Unpack the Curriculum

Students can identify a range of different digital systems, drawing on systems they know and their characteristics.

Students can differentiate between different systems, and describe the different roles each of these systems plays when they are in use. The range of systems students are interacting with regularly should begin to increase, and they should get some exposure to systems they may not have familiarity with through their regular use. Some digital systems have a single purpose, while others are far more flexible.

Students can understand that many systems allow for additional, external devices to be plugged into them through some kind of interface, and that these devices add to or otherwise alter the functionality of the system.

Students can explain how digital systems are made up of other parts e.g. tablets contain things like screens, batteries and processors that together make the device useful.

Students can explain how different specifications, such as RAM available, CPU/GPU, network media etc impact performance of a system. Since systems are made up of lots of parts, the overall performance of any system - whether stand-alone or networked - is dependent on the specifications of all of its components.

Students can explain the principles of data management such as account privileges and linking accounts across services.

Students can understand the general concept of data transmission - the idea that data can be sent (i.e. reproduced in another location) from one place to another, allowing it to be understood or accessed elsewhere. Technical understanding of how this occurs is learned at a later band level.

Students can describe how networks are formed by connecting separate devices together.

Students can describe how data is sent through a network, and how the data is transferred indirectly from the source to the destination, often through many other devices on its way to the end point. Different devices on the network contribute to this process in different ways.

Students can describe how data is transmitted through a network, and the technical solutions used to mitigate potential errors or problems the network may experience.

Students can explain how the design of networks is affected by many things, including the media used in their construction. They understand that networks can be wired, wireless or mobile, and some of the limitations, implications and benefits of each.

Students can epxlain the technical details of how modern networks determine how data moves from one location to another, such as how routers use IP addresses to direct packets through a network.

Students can explain how the movement of data through networks creates a situation where it would be possible for that data to be accessed by another party. This creates a need for security to be factored into the network design, and students should understand the general principles of securing data.

Students can describe some of the methods used to secure data in digital systems, such as encryption techniques, access permissions and security certificates / keys.

Students can understand how and why managing data access is an important part of secure and reliable networks, and how software and hardware allow this to happen. This could include things such as file permissions to restrict access to sensitive data, and things such as Demilitarised Zones (DMZs) to protect data from unwanted access or unplanned loss.