Digital Technologies Junior Job Kit

with STEM™ CAREERS JUNIOR JOB KIT

Digital Technologies

Fun activities, career stories and real-world tech!

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: Creating a better world

Why study digital technologies? Because they're changing the world!

Australian engineer Mat Bowtell makes and gives away 3D-printed body parts to people who need them. Read more

Mick Ebeling, founder of Not Impossible Labs, made South Sudan's first 3D-printed prosthetics lab. Look Inside.™: Mick Ebeling | Intel

Read more: Project: Daniel | Not Impossible Labs

Did you know?

Amsterdam is home to the world's first 3D-printed steel bridge.

Digital tech is more than just coding: it helps us connect, lets us learn about our own and other cultures and can make the world a better place!

The magic of 3D printing

• Artificial limbs from 3D printing

• Helping people with disabilities

• Saving money

Have you ever used a 3D printer at school? First, you create a design using a digital design program such as Tinkercad. Then, the 3D printer makes your design come to life. It’s like magic, but it’s actually technology!

The 3D printer works by creating many layers of a material such as plastic. One great use of 3D printing is making artificial limbs for people who have lost an arm or leg. These limbs are light, cheap and made to fit each person.

But that’s not the only use of 3D printing. This technology can also be used to build cheaper homes and special medical equipment that’s made just for you. There are also many other ways technology is used in health and medicine. This can be as simple as a fitness tracker or as complex as using artificial intelligence (AI) to check medical images for signs of disease.

Digital tech can help preserve First Nations languages. For example, First Languages Australia made a digital map called ‘Gambay’, which displays and showcases more than 780 First Nations languages. Have a look here

Sharing culture

• First Nations Australian languages

• Digital storytelling

• Sharing cultures

Digital tech is a great tool for sharing and learning about First Nations Peoples and their cultures. With digital storytelling tools, we can learn about the world’s oldest continuing cultures and their stories. For example, a school in rural South Australia used a little humanoid robot called Pink to teach students and teachers about the culture and language of the local Narungga people. Not only did the students get to connect with Country and Place – they learnt how to code at the same time!

The future of work

• More jobs

• New skills

• Remote work

The way we work is changing and digital tech is leading the way! With digital skills, you could get a job in many exciting areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence and data analysis. Plus, thanks to digital tech, you could work remotely as part of a team of people from around the world.

Connections and

caring

• Connecting online

• Virtual reality

• Safe spaces

The Empathy Museum uses tech such as virtual reality (VR) to help you see life through another person's eyes. For example, from the perspective of a refugee or a person with a disability. Look here

Watch Mikaela Jade’s story of creating a business that uses augmented reality (AR) to connect people with Country and tell stories from one of the world’s oldest continuing cultures. Watch here

Digital tech helps us understand and connect with others. For example, virtual reality can make us feel like we are in different places. This can help us see life from someone else’s viewpoint and lets us understand and care for each other better. Digital tech also helps us create safe online spaces. In these spaces, people can connect, share their stories and support each other.

Did you know? By 2027, about 2.6 billion people are expected to be using AR and VR. *Statista

Watch Pink, the humanoid robot, in action at the Maitland Lutheran School. Click here

Let’s get sustainable!

Digital technologies are some of the best tools we have to build a brighter future for everyone on Earth

One of the amazing things about digital technologies is they can make our world more sustainable. Did you know that tech and data can help us combat climate change through renewable energies like solar power, hydro and wind energy? We can also use digital technologies to track how fast forests are disappearing, preserve Indigenous knowledge and stories about Country, and create smarter, cleaner cities (think: self-watering gardens and parks).

As for dream jobs? You could become a software engineer and create a recycling app, a data scientist who helps save endangered species or you could rescue animals from bushfires as a drone pilot!

Love gaming? Help protect the Great Barrier Reef by playing a mobile game called KATOA: Grow & Nurture Oceans!

Autonomous (or self-driving) cars could soon be everywhere, making travel safer by reducing accidents. See an autonomous car in action here

Digital technologies like smart cameras and GPS are being used to make beaches in Manly and Lake Macquarie safer for everyone.

Virtual park ranger City Planner

Name: Dr Soheil Sabri

Industry: Technology and urban planning

Cool tech used: Digital twins, maps and computer data

Skills: Planning, using computers and maps, teamwork, problem solving

Dr Soheil Sabri uses tech to make cities nicer places to live. Right now, he’s working on ‘digital twins’, which are like mini cities inside a computer! These virtual models can help us make choices, like where to build a bus stop or building, that have a minimal impact on the planet and people.

Name: Mikaela Jade Industry: Education

Cool tech used: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality headsets, 3D software Skills: Maths, design, coding, problem solving, programming

Mikaela, a Cabrogal woman, was a park ranger, until she realised she could use technology to share First Nations culture and Country with the world. She does this using virtual reality headsets and augmented reality, a technology that helps you see a computer- generated image over the top of a real-world place, like in Pokemon GO.

Things to do...

Design a ‘smart park’

You might have heard of smart cities and smart houses. Read through the list below. What digital technologies might be used in a park?

 Sensors

 AI

Cameras

Data

Internet of Things  Drones

Robots

Learn how to create a smart garden device to monitor the health of your plants, measuring temperature and wiring up a simple soil moisture sensor. This activity on the Digital Technologies Hub uses BBC micro:bit and Blockly Click here!

The Smart Gardens project in Singapore uses digital technologies to save energy, improve security, keep plants watered and soil healthy! Read more here

Design a wearable

Smart devices can include things like fitness trackers that monitor heart rate and track distance and location. Your task is to invent a wearable device that could track information that can help us understand more about the way people use our cities. Use the following questions to design your device:

i. What is the device?

ii. What does it measure?

iii. Why might we need this information?

iv. Show your device to a friend, relative or teacher. Can they suggest a way in which it could be improved?

[answer: all of the above!]

Happyhealthyand

Digital technologies can be used to help our minds and bodies in so many ways!

See how VR technologies in healthcare work at the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments at the University of South Australia. Watch it here

Tjuntjuntjara is an Aboriginal community 650 km north east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was cut off from its usual fly-in, fly-out medical staff. Telehealth and digital health technologies allowed the local health service to continue providing care.

Heart hero

Name: Dr Clara Chow

Industry: Health and medical

Cool tech used: Artificial intelligence and wearable sensors to help patients in their homes

Skills: Researching, data analysis, working with software engineers

Dr Clara Chow is a cardiologist. Right now, she’s working on an app that sends personalised health advice to people's smartphones based on data it collects from wearable sensors that record things like activity levels, blood pressure and heart rate.

When you go to the doctor, you probably don’t think about all the incredible tech being used to keep you healthy. But there are so many cool examples!

Virtual reality (VR) allows medical professionals to look inside bodies so they can make better decisions about treatments and care. VR can also be used to help kids who feel nervous about medical procedures and operations.

Telehealth is another great digital technology. It allows doctors, specialists and other healthcare workers to provide care via phone or video – handy if you live remotely or can’t leave home! Artificial intelligence (AI) could soon take telehealth to the next level; researchers are using AI to get better information from patients so they can help them recover faster after surgery and track their progress.

Then, there are smart devices, such as fitness watches and even smart toilets, that are equipped with sensors and other tech so they can share information and monitor people’s health.

VR pro

Name: Daniel Paull

Industry: Technology and healthcare

Cool tech used: Virtual reality (VR), computer graphics, simulation technology

Skills: Programming, computer graphics, problem solving, teamwork

Daniel Paull is a software engineer who builds special VR games to help doctors and students learn new skills and prepare for tricky operations. His big goal? To help doctors make fewer mistakes and save more lives.

Things to do...

Data and you

Digital technologies can help our health in many ways, but it’s important to consider where our data goes, who can access it and who should own our data. In the table below, list the types of data that could be created by each digital technology and think about who might need to own or have access to this data. We’ve done the first one for you.

Digital technology / service

Visit to a hospital

A smart watch

A telehealth call

An X-ray

Data created

Who should or does have access?

Your name and the type of injury you had The hospital, your doctor, your parents

Listen to this video on First Nations Australians' data sovereignty here

What do you think ‘deficit narrative’ means?

Virtually better

In this image, radiation therapy student Natalie Peck is using VR to position a dummy correctly for radiation therapy.

What are three ways VR is used in medicine?

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

Imagine a story about someone who lives in a remote area, on a spaceship or even on another planet. How do they get medical help? Who helps them and what technologies do they use? Draw a picture of the system they use to get medical help. Label the technologies included and describe what they do. You could even use an AI image generator to create your picture using text and filter (try this one in Canva)!

thisOuttaworld!

Technology doesn’t just work here on Earth, it helps so many things on our planet be more sustainable… all the way from space

Have you ever heard of NASA? Well, Australia has its own space centre: The Australian Space Agency. It builds space tech that helps monitor weather and events like bushfires and floods so emergency workers can see what’s happening before it gets too bad. Space peeps connect tech that helps farmers know when to plant crops and monitor livestock, and which helps mining companies dig for resources in more sustainable ways.

Other techologies like space stations and satellite dishes keep our internet secure, facilitate internet banking and allow Google Maps to find you the most eco-friendly route. And, of course, there’s the Wi-Fi that lets you learn about STEM from basically anywhere!

Super cool space jobs

You might not be ready to fly to Mars but there are heaps of great jobs you can explore (as well as being an astronaut!). Tick which careers you might be interested in.

 Space researcher

 Robotics engineer

 Cyber security specialist

 Satellite engineer

 Data analyst

 Agricultural consultant

 Environmental engineer

 Space scientist

ePaddocks is a mission by CSIRO to use artificial intelligence and satellites to map every paddock across the Australian grain region, making it easier for farmers to use other digital services.

Victorian forest and wildlife officers used drone and infrared technology to search for koalas affected by the bushfires of 2020. Read more here

career snapshots

Name: Jaslyn Gray

Industry: Aerospace

Cool tech used: Robotics, simulation, sensors, projectiles

Skills: Researching, programming, data analysis, problem solving, working with scientists, engineers and tech experts

Tech detective

Name: Alisha Child

Industry: Space technology

Cool Tech Used: Computers, Internet of Things

(IoT), satellite technology

Skills: Data analytics, coding, problem solving

Alisha is a data engineer at Myriota, an Australian company that helps machines all over the world talk to each other via satellite. Think of a wind turbine in the ocean sending updates about how it's doing. Alisha uses her maths and coding skills to understand its messages so people can find out if the machine needs fixing!

When she was a child, Jaslyn loved shows like Star Wars and was fascinated by spacecraft, robotics and technology. Now, she's helping the Air Force to measure damage to air and space vehicles and structures.

Space star

Things to do...

manage land

You’ve been tasked to be a conservation detective for the Nari Nari Tribal Council. These traditional custodians are using modern and traditional techniques to monitor and improve wildlife conservation, water use and food production. Gayini is a vast 88,000 hectare property owned and managed by the Nari Nari Tribal Council. Together with non-profit organisation The Nature Conservancy and tech company Nearmap, they're using traditional land practices and technology to better manage this important wildlife area that’s part of the Murray Darling Basin. Research a land management plan that uses digital technologies to help the council manage this area. Create a presentation to share with your class.

Your questions might include:

1. Where is Gayini and how much land does it cover?

2. What wildlife is in the area?

3. What traditional or other crop foods are grown here?

4. Who looks after the land?

5. Who might be interested in a land management plan?

6. What types of data can help with land management? For example, animal populations, water and land maps, maps including data such as temperature or forest cover, the number of people in the area.

7. What different technologies can help you gather this information?

8. Describe one technology that can help with conservation, and how the data can help people to understand and improve these lands.

Research tools:

• New Aerial Technology Tackles the Impacts of Climate Change | Nearmap AU

• Exploring Gayini - Nari Nari Country

• Eyes on Nature: How Satellite Imagery Is Transforming Conservation Science - Yale E360

• Gayini - Nari Nari Country - ILSC

• 5 planet-saving careers using AI + data

The digital difference

Match your tech skills with one of the areas below to discover your dream job

Tech helps all parts of our world, from your neighbourhood to communities and countries on the other side of the world. Here are some of the ways in which technology is being used across all parts of society, and the careers that bring this tech to life.

Health

Apps like Doctors on Demand mean seeing a doctor is easier to do from anywhere, even remote locations, so people don’t miss out on treatment and care. Job: app developer

Ethics

Using artificial intelligence and virtual reality, tech like Brainbox uses the law to help companies figure out if the systems and software they are using is legal and ethical (the right thing to do), and makes sure data is being used safely.

Job: policy lawyer

Fashion

Wearable tech – like smart rings and watches – means people can monitor their body and make sure organs like the heart are healthy and strong. Job: software designer

Sustainability

Tracking your carbon footprint with apps like Greener can help people make better choices by showing the impact that small actions – like what you buy at the shops – can have on the planet. Job: environmental engineer

Game breaker

Name: Rachel Hempenstall

Industry: Technology / QA tester

Cool tech used: Automation scripts like JavaScript and Python, gaming consoles, VR headsets, 3D software

Skills: Design, coding, problem solving, programming, attention to detail, writing 'bug' reports

Rachel gets paid to play computer games and try to break them. She's a QA (quality assurance) tester which means she checks that games do what they say they’ll do, that the graphics all work and that the user experience (UX) is the best it can be before games reach your Xbox or PS5. She even used her gaming know-how to help invent a training tool for helicopters using VR. Rachel hopes that one day she’ll be able to move into the animation side of game design.

Culture

Goanna Group create tech learning and education so First Nations communities can have access to jobs in the digital world.

Job: STEM educator

Fresh water (Poverty)

From reducing food waste to helping poor countries get access to clean water with things like fog catching nets, solar pumps and inventions like WaterSeer, tech is turning the tables for the better in the places that need it most.

Job: digital technician

Things to do...

User testing

To create great digital technologies, we need to make sure they work for the audience they’re meant for. Your task is to research a game that can help people understand what it’s like to have a disability that affects your mobility.

Step 1: On sticky notes or a shared board like Padlet, write down everything you can think of about this topic.

Step 2: Share this with a friend and ask them to add to it.

Step 3: Using your brainstormed ideas, plus your own research, decide on some questions you need to ask or problems you need to solve.

Step 4: Design some questions for the people who might use your game.

• Create a presentation for game developers that summarises the information you have learned so far.

• Investigate the user interface section of the Digital Technologies Hub. What activities might help you in the next steps of designing your game?

Career planner

Your name:

Your favourite activity in this job kit:

Your favourite career role model:

Which of the topics did you like best: Sustainability

Health & Medical Space & Conservation

STEM educator

Urban planner

Founder

Telehealth doctor

Space scientist

Radiation therapist

Environmental engineer

VR creator

Conservationist

Career ideas: circle your favourite! Engineer

Agricultural consultant

Software engineer

Wearables designer

Smart garden designer

Computer systems and network manager

Digital health provider

Digital language interpreter

App developer

Data analyst

Robotics engineer

Cyber security specialist

Satellite engineer

My next steps:

Data scientist

Space researcher

Choose one of the following ways to help you reach your career goal:

• Study digital technologies in high school

• Join a code club

• Watch YouTube videos on gaming, coding or design

• Play around with Scratch

• Explore cool digital artwork on OpenProcessing

• Read about careers on CareerswithSTEM.com

• Talk to my parents about technology and how it's used