Information Technology

What is IT?

The South African Department of Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) provides this definition:

What is taught in the subject IT?

The table below provides the six topics and sub‐topics to be covered in Information Technology in Grades 10‐12 and the resources required:

IT is recommended for students who plan to pursue further studies in Software Development, Data Sciences,

Geo-Informatics, Bio-Informatics, Computer Sciences, Information Systems, Business Sciences, Accounting and Engineering.

Popular careers:

• Systems Analysts

• Software Developers/Engineers

• Network Engineers

• Computer Solutions Architects

• Game Designers

• Business Analysts

• Accountants

• Engineers

• Biologists

• Support Personnel

• and many more ...

Specific aims of IT:

In Information Technology a learner will:

• use appropriate techniques and procedures to plan solutions and devise algorithms to solve problems using suitable techniques and tools (we use Java as a programming language)

• understand and use appropriate communication technologies for information dissemination

• appreciate and comprehend the various systems technologies used in the developing of a computer‐based system

• understand that all ICT systems are built upon software engineering principles

• understand and use Internet technologies for various tasks

• comprehend and apply the concepts of data and information management to understand how a knowledge‐driven society functions

• understand the social implications of ICTs and how to use ICT technologies responsibly

How is IT assessed?

Assessment involves activities that are undertaken throughout the year. In Grades 10‐12 assessment comprises two different but related activities: informal daily assessment (assessment for learning) and formal assessment (assessment of learning).

Informal assessment is the daily monitoring of students’ progress. This is done through observation, discussion, practical demonstrations, student‐teacher conferences, informal classroom interactions, etc. Informal assessment may be as simple as stopping during the lesson to observe students or to discuss with students how learning is progressing. Informal assessment should be used to provide feedback to the students and to inform planning for teaching, but need not be recorded. It should not be seen as separate from learning activities taking place in the classroom.

All assessment tasks that make up a formal programme of assessment for the year are regarded as formal assessment. The following table provides the formal assessment requirements for Information Technology:

What type of learner should choose IT as a subject?

Those with good problem solving skills, enthusiasm, enquiring minds, analytical and creative thinking, logical thought processes and the maturity to spend hours at a computer fine‐tuning their programming skills.

The subject IT is not for the lazy learner! There is a large amount of work to be covered and to become proficient, many hours of hard work is required. The rewards are directly proportional to the effort expended! For those wanting extension there is infinite scope beyond school level in terms of books and information on the Internet.