Information technology - programme subject in programmes for Specialization in General Studies (INF1-01)

Information technology has had great significance for developments in society the last few decades. Technology has changed society's patterns and modes of communication in a very short time and created new jobs as well as new arenas for learning and research. Society needs people who understand, utilize and can further develop information technology, but it also needs people with an awareness of and critical attitude to the way technology affects human beings and society. Information technology establishes the opportunity for creating entirely new products and services through creativity and cooperation across professional borders, thus contributing to technological innovation.

The programme subject shall give training in creative thinking, problem-solving, as well as help formulate precise descriptions and discover common patterns. The programme subject shall help pupils gain insight into how automated information – in the form of numbers, texts, graphics, film, sound and animations – can be structured and managed in the form of data, and gain insight into the demands established for computer performance and performance with other digital equipment. In this programme subject, pupils shall gain experience in the use of modern technology and relevant developmental tools, and how the merging of computing, sound and image technology can enable the creative use of the technology itself.

The subject emphasizes the creation and construction of solutions within information technology, and for this reason information technology in many ways is a discipline that focuses on practical work. The programme subject shall arrange for communication and cooperation. The programme subject Information technology is based in natural sciences and mathematics, but it also has direct connections to the fields of Media, Social Sciences, Economics, Languages and Arts, Crafts and Design. The programme subject can therefore give a good basis for studies in many subject areas and for further development of competences and expertise in working life.