Sample teaching program
Duration: 18 – 22 weeks
Option 4 Digital media
Unit title: Digital Media
Description: First unit for Yr 9 IST – a prerequisite for options on Multimedia and Web Design
Suggested unit length: 18 to 22 weeks
Targeted outcomes:
A student:
5.1.1 selects and justifies the application of appropriate software
programs to a range of tasks
5.2.1 describes and applies problem-solving processes when
creating solutions
5.2.2 designs, produces and evaluates appropriate solutions to a
range of challenging problems
5.2.3 critically analyses decision-making processes in a range of
information and software solutions
5.3.1 justifies responsible practices and ethical use of information
and software technology
5.3.2 acquires and manipulates data and information in an ethical
manner
5.5.1 applies collaborative work practices to complete tasks
5.5.2 communicates ideas, processes and solutions to a targeted
audience
5.5.3 describes and compares key roles and responsibilities of
people in the field of information and software technology
Resources:
Text: Ware et al. IST
Software: for student use - Macromedia Fireworks, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft
Internet Explorer, Sound Recorder, WinZip, OCR, Roxio or Nero CD burner
For staff demonstration – Macromedia Flash, BitMorph or Morph Plus, 3D Studio Max, Adobe
Acrobat
Hardware: Optical scanners, digital camera,
CD-ROMs: Fireworks Training CDs, IST Textbook CD
Activity Sheets: Media evaluation guides
Web:
www.jaconline.com.au/ist/
www.tamingthebeast.net/articles4/banner-design-sizes.htm
www.whereis.com.au
Page 1 of 16
Projects:
Assessable major projects in creating a printed pamphlet and a PowerPoint presentation using digital data students must collect and/or create themselves. Minor projects in
documenting features of digital media products, creating components for a media product and practice runs in preparation for major projects
Skills:
Using MS Publisher, MS PowerPoint, MS Sound Recorder, Macromedia Fireworks, OCR software, CD burner software, WinZip
Assessments:
Minor and Practice Assessments – all internal
Unit 1 - Evaluation of a digital media product
Unit 2 - Create company logos, incorporate logo, text and images into a single page published
document
Unit 3 - Use Fireworks to create a banner and navigation buttons for a future web project. Practice Use the resources provided on the text CD-ROM to create a published multiple page pamphlet
Unit 5 - Produce a digital media document showing the effects of palette size and file compression on
the storage size and quality of image files
Unit 6 - Prepare digital media product (unit 5) for distribution via the Web and CD/DVD
Unit 7 - Practice - Create a digital media product (PowerPoint) using the resources and instructions
provided by the textbook and its CD-ROM
Major Assessments – common to all classes
Unit 4 - Students use digitising and manipulation techniques to create an original digital media
product, a multiple page pamphlet advertising a new business including a map showing the
location of the business
Unit 8 - Final project – students develop their own PowerPoint presentation for distribution via either
CD-ROM or the Web using digital media they have collected, created and manipulated
themselves
Page 3 of 16
1. The purpose of digital media
Duration: 3-4 periods
Students learn to:
Students learn about:
Content and references:



Text Unit 4.1:
 define the term digital media and identify
digital media data types.
 describe the role of digital media in delivering
a message
 assess if a digital media product is successfully
delivering its message
define digital media
assess the effectiveness
of a range of digital
media products
the purpose of digital media
Activities and instruction:
 identify the digital media present in different samples – web pages, printed advertisements, etc
 identify and discuss what makes an effective media product
 how to assess the effectiveness of different digital media samples
 use a media evaluation guide to assess a digital media product
Projects and assessments:
Minor: Evaluation of a digital media product
Skill development:
 identifying media data types in a digital media product
 using a guide to evaluate a media product
Resources:
Text activity sheet: Media evaluation guide
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
 Correctly identify the message or concept delivered by a digital media product, use an evaluation guide for assessing
the effectiveness of a digital media product.
Feedback:
 oral and written feedback on student ability to identify graphic elements.
 oral feedback on students’ evaluations.
Page 4 of 16
2. Types of digital media products and data types for digital media products
Duration: 12-16 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:


Text Unit 10.4:
 data types used in digital media – text, images,
audio, video and animation
Unit 10.6:
 secondary storage devices
Unit 4.2:
 introduction to desktop publishing and graphic
design software
Unit 4.3:
 introduction to audio sequencing and music
composition software
Unit 4.4:
 introduction to animation and video software

types of digital media
products
data used in specific
digital media products




describe a range of digital
media
select and use appropriate file
formats for the digital media
product
recognise and select data types
used in digital media products
produce samples of work for a
range of data types
describe how data types
combine to produce and
enhance a digital media
product
Activities and instruction:
 identifying and using the correct software and hardware for the different digital media products
 using correct data file formats for loading, saving and exporting data for different digital media products (Compare
and contrast activity sheet)
 view and analyse examples of websites and other published material listing key aspects of design – including
structure, colour, appropriateness of text and graphics
 identify the media elements needed for a particular digital media product
 introduction to Fireworks – basic features (see skill development below)
 use Fireworks to create basic images including text as image data
 use group work to select a company name and design a company logo
 use Fireworks to create a company logo
 introduction to MS Publisher – basic features (see skill development below)
 use Publisher to create a basic advertising leaflet incorporating images and logo
 use or observe audio sampling and/or musical composition software
 observe video data capture process
Projects and assessments:
Minor: Create company logos, incorporate logo, text and images into a single page published document
Continues …
Page 5 of 16
Skill development using Fireworks:
 creating a new file (defining the size of the graphic)
 identifying vector and bitmapped tools
 drawing vector objects
 using bitmap paint tools
 layering
 grouping
 text tools
 adding basic text effects
Skill development using Publisher:
 creating a new document
 identifying text and graphic tools
 adding text and graphic boxes
 importing graphic objects
 adding and editing text
 text effects
Skill development using Sound Recorder:
 create a new audio file
 record and playback audio data
 save audio data
Resources:
Software: Fireworks, MS Publisher, Sound Recorder
Hardware: Microphones, speakers
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
Correctly identify the software application needed for a particular digital media task, identify the file types associated with
different digital media application software, describe the advantages and disadvantages of different file formats for the
same media type, analyse graphic elements and identify exemplary design concepts
Feedback:
 oral feedback on students’ design analysis of media elements in web sites
 oral feedback on students’ logo designs
Page 6 of 16
3. Data manipulation techniques
Duration: 12-16 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:


Text Unit 11.2:
 microprocessors
Unit 4.5:
 basic image editing
 image special effects and rendering
 animation editing
Unit 4.6: Practical
 developing a digital media product

cropping, rendering,
special effects
morphing, tweening

manipulate data types for
specific digital media products
produce samples of work for a
range of data types
Activities and instruction:
 use Fireworks to edit a digital image
 loading an image, determining its dimensions
 cropping, resizing, rotating the image canvas
 use of special effects tools (e.g. blur, transparency)
 observe rendering (3D Studio Max or Bryce), morphing (BitMorph or Morph Plus) and tweening (Flash) software
applications
 the role of the microprocessor in data manipulation – the advantages of faster and more powerful CPUs for media
processing
 use Fireworks to create and/or edit a GIF animation for the company website
 use Fireworks to create a banner and a set of link buttons for the company website
 use Publisher to create a multiple page pamphlet
 students work through the sample project in text using resources supplied on the CD-ROM to create a desktop
published document
Projects and assessments:
Minor: Use Fireworks to create an animated banner and navigation buttons for a future web project. Use the resources
provided on the text CD-ROM to create a published multiple page pamphlet
Skill development using Fireworks:
 loading images from disk
 importing images directly from scanner/digital camera
 determining image dimensions
 using cropping and image/canvas sizing tools
 using image rotation and flipping
 using special effects tools
 creating frames for a GIF animation
 altering an image between frames to create an animation
Skill development using Publisher:
 creating a multiple page document
 linking text boxes
 grouping text/image boxes together
Resources:
CD-ROMs: Images and text on Text CD-ROM
Software: Fireworks, MS Publisher
Web: information on designing banners - www.tamingthebeast.net/articles4/banner-design-sizes.htm
Page 7 of 16
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
 crop, resize and rotate images, use available special effects tools in a media application package
 create a standard web banner and navigation buttons
 create a basic GIF animation
 create a multiple page document with linked text boxes and grouped text/graphics boxes
Feedback:
Oral feedback on students’ published document
Page 8 of 16
4. The digitising process
Duration: 12-16 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:





Text Unit 10.2:
 analogue and digital data
 converting analogue data to digital
Unit 10.3:
 how computers store data
Unit 11.2:
 input/output ports
Unit 4.5:
 audio editing
 video editing
Unit 4.7
 the operation of a scanner and frame grabber
(video digitiser) to produce a bit mapped image
 the operation of OCR and its limitations

frame grabbing
scanning
bitmapping
optical character
recognition (OCR)
time coding, data
sampling

explain the digitisation process
for a selected data type
digitise selected data types
using appropriate hardware
Activities and instruction:
 examples of real world (analogue) data (e.g. photographs) and their digital equivalents (e.g. images on screens)
 how image bitmapped data is stored
 input/output ports – which ones to use for common graphics devices
 use a variety of graphics input devices (optical scanner, digital still camera, video digitiser, graphic tablet) to convert
analogue data to digital
 grab images from the screen using the Print Screen key then crop and resize for use in other products
 download (or grab) a street map and manipulate the map
 use OCR software
 use audio software to record and edit a sound file
 observe the digitising of a basic video sequence
 incorporate logos and other graphics created earlier into a Publisher multiple page advertising pamphlet for their
business
Projects and assessments:
Major project: Students use digitising and manipulation techniques to create an original digital media product – a
pamphlet advertising a new business including a map showing the location of the business.
Skill development:
 transferring still images from a digital camera
 grabbing images from a display screen
 using an optical scanner
 obtaining text data through OCR
 recording and editing audio files
Skill development using Publisher
 creating a multiple page document
Resources:
Software: Fireworks, MS Publisher, OCR software, sound recorder
Hardware: digital camera, scanner, graphics tablet, microphone
Web: maps from www.whereis.com.au
Page 9 of 16
Evidence of learning:
Students are able to:
Correctly describe the basic digitising process, correctly describe a bit map, use an optical scanner, use OCR software,
transfer images from a digital camera to a computer, obtain images directly from the screen, use a variety of graphical
input devices, collect and manipulate digital media to produce a basic product.
Feedback:
 oral feedback on students’ use of technology to obtain images
 oral and written feedback on students’ advertising pamphlets
Page 10 of 16
5. Factors affecting file size
Duration: 3-4 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:





Text Unit 10.2:
 converting analogue data to digital
Unit 10.5:
 compressing data – lossy and lossless
compression
 compressing data – to reduce file size
Unit 10.6:
 secondary storage – characteristics of storage
devices
Unit 4.8:
 the effects of altering the data sampling rate
 using file compression
 using different file formats for the same data
type
 altering the size of the colour palette or bits per
sample
 using different frame rates for animations and
videos
colour palette
compression
sampling rate
frames per second

discuss factors that affect file
size
describe factors affecting file
size and observe the effects on
the digital media
Activities and instruction:
 digitise data using different sampling rates, palette sizes or bits per sample
 altering the resolutions settings when using a scanner and/or digital camera
 altering the sample rate and bits per sample of an audio recording
 create basic animations using different frame rates to observe effects on file size and animation quality
 convert the same image into different image file formats, palette sizes and compression levels
 convert JPEG/PNG images to GIF with different palette sizes
 observe effects of above setting changes on file sizes
 the advantages of using file compression for storing digital media
 observe the problem of using lossy data storage formats for digital media
 create a digital media product demonstrating the effects of image compression and format selection
Projects and assessments:
Minor: Students produce a digital media document showing the effects of palette size and file compression on the storage
size and quality of image files.
Skill development:
 selecting appropriate compression systems, media formats and data settings
 using WinZip to compress and archive data files
Resources:
Software: Fireworks, WinZip, Sound recorder
Hardware: Scanner, digital camera, microphone
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
Select appropriate file formats and settings for the media data types they are using, explain why certain formats and
settings work better for particular data types and media, use WinZip to compress and archive data files
Feedback:
oral feedback on students’ documentation of the factors affecting size and quality of images
Page 11 of 16
6. Displaying and distribution
Duration: 4-6 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:


Text Unit 10.5:
 transmitting data – the need to reduce data
transmission time
 compressing data – to reduce storage size
Unit 10.6:
 secondary storage – characteristics of storage
devices for distributing digital media
Unit 4.9:
 display issues – the technology used by your
target audience, people with special needs
 the advantages and disadvantages of
distribution by storage device (CD/DVD) and
distribution by the Web
considerations including
mode of delivery and
intended audience

examine display and
distribution considerations for
the digital media product
select and deliver the digital
media product for a targeted
audience
Activities and instruction:
 look at digital media products displayed on different systems and/or screen resolutions
 look at web sites with the graphics and multimedia features of their browsers turned off to evaluate their effectiveness
for use by vision impaired people
 look at distribution issues for a selected digital media product
 observe the use of Adobe PDF as an alternative method of distributing and displaying digital media
 bundle and compress a digital media product for distribution using WinZip
Projects and assessments:
Minor: Students prepare their digital media product (unit 5) for distribution via the Web and CD/DVD
Skill development
 identifying display and distribution issues for digital media
 using WinZip to archive and compress digital data files
Resources:
Software: Web browser, Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat, WinZip, CD burning software
Hardware: CD burner
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
Describe the effects of different screen resolutions and other system characteristics on the display of digital media, select
an appropriate distribution method for their digital media product, use WinZip to bundle or archive data files
Feedback:
oral feedback on students’ preparation of material for display and distribution
Page 12 of 16
7. Project development
Duration: 8-12 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:


Text Unit 9.2:
 identifying the problem
Unit 9.3:
 analysing the problem
Unit 9.4:
 designing a solution
Unit 4.10: Practical
 design and produce a digital media product
processes and
techniques
design, produce and evaluate a
simple project for a real-world
application either separately for
this option, or integrated with
other options
Activities and instruction:
 introduction to PowerPoint
 the basic features
 the do’s and don’ts of using PowerPoint
 importing text and graphics
 transitions between slides
 adding basic animations
 adding audio data
 students work through the sample project using resources supplied on the text CD-ROM to create a PowerPoint
presentation
Projects and assessments:
Minor: Create a digital media product (PowerPoint) using the resources and instructions provided by the textbook and its
CD-ROM. Students use Fireworks to edit and prepare the images.
Skill development using PowerPoint:
 creating a presentation
 selecting and adding slide transitions
 importing graphics, text, animation and audio data
Resources:
CD-ROMs: Images and text on Text CD-ROM
Software: Fireworks, MS PowerPoint, “How to Create a Bad PowerPoint Presentation” on network
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
Demonstrate the correct use of PowerPoint to create a digital media product
Feedback:
oral feedback on students’ design and production of their PowerPoint presentation
Page 13 of 16
8. Major assignment
Duration: 16-20 periods
Students learn about:
Students learn to:


processes and
techniques
Content and references:
design, produce and evaluate a
simple project for a real-world
application either separately for
this option, or integrated with
other options
Activities and instruction:
 students develop their own media presentation for distribution via either CD-ROM or the Web using digital media
they have collected, created and manipulated themselves
Projects and assessments:
Major project: Final project – students develop their own media presentation for distribution via either CD-ROM or the
Web using digital media they have collected, created and manipulated themselves
Skill development:
Reinforce all skills developed in this option topic
Resources:
All available hardware and software used in this option topic
Evidence of Learning:
Students are able to:
Design and create their own digital media product and prepare it for distribution
Feedback:
detailed written feedback on students’ project
Page 14 of 16
9. Additional content
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
Content and references:
This unit has been partially incorporated into Unit 1 – The purpose of digital media

evaluation of digital
media products

critically analyse a range of
digital media products based
on identified evaluation criteria
Activities and instruction:
 students work through a existing evaluation guides
Page 15 of 16
Text Unit 4.11: On CD-ROM
 evaluation guides for assessing different types
of digital media
Evaluation of a Digital Media Product
Name:
Title or description of digital media product:
Type of digital media product:
 printed product
 image
 video or animation
 audio (recorded sound)  musical composition (computer music)
Medium – the method used to deliver the product:
 newspaper/magazine
 poster
 pamphlet/leaflet
 computer monitor
 movie
 radio
 computer speakers
 CD/DVD
 Web
Purpose of the product:
 education
 entertainment
 information
Is there a clear message in the product?  Yes  No
If yes, give a brief description of the message:
Is the medium right for the message?
Is the text clear and readable?
 Yes
 No
 n/a
Are the images clear?
 Yes
 No
 n/a
Do the animations/videos/sounds load quickly and play at the right speed?
 Yes
 No
 n/a
Is the animation/video playback area large enough?
 Yes
 No
 n/a
Are the sounds clear and free of distortions?
 Yes
 No
 n/a
Does the message get your attention?
Is the purpose of the product clear and obvious?
 Yes
 No
Can you identify the main features of the product (e.g. title, theme, etc)?
 Yes
 No
 n/a
Does the presentation of the product please you?
 Yes
 No
Conclusion: Product was –  Successful
Page 16 of 16
 Unsuccessful