I have had a look at the Unit Standard, in the special notes it lists aspects of society as
"For the assessment of this unit standard aspects of society can be selected from the following: copyright, crime, privacy, security, ethics, culture, economics, education, employment, health, politics, organisation, international affairs, leisure, safety, public morality, social interaction. At least three aspects of society must be considered."
Being able to look at the past and compare with the future aspects of society, I tend to look at this and think about the Internet and its predecessor, (BBS) Bulletin Board Services, or Web 1.0 versus Web 2.0 in the way of privacy, culture and social interaction.
Cell phones versus landlines, with they way communication has changed, social interaction through txt, no more conversation, one on one, txt language and the changes that has brought to grammar and spelling (nzqa allowing text speak in nzqa exams, November 2006), leisure (always on 24/7 and the impacts it has on the family) and safety (txt bully)
Computer gaming, copyright, crime, culture, health, leisure, public morality, social interaction. Gaming addiction through WOW and other MMORPG and other first person shooters i.e. counterstrike and what impact they have had on society. Also how computer games are now being used for training for employees, this is not a plug but looking at Marc Prensky's book Digital Game-Based Learning, looks at how organisations are utilizing game-based techniques for there business and training of employees.
All of these have social impacts and the research is out there. It is how you look at it.
I would probably get them to think about a specific issue in there life and then research what was available in the way of the past versus the future.
It doesn't state in the Unit Standard what the future is, whether it is 6 months, a week, a year, a decade. The choice I believe is yours.
As for assessing it, verbal versus written, integrate it with another unit standard in presentation: US 5940 Produce a presentation using a desktop presentation computer application level 3 worth 5 credits and have the student present there findings to the class using presentation software. You might have to video tape it to provide evidence to the moderator.
Sorry not resources or assessments, but you have me thinking that I could use this in my course.
I would not like prescribed unit standards on what you had to do for the context, made by someone else i.e like buying them, this allows for teachers and students to pick ideas that relate to what they are being taught and teaching at that time. I look at the unit standard I have just written about and think about the gaming addiction assessment that I gave to my year 12 programming students earlier this year and think, have they reached the standard, even though at the time I did not write the assessment for any standard. It was just a task to get them to do that they loved researching and making there argument about “Computer games are addictive and violent. They should be banned.”
Also reading the original email below about computers and people and that every needs to learn to drive a computer I think back to a commentary that I read called aardvark, the author for a number of years has tried pushing for a license to operate a computer on the internet.
Original email details...
Some of my year 13ICT class are just about to start US5968 - Discuss the social implications of information technology. L3 Credits:3
Just before starting I thought I'd scour out some extra information to help them along the way as I'm not happy with the amount I currently have specifically in a New Zealand context. The unit standard refers to the NZQA website at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/for-providers/resources/index.html so I thought I'd have a look.
Below are the resources on computers and people... (don't blink)
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Computers and people
Everyone needs to learn to drive a computer, and many of the standards in other areas reflect those skills. Computers also have social effects on our community, and there are units relating to this as well.
Page updated: 20 May 2004
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Yep folks that is it. Is it any wonder our subject area sometimes has issues with standardising to the same material, level and assessments.
This section was right at the bottom of the page. I also noted the last update on the page - 20 May 2004. I guess any developments in our area are definitely not a priority.
So what's the point of my email? In a nutshell DISSAPPOINTMENT. But, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I did buy some commercial stuff, but that has also been a disappointment. Given that a teachers life is now so busy with assessments, documentation, ero, moderation etc. Oh and teaching.
I do wish we could look to somewhere for some support materials and always come up trumps. Oh well, maybe I should check out some UK government resource sites.
Is anyone able to point me, (and my students) to some wonderful, (preferably free) resources in this area.
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