From tools to computers
Technology includes simple tools as well as sophisticated digital systems. Improvements in materials, manufacturing, electricity and communications gradually created the foundations for modern computers and networks. Many technologies that now seem ordinary are the result of decades of incremental development rather than a single invention.
How computers represent information
Digital computers work with information represented using binary values. Software provides instructions for processing that information, while hardware supplies the physical components that perform the work. Modern devices combine processors, memory, storage, sensors and communication hardware into compact systems.
The internet and the web
The internet is a network of interconnected networks that allows devices to exchange data. The World Wide Web is one service that operates over the internet, using technologies such as web browsers, servers, URLs and HTTP. Keeping those ideas separate helps explain how websites and online services fit together.
Technology changes how we learn
Digital tools make it possible to practise skills, search reference material and receive immediate feedback. A quiz can be useful when it combines recall with explanations, because the learner can identify gaps and then investigate the underlying idea.