Overview
Design and Digital Technologies introduces students to both the nature of learning in Design and Technology and Digital Technologies to enhance problem solving, innovation and creative thinking skills for 21st century learners. Students develop deep understanding of the thinking processes of planning, producing and evaluating which are essential processes in Design and Technology, and defining, organising and implementing which are essential processes in Digital Technology. They engage in design and digital challenges to build their own content and process knowledge in the learning area and reflect on the value of technological ways of thinking and learning for sustainability and innovation. Students explore a range of digital tools that support their engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies Curriculum content and pedagogy.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation (SUTE) feedback
Reflection surveys
Reflection surveys on Moodle were found to be redundant so they will be removed.
Feedback from Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation (SUTE) feedback
Assessment Task 2
The requirements for Assessment Task 2 will be reduced to three digital artefacts rather than four.
- Participate in individual and collaborative learning processes to improve professional understanding of content knowledge and teaching and learning in the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Use current research and examples to explain the value, nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning area
- Produce digital content by making effective and purposeful use of Information and Communications Technology to model Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning goals.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus areas of:
1.2 Understand how students learn
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
3.3 Use teaching strategies
3.4 Select and use resources
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Presentation - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.mallett@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Design Technologies and Digital Technologies
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Andresen, L., Boud, D., & Cohen, R. (2000). Experience-based learning. In Foley, G. (Ed.), Understanding adult education and training (2nd ed., pp. 225-239). Taylor & Francis.
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Commence Design Challenge Project.
Module/Topic
Design Thinking
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Mawson (2003)
- McCormick (2004)
- Jones, Buntting, & de Vries (2013)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Complete phase 1 of design challenge project.
Module/Topic
Design and Sustainability
Chapter
Access Moodle for:
- Canty, Seery, Hartell, & Doyle (2017)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Complete design challenge project.
- Post completed challenge to campus design challenge evaluation forum.
Module/Topic
Assessment 1 overview
The Technologies Curriculum and the ICT General Capability
- What is technology?
- Aims and Rationale
- Two subjects:
- Design and Technologies
- Digital Technologies
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Advancing education: An action plan for education in Queensland (2016)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Complete Peer Evaluation task in Design Challenge Evaluation forum.
Module/Topic
The Australian Curriculum (Digital Technologies)
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Bell, Witton, & Fellows (2015). [This is an excellent resource full of classroom technology activities which do not require computers. Just skim through it to get a feel for this approach.]
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
Design Challenge Due: Week 5 Thursday (7 Apr 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Digital Technologies and Data
- Data representation
- Binary code, colours and images
- Assessment 2 overview and reflection
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- English (2019)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Commence Portfolio Artefact 1: Data representation
Module/Topic
Computational Thinking
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Barr & Stephenson (2011)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Commence Portfolio Artefact 2: Editing an image
Module/Topic
Coding and Programming (Game Design)
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Fryer (2013). [Please look over this resource. You don't have to read it all.]
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Commence all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Commence embedded Portfolio Artefact 3: Coding a game using Scratch
Module/Topic
Coding and Programming (Robotics)
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Thinkersmith (2013). [Please look over this resource. You don't have to read it all.]
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
Module/Topic
Digital Communication
- Communicating with Digital Media
- Digital Tools to Integrate Media
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Brusic & Steinmacher (2015)
- Hummell (2015)
- Cantu (2015)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Examine and enhance Assessment 2 website to meet curriculum requirements for digital communication.
Module/Topic
Digital Communication
- Legal, Safe and Ethical Practice
- Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Fasso & Knight (2020)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
- Examine and enhance Assessment 2 website to meet curriculum requirements for digital communication.
- Complete 'Reflective Questionnaire - The affective domain end-unit'.
Module/Topic
Year 7 and beyond
Chapter
Access eReading List for:
- Stager (2016)
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials. Complete all activities as outlined in these materials.
Digital portfolio Due: Week 12 Thursday (2 June 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical and Written Assessment
Assessment 1 requires the submission of three components:
- Part A: a reflection on the process of design and peer feedback exchange as it relates to learning about and communicating the technology design process
- Part B: a referenced response to two critical questions about the pedagogy involved in teaching and learning in this curriculum subject
- Part C: a referenced response to one critical question about safe, ethical and sustainable practice with regard to curriculum expectations and your design challenge, contextualised to your classroom
Submission tasks
You will submit a 2,600-word written piece that is both reflective and referenced. This written piece will be submitted through the assessment link on Moodle as a Word document or PDF for feedback and grading. However, without supporting documentation in your website and in the ‘Peer evaluation template’, your submitted reflections will be void, and not assessed as having been drawn from personal experience. Your assessment submission will include three sections:
a) A focused reflection (approximately 700 words) on the technology design process of the design challenge, and the peer evaluation process that links your own experience as both provider, and recipient of evaluation to your growing understanding of the process and production skills of the design and technologies subject. This reflection should be drawn from and elaborate on your responses to the reflection prompts provided in the Moodle materials. It should draw from the curriculum expectations, as well as the readings provided in the unit eReading list. You may wish to use questions such as the following to guide your response: What are the benefits of collaboration over individual work? Do you accept or doubt the benefits of collaboration? Do you feel a commitment to working collaboratively? Did you think cooperatively, identifying ways of making the best decisions for your partnership? Do you believe that the needs of your partnership outweighed your own personal needs? Your response should use these framing ideas to address the following directly:
- How did/can the giving and receiving of peer evaluation enhance the quality of the way you understand the design process?
- How did/can the giving and receiving of peer evaluation enhance the way you thought about the way you communicated your design process?
- How did/can the giving and receiving of peer evaluation enhance the critical and creative thinking about design solutions and the design process that are expected in this curriculum area?
b) An examination of your completed Technology Design Challenge, and how this may be adapted for use in your own classroom.
- Introduction (approximately 300 words): Write a brief introduction, presenting a broad outline of anticipated adaptations for a nominated year level drawn from the band level descriptions in the Australian curriculum Technologies: Design and Technology.
- You will identify TWO critical issues, as a teacher who is planning this unit, about the pedagogy associated with the design and implementation of your specific design challenge in your classroom context. These are issues that address questions associated with problems/issues/challenges/expectations in terms of how this design challenge might be taught in your classroom and meet curriculum expectations. You should draw on your response to the reflection stimuli provided in the Week 2 unit materials.
- Each issue should be approximately 500 words long, and referenced by drawing from the unit readings, and your own research. After defining each issue, the balance of your response should focus on identifying guidelines for your pedagogical practice when teaching design technologies, in particular your own design challenge that has been modified and made age-appropriate for your own classroom.
c) Sustainability, preferred futures, and ethics are at the heart of the design and technologies curriculum. They are based on knowledge and values, which must be developed in your technologies classroom. You should consider pedagogies that will develop this type of thinking in your students.
- You will identify ONE critical issue of sustainability that has emerged from your own design challenge project.
- You will reflect on your pedagogy, and how you will support your own students in developing the values, and demonstrating relevant thinking about sustainability, ethics and safety, and/or futures in the design challenge in your classroom.
- Your response will draw from the way you anticipate you would implement your design project in the classroom, as well as the expectations of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies (Design and Technology).
- In your response, you will suggest strategies that present a solution (approximately 600 words) to this pedagogical question when teaching your specific design project, and that is drawn from appropriately referenced sources.
Week 5 Thursday (7 Apr 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7 Thursday (28 Apr 2022)
This assignment will be returned to students with sufficient time to allow for academic support and advice where necessary, prior to the submission of the next assessment task.
- Demonstrated ability to seek and respond to constructive feedback to identify professional learning needs.
- Use participation and critical reflection to develop professional understanding of content knowledge and pedagogy in the Technologies learning area.
- Use current research and examples to explain the value, nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Design and Digital Technologies learning area.
- Participate in individual and collaborative learning processes to improve professional understanding of content knowledge and teaching and learning in the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Use current research and examples to explain the value, nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
2 Presentation
This digital portfolio task requires you to present three artefacts that demonstrate your technical competency and understanding of the Digital Technologies curriculum. These will be published at a website of your choosing (most likely the same one used for AT1). The portfolio will include an introduction and a collection of three artefacts. The documentation for each artefact will contain evidence of your practical exploration of the activity and a reflection on the classroom pedagogy which could be associated with the activity. The portfolio will also be assessed on the quality of the artefacts and the digital communication skills you have used to present them on your website.
Introduction: Initial Reflection
A brief (200-400 word) reflection based on your prior experience, emotions and confidence with digital technologies. Conclude this reflection with your perception of the way in which this area of this curriculum area might play out in your classroom.
Portfolio Artefact 1: Data representation
a) Technical task: To support your use of Excel you will complete a technical task following the instructions in the Word document provided on Moodle (https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=2391094). This task involves creating formulas for calculating data and then representing this data from a hypothetical Clean up Australia day activity to raise awareness about landfill, and the types of data generated on the school grounds. Note that the data in the tally is a daily tally and you will need to calculate weekly and monthly totals. Discuss the way you completed this task and upload your spreadsheet to your website.
b) Reflection on pedagogy: Outline how you could modify this activity (changing, focus, changing complexity, changing context etc.) to meet the content learning descriptors for each level of the F-2, Years 3-4 and Years 5-6 curriculum.
Portfolio Artefact 2: Editing an image
a) Technical task: Download the source image from Moodle (https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=2391086). Open it in Paint (Windows) or Preview (Mac) or whichever software or web-based solution (e.g., https://www.online-image-editor.com/) you prefer. Resize it by reducing the number of pixels in the image. Make decisions about the optimum size for your website. Explain your decision about balancing image size with acceptable quality for optimal online viewing. Use screen captures and saved images, as well as a text explanation to present your exploration in your portfolio as an artefact. How does reducing the pixel count affect the file size of the image? What is the implication of image size in terms of efficiency of a network?
b) Reflection on pedagogy:
- The Foundation to Year 2 content elaboration ACTDIK002 states that students should learn about how data are represented by changing pixel density (resolution) in a photograph with support and note how the change in file size allows successful emailing of the image. The Years 3 and 4 content elaboration ACTDIK008 states that students should recognise that numbers, text, images, sounds, animations and videos are all forms of data when stored or viewed using a digital system. The Years 5 and 6 content elaboration ACTDIK0105 states that students should recognise that digital systems represent all types of data using binary digits.
- How can you scaffold this task for the various age groups described above?
Portfolio Artefact 3: Coding a game using Scratch
a) Technical task: It is likely that you will game your game from an existing one. One of the benefits of Scratch is the sharing and collegiality. All games allow you to ‘see inside’ - accessing the workings and code of the game. Once you find one of your choice, work with it and modify it to suit new needs and contexts. However, there is an expectation that there is a reference to the source program, and significant differences that are able to demonstrate your own critical and creative thinking.
Be sure to provide attribution to the source of your code and ensure that you demonstrate significant difference in your own code (changing only costumes or backgrounds is insufficient). If you provide code without attribution, it is considered that you have developed it yourself. If this code is identical to existing code in tutorials or other Scratch games, you will be deemed to have engaged in plagiarism.
A key component of your evidence will be screen captures of your code. These images should be annotated with comments that identify the thinking process in the particular area of your code - including the use of algorithms, branching algorithms, iteration of algorithms, and decomposition. (Alternatively, a video could be made to demonstrate your work but this is optional.) Respond to the following questions about your thinking as you design your game:
- What is the intent and suggested audience of the game?
- What is the overall story of your game (functional requirements; the characters, sprites, backgrounds, functions, user input and output (keyboard, mouse, etc.), algorithm and storyline? A concept map is an ideal way to outline the game and these features.
b) Reflection on pedagogy
Finish with a conclusion that draws the task together and outlines (through your own experience) the way tasks such as these enhance individualisation, creativity, problem-solving, resilience to failure, and understanding of the way programming underpins digital activities in our everyday lives. Links to the key ideas of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies would be useful.
Week 12 Thursday (2 June 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Submit online through Moodle
Exam Week Friday (17 June 2022)
Feedback on this assessment task will be provided following moderation.
- Demonstrate knowledge of a range of digital resources and tools for improving student engagement and learning through the selection and use of data representation and programming tools.
- Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Technologies curriculum learning area making explicit links between the technologies activities, curriculum and pedagogy.
- Produce digital content by making effective and purposeful use of Information and Communications Technology for digital communication.
- Participate in individual and collaborative learning processes to improve professional understanding of content knowledge and teaching and learning in the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning area
- Produce digital content by making effective and purposeful use of Information and Communications Technology to model Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning goals.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
