8131 Information Processing Unit Outline

This unit builds upon the skills developed in 8111 Computer Literacy. Similar Skills are targeted, but a greater depth of skills and understanding is expected.

TP 2 Uses an awareness of how existing products and processes affect people when applying a more deliberate approach, within existing constraints, to designing and producing technologies that meet human needs; communicates verbally, through text, drawings and models; and evaluates throughout the process, comparing the final result with the original intention.

TP 3 Uses an understanding of the relationship between aesthetics and social and environmental effects when generating and communicating designs, both graphically and through models; plans and achieves production, making safe and efficient use of resources; and evaluates whether criteria relating to functional and aesthetic criteria were met.

TP 4 Considers the values and beliefs held by the developer and user when determining the appropriateness of technologies; applies this understanding when creating, communicating and justifying designs; and in planning, adapting and producing technologies includes social and environmental criteria when evaluating progress and results.

I 2 Relates an understanding of the common ways information is used, processed and transmitted to the use of various techniques to gather, send, receive, store and transmit information and create information products.

I 3 Considers the needs of the particular audience when selecting and using appropriate techniques, resources and equipment to create information products using sound, images and text.

I 4 Understands that the meaning audiences make of information is influenced by its form, structure, style and presentation; and applies this understanding to the creation of information products and processes, using recognised methods, rules and languages.

S 2 Is aware of systems used for specific purposes and can describe their component parts, the relationship between them and how people make a system work; and relates this understanding to the assembling, controlling, trialing and evaluation of simple linear systems.

S 3 Identifies simple cause and effect relationships in systems and explores how human and physical systems affect people and the environment; and uses this understanding to develop and test systems, selecting and using appropriate resources, equipment and techniques.

S 4 Understands that the elements in a system, including people and components, are related and can work in a variety of sequences; and relates this understanding to the construction, management and control of systems for specific purposes, measuring their performance using own methods.

The student outcomes targeted in this unit are addressed through the use of various software packages, such as spreadsheets, databases, word processors and the Internet.

This unit is conducted using a common theme based on a travel agency. All assessment tasks will be based around this imaginary company creating Information Technology resources that would commonly be used by travel agencies.

The collection of the resources will become a "Portfolio" on which a final assessment will be based.

This unit is a practical based subject with students using computers for the majority of class time. The objectives for this course are achieved as students work through class "Tasks". Grading is therefore based on work completed in class.

It is essential that students complete all of the assessment tasks to avoid achieving a poor grade.

The assessment items for this unit are divided into 5 "tasks". As mentioned previously these Tasks all relate to a travel agency. An outline for the task are as follows:

Students will be expected to follow the design, market and appraise approach while working on tasks. This will help their abilities to manage time and create marketable products.

* Skills will be taught in a structured lesson format (using group work etc) to help the students gain the skills for the Tasks.

*** The portfolio contains all the work each student has worked on throughout the course.