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Students should have basic keyboard and word processing skills. Good reading and writing skills are essential.

Objectives

1. Understand and critically examine the global impact of IT developments

2. Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the social and ethical implications of IT systems and developments at the local, national and global level

3. Analyse and evaluate the social and ethical implications of IT developments

4. Analyse and evaluate relevant examples of the global impact of IT in a portfolio of individually researched studies

5. Design and apply IT solutions to a problem set in a social context through a project

6. Express ideas clearly and coherently with supporting arguments and examples.

The syllabus integrates the following three sections:

1. Social and Ethical Issues where students analyse the social impact and ethical considerations of IT

2. IT systems in a Social Context where students study issues relating to the use of software, hardware and related information systems

3. Areas of Impact which provides the topic areas for case studies

The Areas of Impact include:

Business and Employment (compulsory)

Three other areas chosen from: Education, Health, Arts/Entertainment/Leisure, Science and the Environment, Politics and Government.

Social and ethical issues will be taught using a variety of techniques that could include lectures, speakers, visits to businesses, class discussions, and debates. Students will be researching the latest information through journals, magazines, newspapers, and on-line resources including the Internet. Throughout the course students will use a wide variety of applications including word processing, communications, spreadsheet, database, presentation, graphics, and multimedia software.

This work which is externally moderated includes:

Three pieces of written work, each of 800 -1000 words, which critically analyse and evaluate social and ethical issues raised in news items (20%)

A project where students will design a practical application using at least three IT tools to solve a real life problem in the community (20%)

・ Paper 1 (1 hour) ・short-answer questions on all topics (25%)

・ Paper 2 (2 hours) - extended response questions (35%)

With thanks to Elizabeth Schloeffel at St Peter's College for original content