AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM - ICT CAPABILITY

I have recently got my teeth into the General Capabilities of the Australia Curriculum. In many different formats, it is implied that ICT Capability is the number 3 of the 7 general capabilities that permeate throughout all learning areas. It states, "ICT capability supports and enhances student learning across all areas of the curriculum." It's nice to see this acknowledged and spelt out in this new document!

Other notable comments made in the Background of the Capability, include:

• "ICT capability is based on sets of relevant knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions."
• "ICT capability is based on the assumption that technologies are digital tools that enable the student to solve problems and carry out tasks."
• "...students come to perceive ICT systems as useful tools rather than feeling that they themselves are the tools of the machine (Maas, 1983). The later often occurs when users have little information about how ICT systems operate and simply follow set, standard procedures, determined for them by the system."
• "ICT capability needs to consider the types of tasks that provide authentic contexts for learning."

Broadly, the capability is organised into five elements:

• Applying social and ethical protocols and practices when using ICT;
• Intellectual property; Digital information security; benefits and consequences; changes.
• Investigating with ICT;
• Define/plan information searches; locate/access data; select/evaluate data.
• Creating with ICT;
• Generate ideas, plans, processes and solutions to challenges/tasks (by clarifying, generating products or solutions).
• Communicating with ICT;
• Share, exchange and collaborate to enhance learning; understand and apply social protocols; apply techniques or strategies to ensure safety.
• Managing and operating ICT;
• Applying technical knowledge; Using digital technologies efficiently (hardware/software); transferability of knowledge/skills, manage and maintain information.

This is essentially the basis for ICT that we all know and love (...to hate in some cases!). I especially like the comments relating to not letting the hardware or software determine what you do with it. In fact, the winner of any educational software/website/app is that it does not dictate what you do or how you use it! Applying social and ethical protocol and practices is an are where I believe our focus will be. Investigating, creating and communicating are evident in learning tasks for students, and managing/operating ICT still appear to be the root of negativity with using ICT. Having students become good, responsible digital citizens must be our focus as more and more communication and life tasks move digital. If kids cannot act responsibly online for their own and others' safety, as well as data safety, ICT stops 'doing a job for us' and starts to 'get in the way'.

Source: General Capabilities in the Australian Curriculum, January 2012, © ACARA, 2012.

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