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

Video

How 'binary information' is communicated via the internet

Ever wondered how your photos, emails and messages get sent between devices? Watch as software engineer Tess Winlock explains what binary information is, and how it gets from one place to another. Can you explain what 'bits' are? How about 'bytes'? In the past, binary information was sent using physical systems like semaphore ...

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Booth Sweeney review: Systems literacy

This article explores how children’s innate understanding of systems can be developed through deliberate educational programs that support systems thinking. This can happen by encouraging students to identify patterns, consequences and feedback (loops) associated with social, environmental and economic problems; and by ...

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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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Newsletter – July 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

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 ...

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Classroom ideas: Micro:bit environmental measurement (visual and general-purpose programming): years 5-8

This tutorial shows ways in which environmental factors such as lighting and temperature can be measured and improved using micro:bits and sensor boards, and programmed using pseudocode, visual programming and general-purpose programming.

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Newsletters

This webpage features 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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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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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.

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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Technologies: sequence of achievement in the Australian Curriculum

This Word document provides sequences of achievement standards for the Technologies learning area in the Australian Curriculum

Video

Supporting implementation of Digital Technologies and the ICT Capability: part 1

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 first in a series of three.

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Newsletter – October 2019

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about schools' projects, visual programming, 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.

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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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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.

Video

Alyangula Area School – Progress report 1

This video is a summary of a progress report into the implementation of Digital Technologies in the Alyangula Area School.

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Digital Technologies teacher self-assessment matrix

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

Video

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.