Background to the VELS - Information and Communications Technology domain
Introduction | Level 1 and 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Show All
Introduction
The Information strand in the Technology key learning area of the previous curriculum guidelines for Victorian schools, the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II focused on the use of information technology (IT) for the creation and presentation of information products. However, continuing developments in IT and, in particular, in communications technology are generating tools for:
- assisting development of thinking processes, monitoring of learning patterns and reflection on learning strategies
- creating and sharing innovative and effective information products and for demonstrating understanding of concepts, processes and relationships
- sharing knowledge with, and learning from, experts and peers in the local and global community, collaborating, and gaining high-order knowledge and understanding.
Since these developments present powerful tools for students to use in developing effective and skilful thinking and deep understanding in all domains, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) domain extends the study of IT from the one dimension of creating information products to addressing the three dimensions: ICT for visualising thinking, ICT for creating and ICT for communicating. As in the CSF II, the ICT standards in the VELS define what students should know and be able to do at different levels of schooling. They provide a clear picture of the sequence of development through which a student should progress.
In the VELS, while ICT is part of the Interdisciplinary Learning strand, schools may choose different curriculum structures for developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define effective use of ICT. Some schools may teach ICT in specific blocks of time, while others may find an integrated approach most appropriate. In an integrated approach, a specialist ICT teacher would teach students ICT knowledge and skills, which would then be applied and further developed with practice in the various discipline domains. For further information about stand-alone ICT classes within school programs visit the FAQ section and the VCAA August 2005 bulletin in PDF format (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/correspondence/bulletins/2005/august/05AUGBUL.pdf) page 7.
The following provides an overview of Levels 1 to 4, and at Levels 5 and 6, the relationship between VELS and the CSF II.
Levels 1 and 2
Standards for the ICT domain commence at Level 2. At Level 1, students undertake learning experiences with ICT as they begin their schooling. At Level 2, file management is recognised as an essential ICT skill and students are introduced to this skill from the first experience in creating an information product. This level focuses on students’ capacity to create information products and to communicate. Although students are expected to create simple information products, there are no limits to the techniques or equipment they may use to locate, create, store and communicate information.
Level 3
At Level 3, the standards are organised around the three dimensions. While at Level 2, students use visualising thinking tools in their learning; no standards are set but at Level 3 they exist. The fact that ICT allows easy manipulation of text and images enables students to play visually with their thoughts: moving, inserting, deleting, colouring and reclassifying ideas until they create a vivid visual representation of their thinking that can be saved in appropriately classified files for future use in another context.
At Level 3, recognition is given to the increasing use of multimedia for presenting information and assisting learning. From their early encounters with multimedia products, students are encouraged to be critical producers and users of ICT. In recognition of the growing use of networked computer systems, students demonstrate their skills in accessing networks, storing information on networks and locating information on websites.
Level 4
At Level 4, students extend their visualising thinking skills to assist them to understand concepts and relationships. They demonstrate understanding of formatting conventions for effectively presenting information for different audiences. They are introduced to the notion of creating and maintaining evidence of their learning through an electronic/digital portfolio. Students are introduced to strategies for managing team projects. They share their work online in protected public spaces such as a school intranet and kahootz.com. They further develop their skills in critical evaluation of their own work and of their own use of ICT.
Level 5
Both of the CSF II Level 5 outcomes are incorporated in this VELS standard. Level 5 requires students to focus on the quality of their information products so they are error free, meet user needs and comply with intellectual property (copyright) laws. They are also expected to manage and protect information. Students begin to evaluate their use of visualising thinking tools and modify them for application in new contexts. They apply a planned approach to collaborative project work and keep records of modifications to their plans for later evaluation of the project. Students are critical users of information sourced from the Internet. They develop their evaluative skills through critically analysing computer-based learning software and sharing their evaluations in public forums. At this level, students are expected to be critical users of ICT communication tools.
Level 6
As with CSF II Level 6, students at this level continue to create information products. The ICT standard, however, provides greater detail about the role of team members in managing projects and again the focus is on creating quality information products. Quality is improved by being clear about the purpose of their products by making adjustments to their work after comparing their own solutions with others. By this level, students have experienced use of a range of visualising thinking tools and are making informed judgments about their applicability for helping to solve different problems. Students access human resources online and share their considered views in a respectful way with the global community.
