About the course
This course examines computer systems and control of external devices. Students will assemble computers and small networks by installing and configuring appropriate hardware and software. Students will develop knowledge and skills in electronics, robotics, programming, and networks, and will build systems that use computer programs and interfaces to control and/or respond to external devices. Students will develop an awareness of related environmental and societal issues, and will learn about college and university programs leading to careers in computer technology
Computer Engineering
Technology 11
Course Credit
1
Course Price
$ 550.00
Course Developer
My Learning Oasis
Prerequisite(s) (Text)
None
Course Code
Department Head & Contact Information
TEJ3M
Ravi Sharma (ravi@mylearningoasis.com)
Course Type
University/College Preparation
Grade Level
Grade 11
Course Development Date
June 10th, 2021
Course Outline
Hardware, software, and firmware
This unit introduces and discusses the functionalities of some of the internal hardwares of a computer system, such as CPU, chipset, sound cards, video cards, RAM, cacheRAM, and expansion slots. Students will look at various standards for connecting computer components. They will be introduced to the software aspects of a computer, specifically the operating system, and do a basic comparison between various kinds. They will explore how to upgrade a system and focus on compatibility between the system and any new component that may be added. Such compatibility is going to be, but not limited to, the speed and bus width (bits). They will explore how these components communicate with each other. They will then be introduced to firmware and discuss the importance of the BIOS. Students will be introduced to Ohm’s Law and Kirchhoff's Law. They will be introduced to interfacing between desktop, microcontrollers, PLC’s and their pros and cons.
Expected Hours of Instruction:40 hours
Introduction to Networking and various protocols
This section of unit one introduces the students to basic computer networking and various protocols. For instance, they will explore TCP/IP and how it pertains to workstations on a network. They will be introduced to servers and a brief history of mainframe systems. They will explore the basic advantages and disadvantages of the current form of networking versus mainframe systems. They will delve into the various services offered by servers and look at the protocols involved, such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and other services such as telnet, printing, file transfer, and storage. Students will be introduced to network security and some methods and softwares used to defend against nefarious activities on a network. Students will be introduced to some computer mathematics like binary and hexadecimal numbers, and convert positive integers among decimal, binary, and hexadecimal number systems. They will explore how the computer uses ones and zeros to represent information such as data, data addresses, and true false logic. They will apply binary logic to decipher the output of the fundamental logic gates and use Boolean Algebra to verify such outputs. They will combine logic gates to form complex Boolean circuitry and evaluate the outputs.
Computer Technology Skills
In this unit students will be introduced to the assembly of a computer system in a safe way and how to install and configure peripheral devices then finally devise a set of troubleshooting steps to diagnose problems with the system. They will explore the difference in components for building a system for gaming versus basic home use. They will be introduced to optimization of the system and configure a computer system to use multiple operating systems. They will explore to processes to design and safely construct and test interfacing or robotics circuits using appropriate materials and techniques, including soldering. They will be introduced to basic electronic circuits circuitry and troubleshooting them. Students will be introduced to software to build and simulate basic circuits. They will set up, configure, troubleshoot, and manage peer-to-peer network and interface robots with computers and electronic circuits. They will be introduced to techniques to backup and optimize a computer system. They will be introduced to basic programming to control or interact with an external device. Students will be introduced to various Local Area Network topologies. They will construct various network cables to build LAN. They will troubleshoot these networks. Students will be introduced to basic programming and will use constants, variables, expressions, and assignment statements, in selection and repetition structures. They will design, write, test, and debug simple programs that take inputs and control an external device.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 52 hours
Technology, The Environment, And Society
In this unit students will be introduced to best practices from an ethical, environmental, and legal point of view in disposing wastes in the computer industry. They will explore the effects of computers on the environment and how community and partners can assist and contribute in reducing wastes or reusing them. They will explore the benefits and detriments to society and the environment due to computers.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 9 hours
Professional Practice And Career Opportunities
This unit explores relevant industry practices, safety practices, and their legalities. They will explore techniques to enhance workplace safety. They will also look at the importance of securing data. Students will evaluate the necessary skills to be successfully employed in this industry and how to keep their portfolio current. They will explore efficient ways to go about job hunting and how to carry out an interview in this field.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 7 hours
Final Exam
This is a proctored exam worth 30% of the final grade in this course.
Expected Hours of Instruction: 2 hours
Total Hours 110
Resources
The course material (class notes and necessary handouts) will be provided by the teacher.
The students will be required to have:
● Access to a library or the Internet to do research
● Access to internet as well as electronic devices for note taking and communication for those taking the class online
Overall Curriculum Expectations
A. Understanding Computers
A1 describe the functions of different types of hardware components, and assess the hardware needs of users
A2 describe the different types of software products, and assess the software needs of users
A3 use the basic functions of an operating system correctly
A4 demonstrate an understanding of home computer networking concepts A5 explain the importance of software updates and system maintenance to manage the performance and increase the security of a computer.
B.Introduction to Programming
B1 describe fundamental programming concepts and constructs;
B2 plan and write simple programs using fundamental programming concepts;
B3 apply basic code maintenance techniques when writing programs
C. Computers and Society
C1 describe key aspects of the impact of computers and related technologies on society
C2 describe computer use policies that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability;
C3 describe legal and ethical issues related to the use of computing devices;
C4 describe postsecondary education and career prospects related to computer studies.
Special Accommodations
Only Some students are able, with accommodations, to be part of a regular course curriculum and to demonstrate independent learning. These accommodations allow access to the course without any dilution of the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. These required accommodations to facilitate the student’s learning will be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, page 11*). It is likely that IEP for many or all courses will reflect the same accommodations. The instructions and accommodations are geared to meet the diverse needs of learners.
The three types of accommodations that are going to be used are:
i) Instructional accommodations - changes in teaching/learning strategies facilitated by different styles of presentation; methods of organization; the use of technology and multimedia.
ii) Environmental accommodations - Certain classroom settings and preferential seating may benefit these students.
iii) Assessment: assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as Multiple Intelligence Theory, giving more time to complete tasks (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for more examples).
For students who require accommodations for only the mathematics courses, the assessment and evaluation of their achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document. The IEP box on the students’ Provincial Report Cards will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accommodations will be included.
* Taken from: Ministry of Education, Ontario. Extracted from The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Technological Education, 2009; Date of extraction: date: Sunday, March 14, 2021
Program Considerations For English Language Learners
Students from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For many of these students, English is not their spoken language. They may be coming from highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have come from regions where access to formal schooling was limited. These students offer a rich addition to the classroom experience by way of their background knowledge and experience. All teachers will assist with their English- language development. In mathematics the teachers will include appropriate adaptations and strategies in their instructions and assessments to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. Some of these strategies and adaptations are: modification of some or all of the course expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher.
Teaching/Learning Strategy
The key learning strategy at My Learning Oasis Elite Private School is Constructivism. This format facilitates learning by many techniques, most or all of which will be adopted in the classroom. The most dominant of these is group learning. The facilitator places students of different backgrounds in the same group so that they can feed off each other. Each may bring to the table a different reasoning strategy to facilitate problem-solving. Now, each student becomes a learner and a teacher at the same time, as he/she has to communicate his/her solution. This builds the students' knowledge base and by default, increases their confidence to speak in a crowd, albeit a small group at the beginning. The famous educationalist, Vygotsky, proved that by placing students in a group they function at the upper level of their zone of proximal development, each one scaffolding the other.
This strategy is further enhanced by the teacher asking leading questions as opposed to giving the answer outright, then allowing for group discussion. The students are encouraged to make connections between what they have learnt and their life experiences, then share with the group. The effect of this strategy is intrinsic motivation and learning. Each student develops an expanded appreciation of the topic at hand by seeing how it applies in different settings around the world by way of listening to their group members.
This Constructivist approach will be further accentuated by implementing “fish-bowling”. There are many ways to implement this technique. The one that will mostly be used will be by dividing up the larger problem (technical, mathematics, science, or otherwise) into smaller bits and have each student thoughtfully master one part. That student then teaches the group and facilitates a discussion reflection about the strategy (computational or otherwise) used in the solution. Each student in turn does this.
The above techniques enable students to reflect on the material learnt, make real life connections, and develop problem solving skills. One important by-product of the technique of Constructivism is that each student develops an appreciation of each other’s culture. This cultivates healthy people’s skill, which is not only important for the professional world but for life itself.
Constructivism lends itself well to students whose first language is not the language of instruction and who is new to the class. While other strategies will be used for students having difficulty with the English Language, this technique will definitely be used to enhance their English skill.
Assessment And Evaluation
At My Learning Oasis, course facilitators do not wait for a quiz or exam to determine how well a student is doing. Here, evaluation is an on-going exercise. The pedagogical techniques (refer to Teaching and Learning Strategies) used at My learning Oasis are perhaps the best techniques suited for on-going assessment, hence, they being an integral part of our delivery methodologies.
Concrete assessments are made through projects and assignments. However, the evaluation is based on “our flavor” of the Mastery Teaching technique. This ensures that the emphasis is on the quality of learning and NOT grading. Students' projects and homework will continuously be evaluated and re-evaluated with appropriate guidance to meet the school’s and Ministry’s expectations. At My Learning Oasis, we will work with the students until the projects meet a minimum of a B-grade, unless in extreme circumstances where the willful negligence of the students force lower grades. While this is a lot more taxing on the facilitator, it does not matter because My Learning Oasis is a Learner-centered institution NOT a Grade-Centered nor a Teacher-Centered institution.
Four categories of knowledge and skills are outlined in the achievement chart - knowledge and understanding, thinking, communication, and application. Student’s work is assessed and evaluated with respect to these categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within the appropriate categories. A final grade will then be recorded for this course and if that grade is 50% or higher, a credit is granted to the student and recorded for this course. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:
● For material evaluated throughout the course, seventy percent of the grade will be assigned. This portion of the grade should reflect the student's consistency in his/her level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
● Thirty percent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation, which is administered towards the end of the course.
Final Exam: 30%
Grading for all course work, projects, presentation, participation, interim quizzes and exam: 70%
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