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COURSE OUTLINE

Course Title: Computer and Informational Technological Education
Course Code: ICS3M
Grade: 11
Course Type: University / College Preparation
Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: None
Curriculum Policy Document: Technological Education, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2000
Department: Technological Education
Course Developer: Mr. Stephen Baker, Mr. John Dallas
Development Date: March 2004
Course Revised by: -
Revision Date: -

Course Description:

This course helps students examine computer science concepts. Students will outline stages in software development, define standard control and data structures, identify on- and off-line resources, explain the functions of basic computer components, and develop programming and problem-solving skills by using operating systems and implementing defined practices. As well as identifying careers in computer science, students will develop an understanding of the ethical use of computers and the impact of emergent technologies on society.

Unit	Titles and Descriptions	Time and Sequence
Unit 1	The Computing Environment This unit focuses on basic computer and information science skills. Students identify hardware components, research ergonomic considerations, practise file management skills, access resources through local and wide area networks, and research the evolution of programming languages. They develop skills for success in the computer and information science environment.	20 hours
Unit 2	The Basics of Programming This unit focuses on teaching the foundations of computer science. Students will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of programming languages through practical examination of the Java language. The most valuable lesson taught in this unit will be good programming style; by beginning with small programs students will learn how to create clean well commented code that could be easily read and understood by another student or the teacher. By the end of this unit students will be able to write a simple program that demonstrates the concepts of looping, conditional branching input and output.	20 hours
Unit 3	Problem Solving with Procedures and Functions This unit focuses on the software development cycle and problem solving. Students will have an opportunity to apply their programming experience from the previous unit to real world applications. By following the development process, students will get a better understanding of the importance of modular code. Students will use top down problem solving to implement a program that uses methods and classes.	20 hours
Unit 4	Information Storage This unit focuses on information storage and manipulation. Students discuss modern issues surrounding ethical use of file sharing. Students will create programs that will read and write to files. Finally, students will complete independent research on copyright and intellectual property.	20 hours
Unit 5	Using Data Structures This unit focuses on one dimensional and two dimensional arrays. Students will learn advanced data storage, manipulation and retrieval methods. This unit will require students to write dynamic software applications with practical applications. The expectations are not on the complete functionality of each assignment but rather in the student’s effort and commitment to learning these concepts. Students will be rewarded for getting involved in discussing their programming problems with other students and the teacher. A theoretical test at the end of this unit will grade the students understanding of the logic used in creating sorting and searching arrays.	20 hours
	Final Evaluation The final assessment task will be comprised of two parts: a programming assignment representing the stages in the software development lifecycle and a final exam. Each of these two parts will constitute 15% of the final mark.	10 hours
	Total	110 hours

Teaching / Learning Strategies:

Since the over-riding aim of this course is to help students use language skillfully, confidently and flexibly, a wide variety of instructional strategies are used to provide learning opportunities to accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests and ability levels. These include:

Program Analysis	Independent Research	Directed Reading Activities
Visuals	Direct Instruction	Independent Reading
Historical Document Analysis	Guided Research	Diagrams
Report Writing	Problem Solving Activities	Dictionary Construction
Multimedia Presentations	Jigsaw	Program Construction Activities
File Management	Guided Internet Research	Research Projects
Writing Process	Model Making

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance:

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information or evidence about student learning. Evaluation is the judgment we make about the assessments of student learning based on established criteria. The purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. This means that judgments of student performance must be criterion-referenced so that feedback can be given that includes clearly expressed next steps for improvement. Tools of varying complexity are used by the teacher to facilitate this. For the more complex evaluations, the criteria are incorporated into a rubric where levels of performance for each criterion are stated in language that can be understood by students.

Strategy	Purpose	Who	Assessment Tool
Programming Activities	Diagnostic	Self	Checklist
Review Questions	Diagnostic	Self	Records
Problem Solving	Diagnostic	Self	Marking Scheme
Research	Assessment	Peer/teacher	Anecdotal records
Auction Action	Assessment	Peer/Teacher	Anecdotal records
Report Writing	Assessment	Self/Teacher	Checklist
Research Paper	Assessment	Teacher	Marking Scheme
Career Research Paper	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Guided Research	Evaluation	Teacher	Rating Scale
Dictionary Construction	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist
Problem Solving	Evaluation	Teacher	Marking scheme
Chart Construction	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist
Programming Activities	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist
Research Paper	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Unit Tests	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist
Final Exam	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist / Rubric / Marking Scheme

Assessment is embedded within the instructional process throughout each unit rather than being an isolated event at the end. Often, the learning and assessment tasks are the same, with formative assessment provided throughout the unit. In every case, the desired demonstration of learning is articulated clearly and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the expectations of the course as stated in the course guideline. The evaluations are expressed as a percentage based upon the levels of achievement.

Overall Expectations - ICS3M

Theory and Foundation
Overall Expectations
TTF.01	describe at least two problem-solving models;
TTF.02	identify the stages in the software development process (problem definition, analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance);
TTF.03	explain standard control and data structures used in computer programs;
TTF.04	identify on-line and off-line resources;
TTF.05	explain the functions of basic computer components.
Skills and Processes
Overall Expectations
TSP.01	develop effective programs by following the steps in the software design process;
TSP.02	use defined programming practices (e.g., headers, indentation, internal documentation, informative variable names);
TSP.03	produce appropriate internal and external documentation;
TSP.04	properly use an operating system, including a network.
Impact and Consequences
Overall Expectations
TIC.01	explain issues related to the ethical use of computers;
TIC.02	describe emergent technologies and their impact on society;
TIC.03	identify information systems and computer science career paths, and their educational requirements.

The Final Grade:

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning.

The percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:

• 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.



• 30% of the grade will be based on a final evaluation of two products administered at the end of the course. The first product is a Project, subdivided into three distinct subsections and is worth 15% of the overall course marks. This Project will be evaluated using a marking scheme and a rubric. The second product will be a final exam of well-formulated multiple choice questions requiring information from the whole course as well as the student's reports completed through-out the course. This will be evaluated using a checklist and is worth 15% of the overall course mark.

The report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement; the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. The report card will contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects.

A Summary Description of Achievement in Each Percentage Grade Range and Corresponding Level of Achievement
Percentage Grade Range	Achievement Level	Summary Description
80-100%	Level 4	A very high to outstanding level of achievement. Achievement is above the provincial standard.
70-79%	Level 3	A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
60-69%	Level 2	A moderate level of achievement. Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.
50-59%	Level 1	A passable level of achievement. Achievement is below the provincial standard.
below 50%	Level R	Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. A credit will not be granted.

Achievement Chart: Technological Education, Grades 9-12

Categories	50-59% (Level 1)	60-69% (Level 2)	70-79% (Level 3)	80-100% (Level 4)
Knowledge and Understanding - Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
	The student:
knowledge of facts, technical terminology, procedures, and standards	demonstrates limited understanding of facts, technical terminology, procedures, and standards	demonstrates some understanding of facts, technical terminology, procedures, and standards	demonstrates considerable understanding of facts, technical terminology, procedures, and standards	demonstrates thorough understanding of facts, technical terminology, procedures, and standards
understanding of concepts (e.g., uses of computer operating systems)	demonstrates limited understanding of concepts	demonstrates some understanding of concepts	demonstrates considerable understanding of concepts	demonstrates thorough and insightful understanding of concepts
understanding of relationships between concepts (e.g., energy conservation and manufacturing processes)	demonstrates limited understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates some understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates considerable understanding of relationships between concepts	demonstrates thorough and insightful understanding of relationships between concepts
Thinking and Inquiry - The use of critical and creative thinking and inquiry skills and/or processes
	The student:
thinking skills (e.g., evaluating professional practices and principles)	uses thinking skills with limited effectiveness	uses thinking skills with moderate effectiveness	uses thinking skills with considerable effectiveness	uses thinking skills with a high degree of effectiveness
inquiry/design skills (e.g., identifying the problem; formulating questions; planning; selecting strategies and resources; analysing and interpreting information; forming conclusions)	applies few of the skills involved in an inquiry/design process	applies some of the skills involved in an inquiry/design process	applies most of the skills involved in an inquiry/design process	applies all or almost all of the skills involved in an inquiry/design process
Communication - The conveying of meaning through various forms
	The student:
communication of information (e.g., computer and technical specifications)	communicates information with limited clarity	communicates information with moderate clarity	communicates information with considerable clarity	communicates information with a high degree of clarity, and with confidence
use of language, symbols, and visuals (e.g., computer programming and technical drawing)	uses language, symbols, and visuals with limited accuracy and effectiveness	uses language, symbols, and visuals with some accuracy and effectiveness	uses language, symbols, and visuals with considerable accuracy and effectiveness	uses language, symbols, and visuals with a high degree of accuracy and effectiveness
communication for different audiences and purposes (e.g., tourism, construction)	communicates with a limited sense of audience and purpose	communicates with some sense of audience and purpose	communicates with a clear sense of audience and purpose	communicates with a strong sense of audience and purpose
use of various forms of communication (e.g., presentation software, technical reports)	demonstrates limited command of the various forms	demonstrates moderate command of the various forms	demonstrates considerable command of the various forms	demonstrates extensive command of the various forms
Application - The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
	The student:
application of ideas and skills in familiar contexts (e.g., demonstrating good customer service practices)	applies ideas and skills in familiar contexts with limited effectiveness	applies ideas and skills in familiar contexts with moderate effectiveness	applies ideas and skills in familiar contexts with considerable effectiveness	applies ideas and skills in familiar contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
transfer of concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts (e.g., applying scientific principles to health care and personal services)	transfers concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts with limited effectiveness	transfers concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts with moderate effectiveness	transfers concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts with considerable effectiveness	transfers concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
application of procedures, equipment, and technology (e.g., use of design instruments, machine and hand tools)	uses procedures, equipment, and technology safely and correctly only with supervision	uses procedures, equipment, and technology safely and correctly with some supervision	uses procedures, equipment, and technology safely and correctly	demonstrates and promotes the safe and correct use of procedures, equipment, and technology
making connections (e.g., between personal experiences and the subject, between subjects, between the subject and the world outside the school)	makes connections with limited effectiveness	makes connections with moderate effectiveness	makes connections with considerable effectiveness	makes connections with a high degree of effectiveness

Resources:

• ICS3M online course of study
• Notepad and other computer programs
• Java Software
• Dos-Prompt 
• animations
• visuals
• various internet websites

Program Planning Considerations for Technological Education:

Teachers who are planning a program in Technological Education must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined there include the following:

• types of secondary school courses
• education for exceptional students
• the role of technology in the curriculum
• English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)
• career education
• cooperative education and other workplace experiences
• health and safety

Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in Technological Education are noted here.

Education for Exceptional Students. In planning courses in Technological Education, teachers should take into account the needs of exceptional students as set out in their Individual Education Plan. All Technological Education courses reflect the real world and this one in particular reflects the real world of programming, which offers a vast array of opportunities for exceptional students. Students who use alternative techniques for communication may find a venue for their talents as they go about researching the nature of their world.

The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Information technology is considered a learning tool that must be accessed by Technological Education students in order to progress through the course. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with programming, word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any environment. 

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). This Technological Education course can provide a wide range of options to address the needs of ESL/ELD students. Assessment and evaluation exercises will help ESL students in mastering the English language and all of its idiosyncrasies. In addition, since all occupations require employees with a wide range of English skills and abilities, many students will learn how the operation of the world of computers can contribute to their success in their world.

Career Education. Technological Education definitely helps prepare students for employment in a huge number of diverse areas. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this course are essential for a wide range of careers. Being able to express oneself in a clear concise manner without ambiguity, solve problems, make connections between this Technological Education course and the larger world of computers, would be an overall intention of this Technological Education course, as it helps students prepare for success in their working lives.

Cooperative Education and Other Workplace Experiences. By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Teachers of Technological Education should maintain links with community-based workers to ensure that students have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge they have gained in school.

Health and Safety. The Technological Education program provides the reading and analytical skills for the student to be able to explore the variety of concepts relating to health and safety in the workplace. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure that students can read and understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace.