Error detection and correction
The world is a complicated and imperfect place, and errors can occur when digital information is stored or transmitted. Data stored on digital devices can be changed if there is a tiny fault in the hardware (and these occur regularly); and data being transmitted over networks can be messed up if there's a problem with the connection (which is bound to happen at some stage). This unit and lessons explores how digital devices detect and correct errors in data, and why sometimes computers can detect errors, but don’t have enough information to correct them.
What's it all about?
See teaching this in action
The world is a complicated and imperfect place, and errors can occur whenever information is stored or transmitted. Data stored on hard disks, DVDs and flash memory can be changed if there is a tiny fault in the device (and these occur regularly!). Information received over networks can be corrupted if there's interference on the line or a faulty component in the system. Even scanning information from barcodes and QR codes is a form of information transmission, and small errors such as dirt or scratches on the code can change the information. Yet we rely on data so much that there could be serious implications from even a single digit error in a student's grade, or a small change to a payment, or an incorrect reading in a medical scan. Error detection techniques add extra information to data to determine when errors have occurred. The …
Lessons
| Ages 5 to 7 | Programming challenges | |
|---|---|---|
| In the teacher observations sections there may also be background notes on the big picture. There is no expectation that 5 to 7 year olds will need to know this, but if you are asked, you have the answer at your fingertips. | ||
| 1 | Parity magic | No |
| Ages 8 to 10 | Programming challenges | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parity magic | Yes |
| 2 | Product code check digits | Yes |
Curriculum Integrations
| Activity | Curriculum Areas | Prerequisite Lessons? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick card flip magic | Mathematics: Numeracy | Yes |
| What if? | Literacy: Writing | Yes |
| Biographies and error control history | Literacy: Writing | No |
| Instructional writing | Literacy: Writing | Yes |
| Word study activity | Literacy: Word Study | Yes |
