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Information technology in a global society teacher support material

Delivering the ITGS course

Course management questions

Is there a recommended order for the teaching of ITGS?

There is no recommended order, but within this publication there is a suggested timeline for the delivery of the subject over two years at both SL and HL. Teachers should note that this is advisory and local factors will need to be taken into account when teachers develop their own schemes of work.

Can the ITGS syllabus be divided and taught by a team?

Yes, this would work if the ITGS teacher feels that he or she does not have sufficient technical IT knowledge to be able to address the knowledge and understanding of IT systems required in strand 3 of the syllabus details. This strand could be taught by another member of staff. The ITGS teacher would then ensure that the other two strands are delivered.

Should teachers attend a workshop prior to teaching the course?

Yes. Attendance at either face-to-face or online workshops is strongly recommended.

What information do I need to teach ITGS?

All information is available to download from the main ITGS subject page on the OCC.

  1. Prior to first teaching of the course

    • Access to the online curriculum centre (OCC)

    • Information technology in a global society guide (January 2010)

    • Information technology in a global society teacher support material (January 2010)

    • A list of appropriate techniques for the development of the project

    • Grade descriptors

    • Case studies from previous years

    • Specimen papers and markschemes

  2. During the first examination cycle (prior to any actual student work being assessed)

    • Any subject-specific information published in Coordinator’s notes

    • Any clarifications to the Information technology in a global society guide published on the OCC

    • Access to the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme for submission of internally assessed work (ITGS project)

  3. After first examination session (in addition to the resources listed in point 2)

    • Examination papers and markschemes from May 2012 onwards (purchased from the online IB store)

    • Subject reports from May 2012 onwards (available on the ITGS subject page on the OCC)

    • Internal assessment feedback from May 2012 onwards (sent to the school’s IB coordinator)

Is there a preferred order of delivery of the course?

No, but the example of the teaching order for the SL course below could be used as a starting point.

Year 1

Outline

Comments

First semester

Introduction to course

Strand 1 (Social and ethical significance)

Introduction to social and ethical issues through scenarios.

Introduction to collaborative tools: use of Web 2.0 tools (for example, set up bookmarks in Delicious, GoogleDocs, use a wiki to collaborate).

Strand 3 (IT systems)

Personal and public communications (assumed knowledge of the internet).

Strand 3

Hardware, software and networks.

Strand 1 and strand 2 (Application to specific scenarios)

Use of specific scenarios developing social and ethical issues further. Business and employment.

Approaches to paper 2

Introducing the nature of the paper and discussing relevant articles.

Strand 3

Spreadsheets and databases.

Provides a general introduction to the course and uses a known situation to show links between the three strands of the subject.

Introduces the ITGS triangle and provides the students with a basic understanding of information technologies.

Throughout the course students are encouraged to discuss news articles focusing on ITGS terminology.

Introduction to familiar applications.

Study of necessary communication technologies, leading into business and employment.

Second semester

Strands 1 and 2

Use of specific scenarios developing social and ethical issues further. Health.

Strand 3

Internet and multimedia/digital media.

Strands 1 and 2

Use of specific scenarios developing social and ethical issues further. Home and leisure.

Approaches to paper 2

Introduction to news items for common paper 2.

Strands 1 and 2

Use of specific scenarios developing social and ethical issues further. Environment.

Practical linked to above: Databases, spreadsheets.

Strand 3 and internal assessment

Introduction to project management to enable the completion of the project.

Complete proposal for project and ensure criteria A and B are met.

Starts to develop ideas and skills for students to use in their project.

Paper 2 exercises will show how the three strands of the subject tie together.

Addresses three more themes in strand 2, relating them to the other strands.

Students should have technical skills (strand 3) to be able to complete the project.

Year 2

Outline

Comments

First semester

Internal assessment Complete product and develop the documentation. First draft.

Strands 1 and 2

Use of specific scenarios developing social and ethical issues further. Education and training.

Strand 3

Modelling and simulation.

Approaches to paper 2

Further use of news items for common paper 2.

Strands 1 and 2

Use of specific scenarios developing social and ethical issues further. Politics and government.

Internal assessment

Complete project.

Completion of first draft of project.

Completion of other two themes from strand 2.

Appropriate coverage of social and ethical issues and a suitable range of specific situations are addressed.

Second semester

Mock examinations

Internal assessment

Final submission of project by students.

Marking and submitting the project.

Approaches to paper 2

Further use of articles for common paper 2.

Examination practice.

Final preparation for external examinations.

Technical content is now complete.

Focus switches to completion of final version of project and preparation of students for external examinations.

Should ITGS be taught in one year?

The ITGS course is designed and intended to be taught in two years in order to adequately investigate the topics in the guide and complete the ITGS project. The following information should be considered if teachers are intending to teach the course in one year.

  • The IB required number of teaching hours is 150 teaching hours at standard level (SL) and 240 teaching hours at higher level (HL).

  • The breadth and depth of the ITGS syllabus has been designed for a two-year course of study.

  • ITGS students need the time to investigate appropriate solutions for their ITGS project and to develop the necessary IT skills to develop the expected level of achievement.

  • A successful ITGS project necessitates working in a real-life situation with a client. Clients are often busy people and the student needs to have some flexibility to fit in with the client’s availability.

  • Higher-order thinking skills of analysis and evaluation mature over the two-year period and most students need this time in order to achieve high marks in extended responses on examination questions.

  • Paper 2 answers will benefit from the analysis of a range of news items over an extended period of time.

What practical elements of ITGS should be taught?

It is envisaged that there is a practical element to the course and teachers should use hands-on activities, wherever possible, to support the theoretical content of the course. It should be noted that the topics “Multimedia/digital media”, “Databases”, “Spreadsheets, modelling and simulations” and “Introduction to project management” include the use of practical techniques.

Although IT skills are not practically assessed in the externally assessed components, they may be assessed theoretically. For example, if a student who attempts a question on spreadsheets has created a spreadsheet that uses the function being assessed, that student will probably do better than one who has not, as the practical exercises will reinforce the theory addressed in class.

The practical activities carried out in these topics may also help the student in their choice of software for the development of the project.

Where will I find resources for IT systems in organizations?

The internet, where information can be accessed either from online encyclopedias or industry-recognized providers, or textbooks, which may include a bibliography listing further sources. It is strongly recommended that teachers do not rely only on one source, but strive to keep up to date with developments in methodologies and thinking.

What is the difference between the product development life cycle (PDLC) in “Introduction to project management” and the system development life cycle (SDLC) in “IT systems in organizations”?

The product development life cycle (PDLC) in “Introduction to project management” (topic 3.9) refers to the development of a specified single product, whereas the system development life cycle (SDLC) in “IT systems in organizations” (topic 3.10) refers to the development process itself and may be linked to a range of different IT solutions across a range of different organizations.