Overview
The IB Diploma Programme (DP) information technology in a global society (ITGS) course is the study and evaluation of the impact of information technology (IT) on individuals and society. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the access and use of digitized information at the local and global level. ITGS provides a framework for the student to make informed judgments and decisions about the use of IT within contemporary social contexts.

ITGS shares methods of critical investigation and analysis with other Group 3 subjects. It also shares a concern with social and ethical issues common to subjects in Group 3. ITGS offers an opportunity for systematic study of a range of technological, social and ethical issues which fall outside the scope of any single discipline.

The online ITGS course is designed to mirror the traditional course. Because class members are likely to be spread around the world, course discussions will have an international dimension which underlines the importance of the ‘G’ in ITGS.

DP ITGS does not require any prior learning, although it will be advantageous for students if they have followed the Middle Years Programme (MYP), are familiar with the design cycle and have had hands-on experience of a wide range of different applications.

Aims of the ITGS SL and HL courses

In addition to the broader aims shared with all Group 3 subjects, the specific aims of the ITGS course at both Standard- and Higher Level are to:

• enable the student to evaluate social and ethical considerations arising from the widespread use of IT by individuals, families, communities, organizations and societies at the local and global level
• develop the student’s understanding of the capabilities of current and emerging IT systems and ability to evaluate their impact on a range of stakeholders
• enable students to apply their knowledge of existing IT systems to various scenarios and to make informed judgments about the effects of IT developments on these scenarios.
• encourage students to use their knowledge of IT systems and practical IT skills to justify IT solutions for a specified client or end-user.

Differences between ITGS SL and HL

The Standard Level (SL) course is a subset of the Higher Level (HL) course.

The HL course in ITGS differs from the SL course in ITGS as follows.

• The HL course has 240 hours devoted to teaching, compared with 150 hours for the SL course.
• HL students study two extension topics:
  - IT systems in organizations
  - robotics, artificial intelligence and expert systems.
• The HL course has an additional externally assessed component that comprises a pre-seen case study based on a fictitious organization; this allows students to research various aspects of the subject, which may include new technical concepts and additional subject content, in greater depth.

Syllabus outline

At either level (SL or HL) the ITGS course consists of three interconnected strands that reflect the integrated nature of the course.

Strand 1: Social and ethical significance – consisting of twelve social/ethical considerations:

• Reliability and integrity, security, privacy and anonymity, authenticity, intellectual property, the digital divide and equality of access, surveillance, globalization and cultural diversity, policies, standards, people and machines, digital citizenship

Strand 2: Application to specified scenarios – based on six themes:

• Business and employment, education and training, environment, health, home and leisure, politics and government

Strand 3: IT systems – consisting of nine SL/HL core topics and two HL extension topics

• Hardware, software, networks, Internet, personal and public communications, multimedia/digital media, databases, spreadsheets, modelling and simulations, introduction to project management (SL), IT systems in organizations, robotics, artificial intelligence and expert systems (HL extension)

Assessment outline

Key information

• The first examinations for the online SL and HL courses will be May 2012
• Paper 2 and the internal assessment are common to both levels.
• Section A in HL paper 1 consists of three questions from SL paper 1.

SL Assessment outline

• Paper 1 consists of five structured questions that assess in an integrated way the three strands of the syllabus. Students must answer three questions. The exam lasts for 105 minutes and its weighting is 40%
• Paper 2 consists of one unseen article. Students are required to write a response to this article. The exam lasts for 75 minutes and its weighting is 30%. This component is common with higher level.
• The project consists of a cover page using prescribed format, an original IT product and documentation supporting the product (word limit 2,000 words). Thirty hours are allocated to complete the project, which has a weighting of 30%. This component is common with higher level.

HL Assessment outline

• Paper 1 consists of seven structured questions in three sections that assess in an integrated way the three strands of the syllabus. Students must answer four questions. The exam lasts for 135 minutes and its weighting is 35%
• Paper 2 consists of one unseen article. Students are required to write a response to this article. The exam lasts for 75 minutes and its weighting is 20%. This component is common with standard level.
• Paper 3 consists of four questions based on a pre-seen case study. The exam lasts for 75 minutes and its weighting is 25%
• The internally assessed project consists of a cover page using prescribed format, an original IT product and documentation supporting the product (word limit 2,000 words). Thirty hours are allocated to complete the project, which has a weighting of 30%. This component is common with standard level.

Prior knowledge

ITGS SL and HL do not require any prior learning, although it will be advantageous for students if they have followed the Middle Years Programme (MYP), are familiar with the design cycle and have had hands on experience of a wide range of different applications.