Prep–Year 6 Technologies familiarisation and planning 2: Curriculum elements

Welcome to the Familiarisation and planning series of online sessions designed to introduce curriculum leaders and teachers to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Technologies Prep–Year 6. In this second session in the series, we will be focusing on the ‘Curriculum elements’ section of the curriculum. In our first session, we covered the ‘Understand this learning area’ section of the curriculum and our final session in the series will address planning considerations for Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.

Acknowledgment of Country

The QCAA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet today. We pay our respects to their Elders and their descendants who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country, and we extend that respect to Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people here today. We thank them for sharing their cultures and spiritualities and recognise the important contribution of this knowledge to our understanding of this place we call home.

Learning goal and success criteria

In Session 2, our learning goal is to understand the implications of changes to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Technologies to plan for the transition in your own context.

You will know you have been successful if you have more knowledge about the curriculum elements in Version 9.0 of the Technologies curriculum and can identify actions for planning in your school.

Session 2 outline

This recording is accompanied by a worksheet for you to record your responses to the activities and reflection points throughout the presentation.

If you have not already done so, please take some time now to download or print the Session 2 outline resource.

We will work through these three topics in the session.

Introduction to Australian Curriculum v9.0

We began Session 1 in the series by orienting ourselves to a process we can use to engage with the changes in Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.

Let’s briefly review that process now.

Identifying actions for planning in your context

Here is the approach we proposed to assist schools in their implementation of Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.

In this second session, we are going to be looking at the specific elements of the curriculum that may have an impact on your teaching, learning and assessment.

As we consider this section of the curriculum, focus your thinking on how much you may need to refine, realign, reimagine or remove aspects of your current programs.

Organisation of Technologies and changes

On screen now, we have the organisation of Technologies outlining the main changes in structure between Version 8.4 and Version 9.0, which we discussed in more detail in Session 1 in the series.

Outline for Session 2: Curriculum elements

We will now move onto our core focus for this session, the ‘Curriculum elements’ section.

Organisation of Technologies

On screen in the shaded box, you will see the sections that form the ‘Curriculum elements’. We will work through each of these sections throughout this presentation.

Identifying actions for planning in your context

As we work through the Technologies ‘Curriculum elements’ and the changes in Version 9.0, let’s keep our process for identifying actions for planning in mind.

Here is where we can begin to audit our current programs and consider what is the same in Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 and what is different.

Pause and reflect: Similarities and differences

You may wish to construct your own note-taking template like the one indicated on screen to help you identify the similarities and differences you notice in the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 for Technologies that may shape your planning for the new curriculum.

A table has been provided for you in the Session 2 outline resource referred to at the start of this recording.

Organisation of Technologies

Let’s start with the Level description and Achievement standard in the ‘Curriculum elements’ section.

The level descriptions provide a high-level overview of the learning students should experience each year or band.

With regards to the achievement standard, schools gather evidence against the relevant achievement standard across the teaching and learning cycle.

Technologies learning area: Structure

Remember from the first presentation that the Australian Curriculum: Technologies Prep–Year 6 comprises two subjects:

• Design and Technologies, in which students use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities, and
• Digital Technologies, in which students use computational thinking and information systems to define, design and implement digital solutions for authentic problems.

Technologies is written on the basis that all students will study the two subjects from Prep to the end of Year 8.

Technologies can be taught and assessed as:

• a learning area using the learning area achievement standard, or
• the separate subjects of Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies, using the separate subject achievement standards.

There is flexibility for schools to develop teaching programs that integrate both Technologies subjects and other learning areas. This may be particularly important for primary school programs.

Design and Technologies: Level description

Changes to the Design and Technologies level description include:

• the three types of designed solutions (i.e. product, service and environment) have been made more explicit
• key connections with other learning areas and subjects have been identified. These include Digital Technologies, Science, and Health and Physical Education
• sustainability types have been defined — in the Years 1–2 band students only consider environmental sustainability; social sustainability is added for the Years 3–4 and 5–6 bands. These were not defined in Version 8.4
• terminology has also been clarified.

Digital Technologies: Level description

Changes to the Digital Technologies level description include:

• three types of thinking in context — the level description paragraphs are focused on the three types of thinking (computational thinking, systems thinking and design thinking) giving examples of what each looks like
• learning experiences that relate to the new privacy and security sub-strand are described and
• terminology has been clarified.

Technologies: Achievement standard structure

The organisation of the Technologies achievement standard in Version 9.0 has changed.

In the Technologies learning area and the two subjects, Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies, each of the achievement standards has been structured as a single paragraph, to remove the artificial separation between the two strands: Knowledge and understanding, and Processes and production skills. In Version 8.4, each of these achievement standards was written as two paragraphs.

Digital Technologies: Achievement standard structure

For example, on screen is the Version 9.0 Digital Technologies achievement standard for Years 3–4.

In this slide we have highlighted the two statements that relate to the Knowledge and understanding strands for this band.

This slide shows the same achievement standard with both the Processes and production skills strand and the Knowledge and understanding strand highlighted.

An aspect from the Processes and production skills strand leads first. Then an aspect from the Knowledge and understanding strand follows, and then so on, reminding us that the strands are interconnected.

This structure is mirrored in the learning area achievement standard and the Design and Technologies achievement standard.

Pause and reflect: Achievement standards

We will now pause to reflect on what we have just heard about the changes to the achievement standards.

When you are exploring the changes, how might you approach this with your colleagues?

You may wish to use some of the strategies we have just outlined or download the QCAA resources mentioned for distribution to your teaching teams.

Use the Session 2 outline resource to record your thoughts.

Organisation of Technologies

Let’s now look at the content descriptions in the strands and sub-strands which inform teaching and learning and underpin assessment.

Content descriptions specify the knowledge, understanding and skills students learn and that teachers are expected to teach.

Comparison of AC v8.4 to v9.0 documents

All of the significant changes to the content descriptions for Technologies are detailed in the comparison documents on the QCAA website.

On screen now is an example of these resources for Digital Technologies and one for Design and Technologies.

Let’s unpack one example a little more to help you understand how you can use it in your planning for the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Technologies.

Shown on screen is a snip of the Years 5–6 Digital Technologies comparison of Version 8.4 to Version 9.0 document, which shows how the changes are colour-coded.

If something has been refined from Version 8.4, it may not be colour-coded and therefore careful consideration is needed when working through the comparison document.

For example, this slide shows that the content description that was given as ‘examine how whole numbers are used to represent all data in digital systems’ in Version 8.4 has changed in Version 9.0 to be ‘explain how digital systems represent all data using numbers’.

If something has been removed from Version 8.4 and no longer appears in Version 9.0, it will be colour-coded red. As you can see on screen ‘collecting, managing and analysing data’ has been removed from Digital Technologies. It now appears in the Version 9.0 Mathematics curriculum.

If something new has been added to Version 9.0, then it will be highlighted green in the comparison documents.

In this instance there has been the addition of ‘given or co-developed design criteria’ and ‘creating user stories’.

There has also been an addition of designing algorithms with ‘multiple alternatives’ and involving ‘control structures and variables’ when implementing algorithms for the Years 5–6 band.

Finally, if a content description has moved year levels or bands from Version 8.4 to Version 9.0, it will be highlighted blue. There will also be a bold note to indicate what year level or band it has moved from or to.

On screen you will see that ‘explore how data can be represented by on and off states (zeros and ones in binary)’ has been moved from the Years 7–8 band to the Years 5–6 band.

Snapshot of key changes: Digital Technologies

In summary, the key changes to the Digital Technologies subject in Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum include:

• Privacy and security sub-strand

- This has been added to all bands, ensuring students develop an understanding of privacy, data protection, and online safety.

- The addition has resulted in specific content descriptions that focus on responsible digital citizenship.

• Acquiring, managing and analysing data sub-strand removed

- The previous ‘Acquiring, Managing and analysing data’ sub-strand has been removed from Digital Technologies.

- Instead, data analysis is now explicitly referenced and assessed within Mathematics for Prep–Year 6.

- This change aims to better align data-related concepts with numeracy skills taught in Mathematics.

• Generating and designing content shifted

- The contents of the ‘Generating and designing’ sub-strand have moved down by one band.

- For example, Years 5–6 content from Version 8.4 is now in Years 3–4 in Version 9.0.

- This shift ensures that students engage with design and creation processes at an earlier stage.

• Separation of Prep from Years 1–2 band

- In Version 9.0, Prep has been separated from the Years 1–2 band, creating a distinct curriculum focus for Prep students.

- This allows for a clearer progression of digital skills from early years onwards.

• New terminology introduced

- Updated language has been incorporated, including terms such as ‘digital footprint’ and ‘user stories’.

- These additions help students engage with contemporary digital concepts that reflect current industry practices.

• Achievement standards and content descriptions updated

- The word length of the achievement standards has been reduced, making them clearer and more concise.

- Several content descriptions have been revised to improve clarity and alignment with learning outcomes.

These changes aim to enhance curriculum clarity, skill progression, and cross-subject alignment.

Snapshot of key changes: Design and Technologies

The Prep and Years 1–2 bands (as per Digital Technologies) have been separated, allowing for more targeted learning experiences at each stage.

In Prep, the sub-strands Generating and designing, Producing and implementing, Evaluating, and Collating and managing have been combined into one sub-strand named ‘Designing and Making’, reflecting the hands-on, play-based learning approach.

The number of Technologies contexts has been reduced across Years 1–2, 3–4, and 5–6 by combining similar content areas, ensuring a clearer and more streamlined approach.

The Generating and designing sub-strand now explicitly includes digital tools from Years 1–2 onwards, supporting early integration of technology in design processes.

New terminology has been introduced, such as replacing ‘criteria for success’ with ‘design criteria’, aligning with industry standards.

The achievement standards have been refined with a reduced word length, improving clarity and usability. Additionally, content descriptions have been updated to enhance alignment and progression across year levels and bands.

These updates provide a clearer, more structured approach to teaching Design and Technologies, supporting students in developing essential problem-solving and design skills.

Technologies contexts

As explained in Session 1, the number of contexts in the Prep, Years 1–2, 3–4 and 5–6 bands has been reduced by combining contexts.

Types of designed solutions

The table shows the progression of types and number of designed solutions from Prep to Year 6.

The types of designed solution have been defined — this was covered in Session 1.

In Prep, students can choose to produce a product, service or environment.

From Years 1–6 students should have the opportunity to produce each of the three types of designed solutions.

Pause and reflect: Key messages

What are the key messages from this section of the curriculum that have resonated with you? Take a moment now to note down your key messages from this session.

Outline for Session 2: Formulating next steps

That concludes our review of the ‘Curriculum elements’ section and the changes to achievement standards and content descriptions for Technologies.

Let’s pause and recap what we have considered in this second session in our Familiarisation and planning series and what we can do with our new base of knowledge to help us plan for Version 9.0.

Identifying actions for planning in your context

As we have worked through both Sessions 1 and 2, we’ve been in the review and audit phase, considering the similarities and differences we’ve observed in the ‘Understand this learning area’ and ‘Curriculum elements’ sections.

Let’s now turn our attention to what these similarities and differences might mean for our teaching and learning, and assessment plans to identify some actions for ourselves from here. With the information you now have from participating in these sessions, you can start to make some decisions about how much you may need to refine, realign, reimagine or remove from your current programs to meet the requirements of the revised curriculum.

Pause and reflect

Based on what you have heard about the changes, where do you need to focus your attention as you plan for the transition to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0?

We’ll now pause for a moment to allow you to start that decision-making process.

Refine

Reflecting on what you’ve heard, and considering your current plans, you may be thinking that implementation of Version 9.0 in your context will largely be about making refinements to what you have already got. You’ve recognised that you have a solid foundation in your current program and the changes in Version 9.0 will only mean minor adjustments to your teaching and learning activities and assessments.

Realign

Alternatively, in other contexts, and perhaps in certain year levels only, you may need to consider realigning your activities and assessment based on changes to the content descriptions and achievement standards we’ve considered in this session.

Reimagine

Perhaps there are certain year levels where you want to reimagine some units. You may have been reflecting on the changes we’ve discussed in Sessions 1 and 2 and decided it is an opportunity to re-design some teaching and learning activities or assessment tasks. Therefore, has the Version 9.0 curriculum prompted some new thinking for you about how to move your plans forward?

Remove

Finally, are there some aspects that it will be necessary to remove in order to meet the requirements of the revised curriculum in your context?

Pause and reflect: Identifying actions

You may wish to use the tables in your Session 2 outline to plan your next steps.

Consider your current teaching, learning and assessment plans and use the scale (where 5 equals strongly agree) to evaluate how much you need to refine, realign, reimagine or remove material from your current plans.

Record some notes where you have identified particular actions.

Pause the session recording and take some time to determine where the majority of your work will be as you plan for Version 9.0.

Learning goal and success criteria

As the session comes to a close, let us reflect on our learning goal and success criteria.

We have built our knowledge about the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Technologies and identified some actions for planning in our particular school context.

In the next session

That concludes the second session and our discussion on the ‘Curriculum elements’ section.

In the final session of our series on Familiarisation and planning, we will be discussing how to plan with the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.

On screen, you will see an infographic that is part of our Elements for effective planning resource.

For the next session

You may wish to access this resource to familiarise yourself with its contents prior to the next session.

On screen, you can see where this resource is available on the QCAA website.

Contact

If you have any queries regarding the information from this session, please reach out to the K–10 Curriculum and Assessment Branch​ with the contact details noted on screen.

We thank you for your time in completing this session and look forward to working with you in Session 3 of the Familiarisation and planning series.

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