Computer control and interfacing in education
Mr J Richardson and Mr J F Gipps
12 points
* 3 hours per week
* Summer semester
* Clayton
*
Prerequisites: No prior knowledge of computing is necessary
Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have become familiar with Lego building materials and the Lego Logo programming language; cooperated in a group to design and build Lego machinery and program it to provide a functioning model; observed a range of interfacing (data acquisition) systems and become familiar with the operation of a specific interfacing system; cooperated in a group (which may consist of students of both scientific and non-scientific backgrounds) to use an interfacing system to design and perform a scientific investigation; analysed the learning processes that occurred during the development of their Lego and interfacing projects; evaluated the role of the computer in these processes; critically evaluated the projects in all of their aspects as educational experiences, and the technology for its educational value.
Synopsis This subject is relevant to primary, post-primary and tertiary education. It examines recent developments in the use of numeric control as a means of learning, both in general and with specific reference to technology education. Control and interfacing in the curriculum will be presented within the framework of recent theory, practice and evaluation. Students will gain practical expertise in using a range of commercially available systems to design and build curriculum projects. Projects will be documented with a curriculum rationale and include discussion of issues and perspectives in technology education. Control technology will be examined in relation to specific studies and as a cross-curriculum application. Distinctions will be made between control, monitoring and analysis as conceptual tools in an educational context. A subject reader of journal articles and research reports will be provided.
Assessment Two assignments (4000 words and 2000 words): 66% and 34% respectively
Recommended texts
Braitenberg V Vehicles MIT, 1984
Dunn S and Larson R Design technology and children's engineering Falmer, 1990
Ocko S and Resnick M LEGO TClogo teacher's guide LEGO Australia, 1987
Turkle S The second self: Computers and the human spirit Simon and Schuster, 1984
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