Digital technologies / Year 7 and 8 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Investigate how data is transmitted and secured in wired, wireless and mobile networks, and how the specifications affect performance (ACTDIK023)

Elaborations
  • explaining that networks have components that control the movement of data, for example routers, hubs, switches and bridges manage data traffic and that the characteristics of these components impact on the operation (speed and security) of networks
  • explaining how cellular radio towers (transceivers) and mobile phones work together to create mobile networks
  • comparing the reliability and speed of transmitting data through wireless, wired and mobile networks
  • recognising that there are different communications protocols for transmitting data in networks, for example hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is used for transferring web page files in a browser, file transfer protocol (FTP) is used for sending and receiving any files over a network and transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) is used for controlling file transfers over the internet
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

User interfaces,  Computers,  Transmission control protocols,  Internet,  Data security

Video

How do computers get hacked?

What are some examples of cyber crime? Watch this clip to find out how viruses, denial of service attacks (DDoS) and phishing scams work. What is a botnet? And how are they used by hackers to bring down websites? Most of the time computers get hacked because of simple mistakes users make. What can users do to better protect ...

Online

Digital systems

Find out about Digital systems. 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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User interface

Find out about User interface. 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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Systems thinking

Find out about Systems 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.

Video

Supporting implementation of Digital Technologies and the ICT Capability: part 2

This video explains ways in which the Digital Technologies curriculum and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) General Capability can be implemented in schools. This video is the second in a series of three.

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Newsletter – December 2020

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, assessment tasks, the Australian Curriculum, useful links, and resources.

Video

Supporting implementation of Digital Technologies and the ICT Capability: part 3

This video explains ways in which the Digital Technologies curriculum and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) General Capability can be implemented in schools. This video is the last in a series of three.

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Newsletter – December 2017

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, the Australian Curriculum and useful resources.

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Newsletter – April 2019

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about school projects, data representation, the Australian Curriculum, and useful resources.

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School stories

This webpage provides users with a menu of schools whose experiences with Digital Technologies are described in detail.

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St James Catholic College – Timeline

This document presents the milestones in St James Catholic College's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

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Professional learning workshops

This webpage provides details of ten workshops that focus on understanding and implementing the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. The workshops are provided for Digital Technologies in Focus project schools and, where possible, schools not involved in the project.

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Miller & Boix-Mansilla review: Thinking across perspectives and disciplines

This article explores the challenges associated with using knowledge from different domains (and people) to work on a common problem, issue or puzzle. It acknowledges that the differences in how disciplines structure their knowledge raise challenges when working across disciplinary boundaries. The article identifies these ...

Assessment

Assessment resources

Browse assessment resources.

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Project Quantum: Online assessment system

Project Quantum helps computing teachers check their students’ understanding, and support their progress, by providing free access to an online multiple-choice assessment system and question bank. To use Project Quantum, you will need to create a free account.

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Digital Technologies in the Australian Curriculum: sequence of content

This PDF provides a sequence of content for the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum

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A–Z Digital Technologies vocabulary F–6

This PDF assists teachers in thinking about when and how to introduce Digital Technologies discipline-specific vocabulary.

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Alyangula Area School

Alyangula Area School is a government school located in Alyangula on Groote Eylandt, in the Northern Territory on the Traditional Lands of the Anindilyakwa People. Martin Levins is one of ACARA’s curriculum officers who works directly with the school to support the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. ...

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Newsletter – October 2018

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools projects, the Australian Curriculum, and useful resources.

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St James Catholic College – Project proposal

This PDF outlines St James Catholic College's proposal to participate in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.