St John’s College (Hillcrest) St John’s College (Hillcrest)

Level 2 Digital Technologies

12DIG
Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Ms H. Chileshe.

Recommended Prior Learning

Level 1 Digital Technologies or negotiation with Teacher In Charge.

Year 12 Digital Technologies: Advanced Programming and Web Design

The Year 12 curriculum in Digital Technologies emphasizes programming and web design, with opportunities for personalization in Digital Media upon consultation with the Head of Department. This course is designed to cultivate essential skills outlined in the New Zealand curriculum, including problem-solving, project management, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication.

Students will select from the available standards and undertake a course of study that best suits their interests and abilities, while completing the learning and assessment that goes alongside that. Most students will complete the same standards, but those that have a specific interest can negotiate to work towards the standards that best suit their outcomes.

Core Components:

  1. Programming:
    • Focus on text-based languages such as Python and JavaScript
    • Development of a functional prototype using industry-standard project management tools
    • Creation of purpose-built programs to address specific challenges
    • Compilation of a comprehensive portfolio throughout Terms 2 and 3
  2. Web Design:
    • Mastery of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
    • Creation of responsive websites adaptable to various screen sizes
    • Implementation of the design process: from prototyping to hand-coding
    • Emphasis on meeting stakeholder requirements and user needs
  3. External Assessment:
    • Digital Common Assessment Task conducted at the commencement of Term Four
    • Evaluation of students' ability to articulate their solution development process
    • Flexibility for students pursuing creative pathways to report on their chosen topic

This curriculum is strategically designed to prepare students for advanced studies, particularly the COMP 101 course at the University of Waikato in Year 13. By engaging with real-world programming challenges and web design projects, students will develop a robust skill set applicable to future academic and professional endeavors in the digital technology sector.


Course Overview

Term 1
Students spend term 1 developing their programming and project management skills. And when ready undertake a portfolio of work where they will develop a program for a given problem. The focus is on the key competencies of problem-solving and thinking.

Term 2
Students spend term 2 completing the programming portfolio before undertaking a project of their choice. Most students will be encouraged to do the web design component, but other assessment tasks will be available for those with a specific interest such as animation, 3D modelling, video etc.
Once the programming task is completed, students will learn their respective software skills, plan and design an outcome. The creation of the outcome will usually be started late in Term Two, and then finished off in Term Three.

Term 3
Students complete their design assessment and start creating the final product. The last few weeks of term three are spent preparing for the external which is normally sat in week 1 of term 4.

Term 4
External exam.

Faculties:

Technology


Pathway

Level 3 Digital Technologies

Career Pathways

Software Developer, Electronics Engineer, Information Technology Helpdesk/Support Technician, Information Technology Architect, User Experience Designer, Test Analyst, Network Administrator, Penetration Tester, Scrum Master



			
					
					Contributions and Equipment/Stationery
										
$10 for software licenses.