checking or using an interactive debugging tool
  • using tracing techniques to test algorithms, for example desk checking an algorithm for a given input by stepping through the algorithm while keeping track of contents of the variables
  • developing test cases that correspond to the requirements of the specifications, for example validating program behaviour on a range of valid and invalid user input
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Diagrams,  Design,  Algorithms,  Data logging,  Desk checking,  Conditional statements

Downloadable

PyGame in a Day

As a general purpose programming language, python has a number of libraries that can be used for different purposes. PyGame is a free and open source python library that makes it easier to make multimedia applications like games.

Online

Level Up: Game design

This unit of work is intended to teach years 9–10 students basic programming, using general purpose programming language.

Assessment

Assessment resources

Browse assessment resources.

Online

Book analysis with AI techniques

This learning sequence explores text analysis through Natural Language Processing, a significant application of Artificial Intelligence. Teachers and students are led through a series of video tutorials to develop a Python program that can break down and analyse the content of a complete text and use smart sentiment analysis ...

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Coding a sentimental chatbot in Python

Incorporating 11 tutorial videos and two informative lecture videos, this learning sequence explores natural language processing, a significant application of artificial intelligence. Teachers and students are led through the coding in Python of a chatbot, a conversational program capable of responding in varied ways to ...

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Getting warmer

This lesson sequence intentionally uses a visual based programming tool to introduce designing and validating algorithms. Those students who complete this task can move to code the result in any text based language with which they are familiar.

Online

Managing a group project: Augmented Reality

This is a unit for Year 9 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. In this collaborative project, students plan, implement and monitor an AR project. They develop project management skills, collaborate with others and undertake a specific role. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against ...

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Computational thinking

Find out about Computational thinking. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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Design thinking

Find out about Design thinking. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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Robotics

Find out about robotics. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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Robotics and embedded systems

This is a unit for Year 10 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. A selection of four projects is presented to accommodate a range of student skill levels and interest, teacher background and school resources. Select the relevant project for your students or allow them to choose a project that appeals to ...

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Game-based learning

Find out about Game-based learning. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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General-purpose programming

Find out about General-purpose programming. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

Video

Expert webinar video: Dr Michelle Ellis: Learning resources for using micro:bits

Dr Michelle Ellis gives a demonstration of the Edith Cowan University Makerspace visual and general-purpose programming environment. She also shows a range of materials to support the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. This includes teaching resources and lesson plans.

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies Years 9-10 Sample Assessment Task: Digital Systems - Activity Guide

The Years 9-10 assessment task focuses on digital systems (integrating Digital Technologies and Science). The digital systems activity guide provides a scaffold to teach about and assess students’ understanding of how digital systems can be used to monitor the school environment. Students learn how to create environmental ...

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Maker spaces

Find out about Maker spaces. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

Online

Algorithms

Find out about algorithms. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies: years 9-10

This PDF provides a line of sight from content descriptions to achievement standards in the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum.

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ACARA sample assessment task: years 9-10

This resource provides strategies for assessing students' ability to interpret, process, analyse and represent data using spreadsheets, pivot tables, plotting data and scripting activities. A link to a data set from a koala hospital provides extensive data for students to use. The resource includes maps, graphs and charts, ...

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies key concepts mapping - Years 9 and 10

This PDF uses colour coding to provide a line of sight between key concepts, content descriptions and achievement standards in the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum.

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Curzon & Bell et al. review: Computational thinking

This article explores the concept of computational thinking within computer science learning and in relation to other learning areas. The authors assert that because of its focus on analysis, computational thinking is not only suitable for computation but also the development of systems-based on computation.

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Voskoglou & Buckley review: Problem solving and computational thinking

This article explores the relationship between computational and critical thinking as it applies to solving technological problems. Research evidence derived from classroom experiments strongly suggests that using computers to solve problems enhances students’ abilities in solving real-world problems involving mathematical ...

Video

Expert webinar video: In conversation with Paul Mead from She Maps: A wide-ranging discussion from women in Technology and unconscious bias to digital systems and the ethical and safety considerations of using drone technologies

Paul Mead, from STEM education provider She Maps, discusses unconscious bias in young students and how She Maps is spreading the word about women who work with technologies in the field. He discusses digital systems and explains how geospatial systems and geographical information systems are used to collect, analyse and ...

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Kim review: Systems thinking

This article explores the types of systems in our world, their characteristics and how our behaviour can initiate and respond to changes in their performance. The author differentiates between systems thinking and a system and elaborates on those factors that contribute to systemic behaviour.

Video

Expert webinar video: Russell Scott - Vortals: Augmented reality, virtual reality, 2D, 3D and game design lessons

Russell Scott, Co-Founder of multimedia design company Vortals, demonstrates some of the ways he teaches students about augmented reality, virtual reality, 2D, 3D and game design.

Video

Expert webinar video: Nathan Alison, Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria (DLTV): Focus on systems thinking. How do we teach it well?

Nathan Alison from Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria (DLTV) explains what systems thinking is and how it is used in the context of Digital Technologies. Nathan explains what we need to consider when teaching digital systems, covering topics such as networks, hardware and software protocols, people and processes.