Computing and society - A Practical Guide to Teaching Computing and ICT in the Secondary School - page 132

Task 8.5

Technological trends
Other technological trends might include the following:

• The Superman/Superwoman syndrome: Enhancement technologies based
on microprocessors that 'improve' some aspect of human activity.
• The HAL 9000 ( h euristically programmed al gorithmic computer in the film
2001: A Space Odyssey ) syndrome: are we a few chilling steps away from
computers that pass the Turing test for thinking machines?

Add your own trends and identify which elements of the Computing curriculum
you would use to introduce them. Devise a series of parts of lessons to do so.

CONTEXTS
For teachers one of the many positive opportunities that Computing and society
offers is that you can make good use of almost any context or issue as a focal point
for study, such is the all-pervasive nature of the technology. You can explore the
past, present or future with equal surety that meaningful learning will take place
if it is framed appropriately. Consider the question of whether low-cost computers
can make a difference to the lives of the rural poor in Africa, particularly farmers.
On the surface this seems to be a really good idea. Advocates might suggest that
computers will allow those involved in agriculture to have access to:

1 Information about farming practices and relevant data.

2 Financial management and planning tools.

3 Devices that make more mundane tasks, such as photocopying and emailing,

less onerous.

However, opponents could claim amongst other things that:

1 The costs of investing in computers will be at the expense of more pressing

needs, such as clean drinking water systems or education for the young.

2 A suitable infrastructure to support and maintain the use of computers is

n e c e s s a r y.

3 High levels of literacy is a prerequisite.

Pupils might be asked, depending on their age and experience, to explore the
viability of this idea. A report and/or a summary of their findings, in both a written
form and as a presentation, could be the tangible outcome. However, your main
objective should not only be to get pupils to develop research and presentation
skills and their knowledge about Computing, but also to expose them to a range
of views about the value of the technology in this context. Concerns about digital
poverty and equality should be a focal point for lesson planning. All the features
of Computational Thinking identified in Chapter 5 are present in activities of this
type. There are opportunities for both individual and group work, and for directed
and self-directed learning to take place, both within the confines of the school and
beyond it. You could also use this context as a means of introducing some of the
more technical aspects of Computing to your pupils. The Raspberry Pi has been