Applied Design, Skills and Technologies

In 2016, British Columbia launched a new  Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies curriculum which it describes as “an experiential, hands-on program of learning through design and creation that includes skills and concepts from traditional and First Peoples practice; from the existing disciplines of Business Education, Home Economics and Culinary Arts, Information and Communication Technology, and Technology Education; and from new and emerging fields.  It fosters the development of the skills and knowledge that will support students in developing practical, creative, and innovative responses to everyday needs and challenges.”

The Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) curriculum is structured around the design process, focusing on the ability to design, make, and apply skills and technologies, and involves stages that may leverage digital resources for ideation, prototyping, testing, and collaboration. Digital media literacy is underscored in the curriculum’s emphasis on Information and Communications Technology as a key discipline and integrated into the competencies related to applied technologies.

Select a grade level under Applied Design, Skills and Technologies for a list of digital literacy-related outcomes and links to supporting resources from the MediaSmarts site. (Note: as many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade. Teachers should also note that individual lessons often satisfy a number of learning outcomes.)