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

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies Years F-6 achievement standards and aligned content descriptions on a page

This PDF presents content descriptions and achievement standards for the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum

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Board and card games for exploring Digital Technologies concepts

This PDF suggests board and card games that are useful for exploring Digital Technologies key concepts and key ideas.

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Books for exploring digital technologies concepts

This PDF provides a list of books that are useful for exploring key concepts and ideas in Digital Technologies.

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Literature reviews: what, why and how

This PowerPoint explains the benefits and techniques of literature reviews.

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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.

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Supporting Digital Technologies curriculum in schools

This PDF lists seven ways in which schools can support the Digital Technologies curriculum

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Expert webinar video: Dr Karen Joyce: Map my school

Dr Karen Joyce from STEM education provider She Maps discusses geospatial mapping and methods for teaching underpinning concepts to primary, secondary and tertiary students. Her presentation provides opportunities to think about how we might teach digital systems, data collection and interpretation to our students in context.

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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.

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Newsletter – December 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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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 – 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.

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Bethany Christian School – Progress report 4

This video explains the progress that Bethany Christian School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the final in a series of four.

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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. ...

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Green Hill Public School – Progress report 2

This video explains the progress that Bethany Christian School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the second in a series of three.

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Expert webinar video: Dr Rebecca Vivian - The CSER Digital Technologies Education Program

Dr Rebecca Vivian provides an overview of the CSER Digital Technologies Education Project from The University of Adelaide. The project includes free professional learning, a digital equipment lending library and a range of resources designed to support teachers in the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Digital ...

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Effective DTiF strategies

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

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Archived newsletters

This webpage features archived newsletters from the Digital Technologies in Focus project. The newsletters include information about schools' projects, assessment tasks, the Australian Curriculum and resources.

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Easterbrook review: Systems thinking and Computational thinking

This article explores how the relationship between systems thinking and computational thinking would provide a conceptual basis for transformational change – change that considers the social and environmental impact of technology.

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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.

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St James Catholic College – Final report

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