Senior Level

At the end of the Senior Level (grades 10-12), students will be expected to have the following knowledge and capabilities:

1. Information Management
• Participate in a range of activities that involve online communication, choosing the communication tool appropriate to the task. Understand the limitations of the medium and be aware of possible hazards within the online environment.
• Be an efficient user of the Internet:
• be familiar with the nature of the World Wide Web and the role of search engines
• assess and evaluate the features of different search engines and understand the extent and limitations of each
• perform advanced search functions including use of Boolean operators
• explain the advantages and disadvantages of various search strategies.
• Assemble and organize different viewpoints in order to assess their validity. Use information technology to find facts that support or refute diverse viewpoints.
• Evaluate the authority, reliability and validity of electronically accessed information.
• Use communication technology to share ideas, gather opinions, locate information, evaluate data critically and gain consensus with others.


2. Hardware use and care
• Use available input and output devices independently and competently to produce work at an appropriate level.
• Be aware of new developments in input and output device technology.
• Be aware of the proper uses of all hardware and understand ways to enhance its efficiency and reliability.
• Understand the causes of "repeated use syndrome" and practise ergonomically correct use of all hardware. Know and practise exercises and procedures to prevent injury.
• Be able to solve hardware problems at a level appropriate to the situation.


3. Software use and care
• Understand and practise all aspects of safe, efficient file management.
• Use and adapt an operating system at a level appropriate to the school situation.
• Use productivity tools to enter, edit, manipulate and distribute information.
• Investigate, predict and test inferences by manipulating data through the use of appropriate software.
• Locate appropriate software on the World Wide Web and be able to download, install and test it in a manner that is appropriate to the school situation.
• Create a set of web pages incorporating sophisticated web page design techniques.


4. Social and Ethical Issues
• Understand mass media techniques and be able to make informed decisions based on critical awareness of media environment.
• Practise responsible use
• demonstrate the ethical and legal use of digital resources
• comply with current school or school division acceptable use policy and be able to analyze it and suggest improvements to it
• respect intellectual property rights and provide proper referencing of all sources used in work
• employ effective strategies to maintain personal safety in a digital environment, consider proactive measures to make the Internet a safer place.
• Social, Human and Environmental Issues:
• assess and evaluate the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on self, society, and the environment, including these topics:
• privacy
• communication styles
• information accuracy
• equity and access
• consumer education about e-commerce
• copyright obligations
• technology related illness and addiction.
• assess and evaluate the affect of ICT in the personal environment and the global community and consider ways to ameliorate the negative impacts of it.