My Digital Life: The "Teacher Resource Pack" edition
My Digital Life is the Open University's introduction to Computing undergraduate module. It was
developed by The Open University as a wide-ranging and comprehensive introduction to Computer
Science, Information Technology, and Digital Literacy, as defined in the new Computing
Programme of Study.
We are offering this to teachers as a resource pack. It’s a great way to get you started on the new
curriculum and we’ll let you know as more targeted resources become available.
Who should buy it?
ICT/Computing teachers who are not Computing graduates, but who need to pick up a lot of skills
and resources very quickly. The pack contains self-study material that covers everything in KS1 and
2 and virtually everything in KS3 and 4 (it only misses the “two programming languages” and
formal “comparison of algorithms” requirements).
You can treat this material as just-in-time self-study resource, and you can used the numerous
examples and self-assessment questions in your own lesson planning.
What is included?
The course has a lot of material: it's the equivalent of half an undergraduate first year. We will
provide a guide, allowing you to quickly find the sections that are relevant to you.
Programming activities are carried out in the Sense environment, an extension of Scratch. Sense
retains the ease of use and intuitive nature of Scratch, but adds functionality to allow more
sophisticated programs to be written. These extras include file reading and writing, better text and
string handling, reading arbitrary web pages and RSS feeds, and writing data over the internet to a
dedicated server. These features allow Sense to be used as the basis for all the Computer Science
activities in KS1 and 2, and virtually all of them in KS3 and 4.
The main extension in Sense is support for the SenseBoard, an
integrated hardware interface board. The board has a number of
sensors already installed, and extra sensors and (supplied) can
be simply plugged in. The SenseBoard has a bank of
programmable LEDs and a pluggable supplied stepper motor.
No wiring or soldering required!
The SenseBoard allows for easy incorporation of IT in other
subjects, such as DT (creating devices) , Science (data logging
and analysis), and Art (interactive artworks). The pack contains
a SenseBoard with additional sensors. You can buy additional
boards from the Open Univeristy; we're working on an
educational discount.
My Digital Life does more than just cover programming. There are sections on:
 the history of computing
 networking and the internet
 binary representation of data
 propositional logic and Boolean algebra
 working confidently with online information sources
 data analysis and statistics
 intellectual property rights and open source
 online privacy and surveillance
 information security and cryptography
 simple website development (using Google Sites and simple HTML)
 multimedia creation and editing
These ideas are illustrated with discussions and activities concerning
 games
 social media
 virtual and augmented reality
 ubiquitous and ambient computing
 commoditisation of computing devices and services in the "cloud".
The material ranges out to cover online communities, in both their technical and social aspects,
socially and environmentally appropriate uses of information technology, and the digital divide both
within developed countries and between countries.
The module includes supplementary material on numeracy, information literacy, report writing, and
other study skills.
The material is presented with numerous examples and exercises that can be adapted for classroom
use. All the material is presented at the Open University's usual excellent standard.
The fee (£299 +VAT, including a Senseboard kit) covers electronic access to all the material via the
website, some printed material, and a SenseBoard kit. You'll also have access to interactive quizzes
on the website and some coursework descriptions. The fee doesn't include access to a tutor, any
tutor-marked assessment, or technical support. This version of the course carries no credit towards
any qualification. You will have access to peer-support and discussion forums via CAS.
Coverage of Programme of Study requirements
Key Stage 1
understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital
devices, and that programs execute by following a sequence of instructions
√
write and test simple programs
√
use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
√
organise, store, manipulate and retrieve data in a range of digital formats
√
communicate safely and respectfully online, keeping personal information private, and √
recognise common uses of information technology beyond school.
Key Stage 2
design and write programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or
simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
√
use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various
forms of input and output; generate appropriate inputs and predicted outputs to test
programs
√
use logical reasoning to explain how a simple algorithm works and to detect and
correct errors in algorithms and programs
√
understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple
services, such as the world-wide web; and the opportunities they offer for
communication and collaboration
√
describe how internet search engines find and store data; use search engines
effectively; be discerning in evaluating digital content; respect individuals and
intellectual property; use technology responsibly, securely and safely
√
select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range
of digital devices to accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing,
evaluating and presenting data and information.
√
Key Stage 3
design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour √
of real-world problems and physical systems
understand at least two key algorithms for each of sorting and searching; use logical
reasoning to evaluate the performance trade-offs of using alternative algorithms to
solve the same problem
Part
use two or more programming languages, one of which is textual, each used to solve a Part
variety of computational problems; use data structures such as tables or arrays; use
procedures to write modular programs; for each procedure, be able to explain how it
works and how to test it
understand simple Boolean logic (such as AND, OR and NOT) and its use in
determining which parts of a program are executed; use Boolean logic and wild-cards
in search or database queries; appreciate how search engine results are selected and
ranked
√
understand the hardware and software components that make up networked computer
systems, how they interact, and how they affect cost and performance; explain how
networks such as the internet work; understand how computers can monitor and
control physical systems
√
explain how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system
√
explain how data of various types can be represented and manipulated in the form of
binary digits including numbers, text, sounds and pictures, and be able to carry out
some such manipulations by hand
√
undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple
applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals,
including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
√
create, reuse, revise and repurpose digital information and content with attention to
design, intellectual property and audience.
√