Implementing the Tenth Strand - Page 12 of 18

Suggested laboratories(5 hours):

1. Provide students with examples of a computer application (such as a computer game) and have them to identify the social values embedded in the software.

2. Provide examples of two user interfaces to small groups of students. Have them devise quantitative measures to evaluate the usability of the two interfaces. Administer the evaluation to another group of students to determine which one is best.

3. Have students do a social impact statement [3] on an existing application in a real world setting in which they analyze the system in use, by gathering both anectodal and quantitative data.

Connections:

Related to: ES3, ES4 Prerequisites: one semester of computer programming

Using the Knowledge Units to Develop a Curriculum

The amount of time spent dealing with the knowledge units is important - a minimum of 15 lecture hours and 25 laboratory hours of the curriculum should be devoted to this material in order for students to gain an in-depth understanding of the basic elements and skills. In addition, it is strongly recommended that another 10-15 lecture hours be spent on an in-depth coverage of topics such as privacy, computers in medicine, computers in education, deskilling of jobs, and computer crime to enable the students to apply the basic elements and skills to real issues (Table 1).