Big Ideas

Big Ideas

The design cycle
includes updating content, tools, and delivery. The design process can be non-linear.
is an ongoing reflective process.
Personal design choices require self-exploration, collaboration, and evaluation and refinement of skills.
Tools and technologies can be adapted for specific purposes.

Content

Learning Standards

Content

design opportunities
design cycle
advanced programming structures
higher-level structures, such as functions, methods, or classes, that help improve the organization of source code
standardized source code documentation
documenting source code with industry standard tools
self-documenting
writing source code in such a way that makes inline comments seem unnecessary
code
collaboration tools
for example, online tools to facilitate pair and collaborative programming
for programming
advanced pair programming
While reviewing, the observer considers the "strategic" direction of the work, coming up with ideas for improvements and likely future problems to address. The driver focuses their attention on the "tactical" aspects of completing the current task, using the observer as a safety net and guide.
User interface design
focus on maximizing usability and the user experience. The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible, in terms of accomplishing user goals
error handling
the response and recovery procedures from error conditions present in a software application; the process comprised of anticipation, detection and resolution of application errors, programming errors or communication errors
debugging
use of a debugger that is capable of stepping through code and monitoring variables
tools
management of complexity
for example, a project whose scale requires multiple source files or functions
uses of pre-built data structures
the data structures that are provided (e.g., from a standard library)
bug reports and feature requests from users
appropriate use of technology, including digital citizenship, etiquette, and literacy
interpersonal skills
for example, people skills, social skills, communication, attitudes, collaboration, follow-ups, courtesies, record keeping
necessary to work effectively within the IT sector

Curricular Competency

Learning Standards

Curricular Competency

Applied Design

Understanding context
  • Conduct user-centred research
    research done directly with potential users to understand how they do things and why, their physical and emotional needs, how they think about the world, and what is meaningful to them
    to understand design opportunities and barriers
Defining
  • Establish a point of view for a chosen design opportunity
  • Identify potential users, intended impact, and possible unintended negative consequences
  • Make decisions about premises and constraints
    limiting factors, such as available technology, expense, environmental impact, copyright
    that define the design space
Ideating
  • Identify gaps to explore a design space
  • Generate ideas and add to others’ ideas to create possibilities, and prioritize them for prototyping
  • Critically analyze how competing social, ethical, and sustainability considerations impact designed solutions to meet global needs for preferred futures
  • Work with users throughout the design process
Prototyping          
  • Identify and apply sources of inspiration
    may include experiences, users, experts, and thought leaders
    and information
    may include professionals as experts, secondary sources, collective pools of knowledge in communities and collaborative atmospheres both online and offline
  • Choose an appropriate form, scale, and level of detail for prototyping, and plan procedures for prototyping multiple ideas
  • Analyze the design for the life cycle and evaluate its impacts
    including the social and environmental impacts of extraction and transportation of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transportation to markets, servicing or providing replacement parts, expected usable lifetime, and reuse or recycling of component materials
  • Construct prototypes, making changes to tools, materials, and procedures as needed
  • Record iterations
    repetitions of a process with the aim of approaching a desired result
    of prototyping
Testing
  • Identify feedback most needed and possible sources of feedback
    may include peers; users; First Nations, Métis, or Inuit community experts; other experts and professionals both online and offline
  • Develop an appropriate test
    includes evaluating the degree of authenticity required for the setting of the test, deciding on an appropriate type and number of trials, and collecting and compiling data
    of the prototype
  • Collect feedback to critically evaluate design and make changes to product design or processes
  • Iterate the prototype or abandon the design idea
Making
  • Identify appropriate tools, technologies, materials, processes, and time needed for production
  • Use project management processes
    setting goals, planning, organizing, constructing, monitoring, and leading during execution
    when working individually or collaboratively to coordinate production
Sharing
  • Share
    may include showing to others, use by others, giving away, or marketing and selling
    progress while creating to increase feedback, collaboration, and, if applicable, marketing
  • Decide on how and with whom to share or promote their product
    for example, a physical product, a process, a system, a service, or a designed environment
    , creativity, and, if applicable, intellectual property
    creations of the intellect such as works of art, invention, discoveries, design ideas to which one has the legal rights of ownership
  • Consider how others might build upon the design concept
  • Critically reflect on their design thinking and processes, and identify new design goals
  • Assess ability to work effectively both as individuals and collaboratively while implementing project management processes

Applied Skills

Apply safety procedures for themselves, co-workers, and users in both physical and digital environments
Identify and assess skills needed for design interests, and develop specific plans to learn or refine them over time

Applied Technologies

Explore existing, new, and emerging tools, technologies
tools that extend human capabilities
, and systems to evaluate their suitability for their design interests
Evaluate impacts, including unintended negative consequences, of choices made about technology use
Analyze the role technologies play in societal change
Examine how cultural beliefs, values, and ethical positions affect the development and use of technologies