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Digital Technology

Staff​

Head of Department

Mr John Maguire

Subject Teacher

Mrs S Masson

Mrs S O'Neill

Mr B Regan

Mr G Donnelly

Miss C Lawn

Subject Information

Digital Technology/ICT is one of the most important subjects to be delivered in schools. Technology has changed the ways in which we learn, communicate, enjoy leisure time and live our lives. Our aim within the Digital Technology/ICT department is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to enable them to participate in todays' technology driven society.

Due to the dynamic nature of the subject, the department are constantly modifying and enhancing the curriculum in order to ensure that our students are studying a curriculum that is suitable for 21st century learning. Digital Technology/ICT department at St Michael's aims to provide students with skills they can take forward with them into the future and to develop confidence in the use of ICT.

Digital Technology/ICT is taught as a separate subject within the curriculum and is also used extensively as a tool within other subject areas.

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GCSE

Overview

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This qualification is available as:

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– a digital authoring qualification focusing on multimedia, GCSE Digital Technology (Multimedia); 

  • All students study Unit 1: Digital Technology. 

  • The content relates directly to current software development trends and the study of modern technology based systems.

  • The specification develops practical skills using a range of generic software.

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Specification Summary

This specification aims to encourage students to:

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  • acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of digital technology in a range of contexts;

  • acquire creative and technical digital technology skills and apply these in a range of contexts;

  • develop and evaluate digital technology based solutions to solve problems;

  • develop their understanding of current and emerging technologies and the social and commercial impact of these technologies;

  • develop their understanding of the legal, social, economic, ethical and environmental impact of digital technology;

  • recognise potential risks

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A Level

- Examing Board: CCEA

  Find the Draft specification here.

Students who are enthusiastic about Technology related matters in general and particularly those who are interested in the application of digital platforms in the real world should study Digital Technology. Students will gain an understanding of the system development process and an awareness of a range of technologies and an appreciation of the potential impact these may have on individuals, organisations and society. They will participate in developing an application while adhering to the system development process and develop an understanding of the consequences of using digital technology on individuals, organisations and society, and of social, legal, ethical and other considerations of using digital technology. Students will have the opportunity to apply their skills to relevant work-related scenarios and carry out research and development, and present their findings in different formats. Students will also be given the chance to demonstrate that they understand and can apply key concepts through challenging internal and external assessments. It is of huge importance that students are self-motivated and possess good problem solving skills and are particularly good at Maths and Physics.

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Qualification & Specification Details

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The full advanced GCE A Level award is based on students' marks from the AS (40%) and the A2 (60%)

Career Note

Although the study of A level Digital Technology is not considered absolutely necessary for university entry onto a computing related course it is a clear advantage for those who have done so. In terms of careers after A level studies, the skills students will develop on this course will stand them in good stead in many careers that use computing applications. With a specific emphasis in the job market emerging on the ability to write code for software packages this subject can be a great start to a students’ future career prospects, not solely in computing but also across many organisations that wish to develop their own software to meet their particular needs and who need people with this ability. The packages the school use are industry standard and the skills they develop are completely transferable. 


For specific careers in computing this subject is not essential but does give a student a big advantage. Areas include software engineering, hardware engineering, web design, systems analysis, technical management, information management. For students pursuing this area to degree standard a BSc Computing Science degree is recommended by those in industry. This area is suffering from a lack of qualified professionals and jobs are available. There is a premium placed on these skills in the current job market.

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