The resource is a task sheet designed to assess student's undertanding of the way that touchscreens function including their hardware and software components. Students are also tasked with designing a touchscreen interface for a community need with a view to sustainability of use. Students will brainstorm ideas and situations in everyday living where touchscreens would benefit community members who have limited or are lacking communication.

Word limits are given to ensure detail and depth of research as well as critical and creative thinking particularly when projecting the sustainability of their final product. Detailed designs including icon design with an emphasis on clarity and ease of use are to be included in the final submission.

The resource was designed to align with the Australian Curriculum Digital Technologies strand with content descriptors from both the Processes and Production Skills and the Knowledge and Understanding sub-strands. They are both outlined below;

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Content Descriptor

Explain how student solutions and existing information systems are sustainable and meet current and future local community needs (ACTDIP021)

Elaborations

• explaining why people interact so readily with touch systems, for example touch input requires less dexterity to issue instructions and is designed to be accessible to users through the use of icons

• imagining how the functioning of one type of information system could be applied in a new way to meet a community or national need, for example considering how an electronic tracking system such as a global positioning system (GPS) could be used to find people who are lost

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Content Descriptor

Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)

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Elaboration

• describing digital systems as having internal and external components that perform different functions, for example external components for inputting data including keyboard, microphone, stylus; internal processing components including the central processing unit; external output components including speakers, projector, screen; and data and information storage components including cloud and external devices

 

General Capabilities

The general capabilities addressed in this assessment are Literacy, ICT, and Critical and Creative Thinking.

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Extension students may wish to create a 3D model of their touchscreen or conduct more detailed research into community needs. Students requiring support may be given more focused guidance in terms of research and design elements. It may also be of benefit to have students requiring support grouped together for brainstorming sessions with a teacher aide where issues relating to community needs can be discussed. Specific scenarios can be discussed to prompt ideas relating to icon design and the sustainability of this technology.  

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