Overview
Design and Digital Technologies introduces students to both the nature of learning in Design and Technology and Digital Technologies to enhance problem solving, innovation and creative thinking skills for 21st century learners. Students develop deep understanding of the thinking processes of planning, producing and evaluating which are essential processes in Design and Technology, and defining, organising and implementing which are essential processes in Digital Technology. They engage in design and digital challenges to build their own content and process knowledge in the learning area and reflect on the value of technological ways of thinking and learning for sustainability and innovation. Students explore a range of digital tools that support their engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies Curriculum content and pedagogy.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE
Assessment tasks
Assessments will be updated and refined with further scaffolding to assist with student clarity.
Feedback from Moodle
Moodle content
Moodle content, and in particular for Early Years' students will continue to be updated in line with the EYLF 2.0.
Feedback from SUTE
Tutorials
Continual improvements are being made to keep unit content relevant, interesting and engaging.
- Participate in individual and collaborative learning processes to improve professional understanding of content knowledge and teaching and learning in the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Use current research and examples to explain the value, nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning area
- Produce digital content by making effective and purposeful use of Information and Communications Technology to model Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning goals.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus areas of:
1.2 Understand how students learn
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
3.3 Use teaching strategies
3.4 Select and use resources
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| 1 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Presentation - 50% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.mallett@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Technologies and Design and Technologies: What is it and why is it so important?
Chapter
Best, M. (2017). Transforming pre-service teachers’ beliefs and understandings about design and technologies. The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 42(7), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2017v42n7.4
Li, Y., Schoenfeld, A. H., diSessa, A. A., Graesser, A. C., Benson, L. C., English, L. D., & Duschl, R. A. (2019). Design and Design Thinking in STEM Education. Journal for STEM Education Research., 2(2), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-019-00020-z
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Understand this learning area: Technologies. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/technologies
Teaching and learning in South Australia. (2016). Design and technologies: What are they for? https://youtu.be/6zgdVc6U_2I?feature=shared
Events and Submissions/Topic
You may choose to read your readings and complete the second video first.
Commence design challenge assignment by:
Understanding design thinking and the design cycle.
Consider what are the differences between craft and design.
What are you actually being asked to do in the assignment?
Make sure you have read the Australian Curriculum's Understand this learning area: Design and Technologies document.
Understand the purpose of the Australian Curriculum, Technologies with a central theme of creating preferred futures.
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Curriculum, theoretical perspectives and pedagogies: Design and Technologies
Chapter
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). (2015). Transitioning from the MDGs to SDGs. https://youtu.be/5_hLuEui6ww?feature=shared
Mawson, B. (2003). Beyond `The Design Process’: An Alternative Pedagogy for Technology Education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 13(2), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024186814591
Technology for Children: A Hands on Approach. (2015). Kanopy Streaming. https://www.kanopy.com/en/cqu/video/68991
(While this video is older, it does give you some ideas on some possibilities for your design task).
Papert S., & Harel, I. (1990). Situating constructionism. In: Harel (Ed.), Constructionist learning. Cambridge, MA: MIT Media Laboratory.
http://www.papert.org/articles/SituatingConstructionism.html
Events and Submissions/Topic
You should have started designing what you are going to make for AT1.
Remember, that design learning happens in the process.
Record everything you do and take photos.
When you fill out your task sheet, you are doing so as an exemplar to show your students an example of how they might complete the design task.
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Design thinking in the Early Years and using Generative AI in your design thinking lessons
Chapter
Rong, J., Terzidis, K., & Ding, J. (2024). Kids AI Design Thinking education for creativity development. Archives of Design Research, 37(3), 119-133.
Yalçin, V. (2022). Design thinking model in early childhood education. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 9(1), 196-210.
Benson, C. (2017). Chapter 3: Teaching design and technology creatively in the Early Years. In C. Benson, & S. Lawson (Eds), Teaching design and technology creatively. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315623153
Events and Submissions/Topic
You should have completed your design project by the end of this week and have asked for feedback from a peer in the class, a teacher you know who understands design or a design capable adult.
Make sure you use the spatula example in Week 1's Moodle to help you with your feedback.
Does the product do what it is meant to do?
Is the product safe?
Has the person mostly used recycled materials?
Look/aesthetic.
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Assessment in design
Chapter
Canty, D., Seery, N., Hartell, E., & Doyle, A. (2017). Integrating peer assessment in technology education through adaptive comparative judgment. PATT34 Technology & Engineering Education–Fostering the Creativity of Youth Around The Globe, 10-14.
Lor, R. (2017). Design thinking in education: A critical review of literature. [Conference session]. Asian Conference on Education and Psychology, Bangkok, Thailand. https://shorturl.at/AIR02
Events and Submissions/Topic
Remember to use the spatula example from week 1's Moodle with your peer assessments as a guide.
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
STEM Education: Design as the glue.
Chapter
English, L. D. (2019). Learning while designing in a fourth-grade integrated STEM problem. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 29(5), 1011–1032. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-018-9482-z
Lindner, J. (2018). Entrepreneurship Education for a Sustainable Future. Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, 9(1), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.2478/dcse-2018-0009
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1 is due next week.
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Digital Technologies - Curriculum and Pedagogy
Chapter
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2022). Understand this learning area – Digital technologies. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/teacher-resources/understand-this-learning-area/technologies#digital-technologies
Blundell, C., Lee, K.-T., & Nykvist, S. (2020). Moving beyond enhancing pedagogies with digital technologies: Frames of reference, habits of mind and transformative learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(2), 178–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1726235
Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2013). Chapter 7: Study Session: Observing how children connect with the natural world. In D. Curtis. and M. Carter (Eds.). The art of awareness how observation can transform your teaching (2nd ed.). Redleaf Press.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment Due Date: Tuesday (14 Apr 2026) 11:45 pm AEST
Design thinking in the classroom Due: Week 6 Tuesday (14 Apr 2026) 11:45 pm AEST
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Processes and Production Skills - Computational Thinking
Chapter
Churchill. (2020). Development of students’ digital literacy skills through digital storytelling with mobile devices. Educational Media International, 57(3), 271–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2020.1833680
Lee, J., & Junoh, J. (2019). Implementing Unplugged Coding Activities in Early Childhood Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(6), 709–716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00967-z
Ricketts, R. (2018). Computational Thinking for Kindergartners. https://www.edutopia.org/article/computational-thinking-kindergartners
Events and Submissions/Topic
Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials.
Commence all activities as outlined in these materials.
Have completed a response for artefact 1 for AT2.
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
Coding and programming
Chapter
Barr, V. & Stephenson, C. (2011). Bringing computational thinking to K-12: what is Involved and what is the role of the computer science education community? ACM Inroads, 2(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1145/1929887.1929905
Events and Submissions/Topic
Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials.
Commence all activities as outlined in these materials.
Completed response for artefact 2 for AT2.
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Data and Gen AI
Chapter
Boss, S. (2014). How to help your students develop data literacy. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/helping-students-develop-digital-literacy-suzie-boss
Liu, Z., Guo, R., Jiao, X., Gao, X., Oh, H., & Xing, W. (2024, June). How ai assisted k-12 computer science education: A systematic review. In 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials.
Commence all activities as outlined in these materials.
Start response for artefact three for AT2.
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
Developing digital creativity
Chapter
Bereczki, E. O., & Kárpáti, A. (2021). Technology-enhanced creativity: A multiple case study of digital technology-integration expert teachers’ beliefs and practices. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 39, 100791–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100791
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, N.D.). Understand this curriculum connection - Artificial intelligence (AI). https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/curriculum-information/understand-this-curriculum-connection/artificial-intelligence
Events and Submissions/Topic
Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials.
Commence all activities as outlined in these materials.
You should be mostly finished AT2. It is due next Friday.
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
Integrating the purposeful use and teaching of digital technologies
Chapter
Fasso, W. & Knight, B. A. (2020). Identity development in school makerspaces: intentional design. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 30(2), 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-019-09501-z
Events and Submissions/Topic
Engage with the Moodle unit materials and tutorials.
Commence all activities as outlined in these materials.
AT2 is due this week.
Workshops to the classroom Due: Week 11 Friday (29 May 2026) 11:00 pm AEST
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Review and feedback
Chapter
There are no readings this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical and Written Assessment
Due Date Grace Period: The 72 hour grace period applies to this assignment. If you need longer than 72 hours, you will still need to use the normal Assessment Extension System process.
Weighting: 50% (You must pass both assessments in order to get a pass or better grade in this unit)
Word Limit: Due to the nature of this assignment, please keep your videos brief. The combined length of your two videos should not exceed 20 minutes (+/- 10%). Note: You will attach your PowerPoint slides, your script (for Turnitin to analyse) and your design brief with your videos.
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Level 4: AI Use with Critical Direction You may use AI throughout your work, either as you wish or as specifically directed. Focus on directing AI to achieve your goals while demonstrating critical thinking. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. More information on your use of GenAI in your assessments will be given both in workshops and on Moodle.
Normal copyright rules apply for the use of GenAI and if it is used, you MUST acknowledge how you have used it on your cover page for your assignment. Note: Copying and pasting from a GEN AI (including Grammarly) is NOT recommended.
Task Overview:
You are going to create two video presentations centered around the teaching of design as specified in the Australian Curriculum. Both videos should not exceed 20 minutes for the two videos. You are not being assessed on the quality of your video. i.e. We are not expecting you to be movie film makers.
Parts A & B: Your video scaffold and exemplar for your future students (What you will submit and where will you submit it?)
You will create an instructional video or videos to use with your class about the design cycle. In this video you will discuss the kind of things your students will do at each stage of a design cycle by using what you have made and done as an exemplar. Remember that your students will NOT be making what you made. The students and parents should be able to view these videos and have a clear idea on the kind of things they need to be doing at each stage of the design cycle. Early childhood pre-service teachers are encouraged to use a simpler form of the design cycle such as is discussed in weekly classes. You are encouraged to use GenAI tools to generate ideas and thinking, but you will need to adapt these for submission. Please make sure you engage with the unit readings before submitting this assignment, as there are some excellent readings that will help you complete this task to a very high standard. Also note that you are not being asked to invent a flying car. The task itself should be a small little task that can be produced in a short amount of time. What is being assessed is your ability to understand the design thinking process as well as the importance in teaching design in the 21st century classroom and what this looks like, first hand.
What will you submit for Parts A & B
You will submit your PowerPoint or presentation which you will use your exemplar to teach the students about a design process. This will have your annotated photos and dot points explaining what you did. They will be coming up with their own solutions to the problem. e.g. You might make a peg bag out of material, while they might design and make a container to help them remain more organised at school. You might invent a fitness routine, while they will invent their own. It's not about the end product, but the engagement in the design process and learning to see problems and find solutions to today's problems.
Part B: You will create and upload the design brief that you are going to give your students, which will act as a further printed out scaffold for their design task. It will have very generic instructions on it. This needs can be done on Microsoft Word, Publisher, Canva, or otherwise.
Part C: A Video to parents/community (No more than 10 minutes)
The second video (uploaded to YouTube or ECHO360) will draw from the unit Moodle, course readings and other high quality literature, the Australian Curriculum and your own experiences designing and building your object to promote the teaching of design and technologies. The video will be one that you create to send to your parents explaining what your students will be doing and why this kind of learning is important in the 21st century classroom. You will need to link what they are doing to learning theory (Constructionism and experiential learning).
Week 6 Tuesday (14 Apr 2026) 11:45 pm AEST
Submit online via Moodle
Your response will be returned once moderation has occurred and in time so that you can apply the feedback to your next assignment.
Plan and scaffold an age-appropriate and engaging video/s and design brief.
Use current research and examples to explain the value, nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Design and Digital Technologies learning area in the Australian Curriculum.
Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning area.
Has demonstrated a clear understanding of the Australian Curriculum Technologies, including it's core concepts.
- Participate in individual and collaborative learning processes to improve professional understanding of content knowledge and teaching and learning in the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Use current research and examples to explain the value, nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
2 Presentation
Task Description
Due Date Grace Period: The 72 hour grace period applies to this assignment. If you need longer than 72 hours, you will still need to use the normal Assessment Extension System process.
Weighting: 50% (You must pass both assessments in order to get a pass or better grade in this unit)
Word Limit: 3000 words (+/- 10%)
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence agents (Gen AI)
Level 4: AI Use with critical direction You may use AI throughout your work, either as you wish or as specifically directed. Focus on directing AI to achieve your goals while demonstrating critical thinking. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. More information on your use of GenAI in your assessments will be given both in workshops and on Moodle.
Normal copyright rules apply for the use of GenAI and if it is used, you MUST acknowledge how you have used it on your cover page for your assignment. Note: Copying and pasting from a GEN AI (including Grammarly) is NOT recommended.
Task:
Over the course of six weeks, you will be engaged in a range of different digital learning tasks in each workshop. You will be completing a critical reflection which will require you to create a portfolio of three items that you can use in your future teaching from these workshops.
Item one must be teaching the digital technologies subject in the early years;
Item two must teach using technologies to help understand, display and interpret data. Please note that you are NOT teaching mathematics here. You are teaching children to use technology tools to display, interpret and understand data.
Item three must involve the teaching of coding. More information on this artefact will be given in workshops.
You will then complete three lesson overviews/summaries as well as a guided critical reflection on your lessons and pedagogical approaches used.
Break-down of task:
Part A (1000 words) Evidence of engagement with digital tool and critical reflection.
Provide annotated screenshots or photos of your engagement with the digital tools. e.g. a photo of you engaging with the human coding task, or screenshots of your coding and what the lines of the code do.
Write a critical reflection of your engagement with these digital tools, including any links to the literature on the importance of this engagement for your future teaching.
Part B – Your lesson overviews (1000 words)
You are to provide three lesson overviews on how you would teach one or more of the above three tasks to your future class, including what the teacher and students will do, how many and how long your lessons will be. You are required to show clear links to how you are teaching the technologies curriculum and include summaries on lessons. You are not required to do lesson plans and you are encouraged to draw from high quality online lesson ideas.
Part C - Self/peer evaluation of your lesson summaries (1000 words)
Part of being a good teacher is being able to critically reflect on your lessons. Drawing from the unit's readings, high quality literature and the Australian Curriculum, provide a critical discussion and evaluation on your lessons.
Further scaffolding for this task can be found on Moodle.
Week 11 Friday (29 May 2026) 11:00 pm AEST
Submit online via Moodle
Return Date to Students Your task will be returned once moderation has occurred.
Produce digital content by making effective and purposeful use of Information and Communications Technology to model in future teaching of the Digital Technologies subject .
Demonstrates a practical knowledge and understanding of Core Concepts in the Australian Curriculum: Technologies, within the context of being a future teacher of such tasks.
Has drawn from current research and examples to explain the value nature and pedagogical practices appropriate to the Technologies learning area.
Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Technologies curriculum learning area.
- Participate in individual and collaborative learning processes to improve professional understanding of content knowledge and teaching and learning in the Design and Digital Technologies learning area
- Recommend Information and Communications Technologies on the basis of their purposeful application to learning and student engagement in the Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning area
- Produce digital content by making effective and purposeful use of Information and Communications Technology to model Design and Digital Technologies curriculum learning goals.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
