The Life and Growth of Year 12 Computing in Victoria: An Ecological Model - History of Computing: Learning from the Past - page 127

4 Analysing This Case Using the Ecological Model

In this case the environment includes: University entrance places - these are a rare
and difficult location to reach in the environment, Government policy and public
perceptions. Environmental resources include: student enrolments - these are at-
tracted by the different subjects that make up the final year of high school. A subject
that is able to attract a large number of students will be successful, while one unable
to attract students will die.

Schools in Victoria

ß Government policy

ß University entrance

b Victorian Curriculum
and Assessment Authority

b Student

b Parent

☺

b Teacher ☺

Student
enrolments

☺

bbb Teachers for
'Computers across
the Curriculum'

bbb Universities Computer Studies

Curriculum

☺

☺

bbb Societal
pressure groups

bbb CAEs

☺

bbb Australian
Computer Society

Secretarial
Studies teachers

☺

☺

☺

bbb Employers

bbb Teacher
professional groups

bbb University Departments

ß Public perceptions

Key

The situation or entity under consideration
b Human organism
b Human group acting as an organism
ß Environmental factor (cannot be changed by organisms)
☺ Co-operative interaction
Competitive interaction
Resources consumed by organisms
Environmental niche
Interaction types: Strong Weak Least energy

Fig. 1. TD diagram of the interactions in the ecological model

Organisms include: the subjects - these are non-biological organisms, students,
teachers, universities, industry, employers, the Australian Computer Society (ACS),
pressure groups and the general public. University departments seek to support sub-
jects that they see as co-operating with them. Teachers represented through their pro-
fessional groups seek to make changes in subjects - subject-based teacher groups
support their own subjects.