The Difference between the ICT Capabilities and the Digital Technologies Curriculum

In Australia, the ICT Capabilities were released prior to the Digital Technologies curriculum. Many teachers are confused by the purpose of the Digital Technologies subject area and how it differs to the ICT Capabilities. In this blog entry, I will discuss the aims of both and what makes them different.

The ICT Capabilities

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capabilities are one of the seven General Capabilities outlined by ACARA. They are considered to be the skills and competencies that students need to "live and work successfully in the 21st century" (ACARA).

Ideally, they are to be addressed THROUGH the content of the learning areas. They are designed to enrich student learning across subject areas. The ICT capabilities are more focused on skills and using those skills to achieve curriculum objectives.

Some content descriptors explicitly identify the inclusion of technology as essential, as can be seen in the Year 2 English example below. Other content descriptors identify the role of ICT as a potential way to enrich the content descriptor. An example of this is the example from Year 5 Science. Additionally, ICT presents a natural partner in the collection and representation of data in Mathematics. An example of this is also pictured below.

The Digital Technologies

The Digital Technologies makes up one half of the bigger Technologies content area, the other half being the Design aspect. 

The Digital Technologies subject focuses on the deeper ideas and underlying concepts of computing. Prior to the introduction of this subject, we were teaching skills with technology that would become outdated in a matter of years. Technology will continue to change in the classroom and the ways we investigate, create, and communicate with it will too. This subject aims to teach the fundamentals of computer science itself and these are concepts that are not going to change as technology evolves. It aims to build knowledge about such things as digital systems, the representation and transmission of data, computational thinking, abstraction and algorithmic thinking. These then form a basis for the creation of digital solutions.

The Difference

Digital Technologies is the natural home for the ICT Capability BUT it is important to understand that the content area deals with the deeper concepts of technology. The ICT Capabilities are about using and working with technology, while the Digital Technologies is about understanding technology and developing a particular way of thinking.

The common misconception is that the Digital Technologies curriculum replaces the need for teachers to try and integrate technology into their classrooms. I would argue that it in fact will drive the role of technology in the classroom to new heights as our students become increasingly skilled and knowledgeable. 

The Digital Technologies Hub is a fantastic resource for teachers getting started with the Digital Technologies subject. They have produced an excellent poster (shown below), which you can download here. It provides a clear comparison of the ICT Capabilities and the Digital Technologies subject area.