Section 2 - Main Objectives of the Informatics Curriculum

1. COMPUTER LITERACY

Students should be able to use computers in a competent and intelligent way in daily life.

Recent radical changes in the work place and in the qualifications required for effective performance mean that secondary schools should aim to include at least the core elements of computer literacy as defined here within their main core curriculum.

This main objective should preferably be addressed within General Education at the Foundation Level.

2. APPLICATION OF IT TOOLS IN OTHER SUBJECT AREAS

Students should be able to use information technology tools to solve routine problems in other subject areas.

This main objective should preferably be addressed within General Education at both the Foundation and Advanced Levels.

3. APPLICATION OF INFORMATICS IN OTHER SUBJECT AREAS

Students should be able to use methods and techniques from informatics in combination with information technology tools to solve problems in other subject areas.

This main objective should preferably be addressed in General Education at the Advanced Level

4. APPLICATION OF INFORMATICS IN PROFESSIONAL AREAS

Students should be able to use methods and techniques from informatics in combination with information technology tools to solve professional problems from business and industry.

This main objective should preferably be addressed in Vocational Education at the Advanced Level

Curriculum Objectives within the Secondary Education Context

GENERAL EDUCATION AT THE FOUNDATION LEVEL

The principal focus is on Main Objectives 1 and 2:

Computer Literacy

Application of IT tools in other subject areas

In addition, there is an optional focus on Objective 3:

Application of Informatics in other subject areas

GENERAL EDUCATION AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL

Having fully met Objective l (Computer Literacy), the focus is on Main Objectives 2 a 3:

Application of IT tools in other subject areas

Application of Informatics in other subject areas

Objective 3 involves the following sequence of problem solving skills using the techniques and tools of informatics, namely the methodical modelling of the problem, design of an algorithmic solution, programming the solution either in a general or computer specific way, and an evaluation of the proposed solution. This implies that students have developed a functional model of a computer system and its programming environment.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL

Here, the focus is on Main Objective 4:

Application of Informatics in professional areas

Students should be able methodically to model, design, realise and implement relatively simple information systems with the aid of problem oriented tools; and can identify problems involved in project management.