Digital technologies / Year 5 and 6 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)

Elaborations
  • describing digital systems as having internal and external components that perform different functions, for example external components for inputting data including keyboard, microphone, stylus; internal processing components including the central processing unit; external output components including speakers, projector, screen; and data and information storage components including cloud and external devices
  • explaining how data may be transmitted between two digital systems in different ways, for example that wires or cables are used in wired networks to transfer data from one digital system to another, and radio waves are used to transmit data in wireless or mobile networks
  • investigating how the internal and external components of digital systems are coordinated to handle data, for example how a keyboard, central processing unit and screen work together to accept, manipulate and present data and information
  • investigating how emerging digital systems work, for example using an augmented reality app (or blended reality) and considering how images of real-world objects can be blended with computer-generated information to produce a virtual reality
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Software,  User interfaces,  Computers,  Internet

Text

South Kalgoorlie Primary School

South Kalgoorlie Primary School is located in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on the Traditional Lands of the Wangkatja people of the North-Eastern Goldfields. It has about 450 students. Deanne Poole is the curriculum officer who works directly with the school to support the implementation of the Digital Technologies curriculum. ...

Text

Books for exploring Digital Technologies concepts

This PDF provides a list of suggested books or similar that identify and discuss key concepts, key ideas and related ways of thinking about Digital Technologies.

Text

Digital Technologies resource types and resource mapping template

This three-page document gives suggestions for selecting and organising Digital Technologies resources, including physical equipment, unplugged activities and online links. It includes a simple template that may be helpful in documenting these.

Text

Effective DTiF strategies

This PDF lists eight ways in which Digital Technologies in Focus (DTiF) supported the implementation of Digital Technologies in disadvantaged schools.

Text

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.

Text

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. ...

Text

Kelley & Knowles review: STEM integration

This article explores ways of building integrated STEM programs so that students have opportunities to make connections to crosscutting concepts and real-world problems. This is proposed through the lens of a framework.

Text

Mossman State School – Final report

This report provides details of Mossman State School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project, including a Research question, criteria for success, data collection, resources, challenges, milestones and next steps.

Text

St James Catholic College

St James Catholic College is a K–10 school located about 50 kilometres south of Hobart, Tasmania on the Traditional Lands of the Mellukurdee Peoples. Peter Lelong is the curriculum officer who works directly with the school to support the implementation of the Digital Technologies curriculum. Teachers at the school have ...

Text

Supporting Implementation of Digital Technologies: Progress report – Focus on curriculum and pedagogy and learning outcomes (2019)

This PDF is an extensive report on the success of the Digital Technologies in Focus (DTiF) project, with a focus on curriculum and pedagogy and learning outcomes. The evaluation gathered qualitative data to create rich case study accounts of six schools' engagement in the project and its impacts and outcomes.

Text

Newsletter – April 2020

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

Text

Newsletter – July 2018

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

Text

Green Hill Public School

Green Hill Public School is a small school located in Kempsey, New South Wales, on the Traditional Lands of the Djangadi/Dhangatti Peoples. It has recently expanded from a K–4 to a K–6 school. It has 28 students, 96 per cent of whom identify as Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander. Green Hill Public School was a finalist ...

Text

South Kalgoorlie Primary School – PL ecosystem

This document illustrates the network of people and resources that make up South Kalgoorlie Primary School's Professional Learning ecosystem.

Text

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.

Text

ICT Proficiency Teacher self-assessment matrix

These matrices allow teachers to self-assess their ICT Capability and Digital Technologies proficiency. They include a notes section for teachers to plan future professional learning.

Text

Good teaching practice with Digital Technologies

This PDF lists seven characteristics of good teaching practice in the Digital Technologies curriculum.

Text

School stories

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

Text

Newsletter – July 2020

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

Text

Newsletter – October 2018

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