CASE A / PARTICIPATION
Who gets to participate online?
Explore Australia’s social-media age restrictions, young people’s experiences and the role of digital literacy.
IB Digital Society SL • Student-led inquiry
One issue.
Seven lenses.
Your judgement.
Explore a current digital-society issue. Discover how concepts change what you notice—and command terms change what your answer must do.
2 × 70 minutesChoose 1 of 3 casesIndividual grade /20No presentation required
First five minutes
Set yourself up to succeed.
You can investigate with a partner or work independently. Either way, you submit your own five-part case file.
1
Open your own document
Use the workbook assigned by your teacher. No copy available? Copy the response template below into a new document.
Name it Surname_DS_Detective_A, B or C.
2
Choose one case
Pick A, B or C below. You need only that case’s two sources, not every article on this page.
Start with the suggested reading windows.
3
Follow the route
Use the Class 1 and Class 2 checkpoints. Practise together, then write and revise independently.
Save at the end of Class 1. Submit at the end of Class 2.
What gets graded? Only Q1–Q5: about 400–470 words in total, plus two source references. Concept questions, command practice, evidence notes and peer feedback are practice—not extra graded products. Word lengths are guides, not marks.
For this task, do not use AI to generate or rewrite your graded responses. Normal accessibility supports are welcome. Do not create accounts, upload identity documents, access personal feeds or disclose personal experiences. If an article is blocked, use its backup summary without a grade penalty.
Your choice
Which question pulls you in?
CASE B / LEARNING
Does AI help us learn—or just finish?
Explore AI suggestions for human tutors and the difference between task performance and learning.
CASE C / INFRASTRUCTURE
The cloud has a physical footprint.
Explore data-centre electricity use, digital services and the communities hosting their infrastructure.
Choose a case, then return to the Class 1 route. Your selection is not submitted or stored.
Class 1 / 5–17 minutes
Seven concepts. Seven different questions.
Read these cards. In your document, write one short question about your case for each concept. You are not answering all seven. Label a weak connection “uncertain” rather than forcing it.
Change
What changes, why, and for whom is this progress?
Book pp. 31–32 • PDF pp. 45–46
Expression
Whose ideas can be communicated, created or restricted?
Book pp. 33–34 • PDF pp. 47–48
Identity
How are people represented or labelled, and how do they control information about themselves?
Book pp. 35–36 • PDF pp. 49–50
Power
Who can influence decisions or control access? Who can challenge them?
Book pp. 37–38 • PDF pp. 51–52
Space
How do online environments connect to places, borders and access?
Book pp. 39–40 • PDF pp. 53–54
Systems
How do people, technologies and other connected parts affect one another?
Book pp. 41–43 • PDF pp. 55–57
Values and ethics
Which values conflict? What would make a decision fair or justified?
Start with book pp. 44 and 49 • PDF pp. 58 and 63
Later, go deeper—not wider. At minutes 47–60, choose two strong concepts and read their textbook sections if available. These reference cards are enough to start when the textbook is unavailable.
Concept ≠ content ≠ context.
Example: Power is a conceptual lens; AI is digital content; Human knowledge / education is a context. Privacy can be an issue explored through several concepts; it is not an eighth course concept. “Values and ethics” is ONE concept.
Example: Power is a conceptual lens; AI is digital content; Human knowledge / education is a context. Privacy can be an issue explored through several concepts; it is not an eighth course concept. “Values and ethics” is ONE concept.
Original student-friendly questions based on Bomfim et al., Digital Society (Hodder, 2022), pp. 28–49. Printed page numbers differ from PDF page positions by 14.
Revised guided practice • 10 minutes • Not graded
What is the question asking you to do?
A command term is the instruction word in a question. It tells you what to do with your knowledge. The command is always shown below: you are not guessing the command term.
Do these four steps: Read the scenario (1 minute). Study the four worked examples (4 minutes). Choose A or B for three practice questions (4 minutes). Write one takeaway (1 minute). Save your answers in your own document.
Step 1 / Read this once
One simple example: a music app
Pulse is a made-up music app. Listeners play songs; musicians upload them. Pulse records which songs a listener plays and skips. It uses these records to suggest music: styles the listener plays appear higher in the list, and styles they skip appear lower. A listener can also search for any available song instead of using the suggestions.
No app, account or research is needed. These are the given facts for the practice. The possible effects in the examples are reasoned inferences, not findings about a real service.
Step 2 / Read the examples—do not answer or copy them
Same situation. Four different instructions.
Read each question → worked answer → why it works. These are brief teaching examples, not complete IB examination responses.
IDENTIFY Name the requested items.
Textbook definition: Provide an answer from a number of possibilities.
Question: Identify two stakeholder groups involved with Pulse.
Worked answer
Listeners and musicians.
Why it works: It names two relevant groups. This question does not ask you to explain their roles.
EXPLAIN Show how or why.
Textbook definition: Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Question: Explain why Pulse’s suggestions might save a listener time when choosing music.
Worked answer
Pulse puts styles the listener has played higher in the list. Because these suggestions are already visible, the listener may need fewer searches to find music they enjoy.
Why it works: It shows how the feature could save time. “It saves time” alone names a benefit but does not explain it.
ANALYSE Break it down and connect the parts.
Textbook definition: Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure.
Question: Analyse how Pulse’s suggestions connect listeners’ choices with musicians’ exposure.
Worked answer
A listener’s plays and skips influence which songs appear high in the list. Those songs may attract more plays, giving their musicians more exposure. Musicians whose songs appear lower may receive less attention. The listener’s choices therefore affect both the music they encounter and which musicians reach them.
Why it works: It connects listener choices → order of songs → attention for musicians. It does not simply name two groups or list two effects.
EVALUATE Weigh strengths and limitations; reach a judgement.
Textbook definition: Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.
Question: Evaluate Pulse’s suggestions as a way for listeners to choose music.
Worked answer
Suggestions may save time by showing familiar styles first, but unfamiliar styles may be harder to notice. For a listener seeking convenience, the time saving is useful; for one seeking variety, the narrower selection matters more. Since manual search remains available, suggestions are useful as a starting point rather than the only way to choose music.
Why it works: It weighs a strength against a limitation using convenience and variety, then gives a supported judgement. A list of pros and cons would not finish the task.
Explain versus Analyse: Explanation develops how or why something happens. Analysis examines the relevant parts and their relationships. These can overlap. Follow the actual question—not the length of an answer or a “magic word”.
Step 3 / Your turn • Three quick checks
Which answer does what the question asks?
Read the question and answers A and B. Write your choice in your document first. Then open “Show the answer and why” to check. You are choosing an answer—not a command term.
Practice 1 / EXPLAIN
Explain why a musician’s songs might get less attention on Pulse.
Answer A
Some musicians get less attention. Pulse records plays and skips and shows listeners a list of songs.
Answer B
If a listener skips a style, Pulse puts similar songs lower in the list. These songs may be noticed less often, so their musicians may get less attention.
Write “Practice 1: A” or “Practice 1: B” in your document.
Show the answer and why
Answer B. It connects a cause (skipping a style), a mechanism (lower placement) and a possible effect (less attention). Answer A gives facts without explaining that link.
Practice 2 / ANALYSE
Analyse the relationship between listeners’ behaviour and musicians’ visibility on Pulse.
Answer A
Listener behaviour changes the order of suggestions. This affects which songs listeners notice, so some musicians may gain exposure while others become less visible. The ranking connects the two groups.
Answer B
Listeners choose music. Musicians upload songs. Some listeners enjoy the suggestions, and some musicians want more people to hear their work.
Write “Practice 2: A” or “Practice 2: B” in your document.
Show the answer and why
Answer A. It breaks the situation into behaviour, ranking and visibility and examines their relationship. Answer B mentions both groups but leaves their connection unexplored.
Practice 3 / EVALUATE
Evaluate using only Pulse’s suggestions to choose music.
Answer A
Suggestions can save time by placing familiar styles first. They can also make unfamiliar music less visible. Pulse lets users search for other songs.
Answer B
Suggestions can save time, but relying only on them may reduce variety. For a listener trying to discover different styles, that limitation outweighs convenience. Using suggestions alongside manual search better serves that listener’s goal.
Write “Practice 3: A” or “Practice 3: B” in your document.
Show the answer and why
Answer B. Both answers mention a strength and a limitation. B weighs their importance for a specific goal and reaches a justified judgement. A stops before that weighing.
Step 4 / One takeaway, then move on
Complete this in your own words.
“An explanation shows __________. An evaluation also needs __________.”
You should now have: three A/B choices and this one sentence in your document. Next, go to your chosen case’s two readings.
Already using an older workbook? Ignore its old A–F matching boxes. Write Practice 1, 2 and 3 plus your takeaway in that space. Keep all your other work.
Optional reference: Describe and Distinguish
DESCRIBE
Textbook definition: Give a detailed account.
Question: Describe how Pulse produces song suggestions.
Worked answer: Pulse records songs played and skipped. It uses these records to order a list of suggestions. Styles played appear higher and styles skipped appear lower.
Why it works: It gives an account of the process and its features.
DISTINGUISH
Textbook definition: Make clear the differences between two or more concepts or items.
Question: Distinguish between the roles of listeners and musicians on Pulse.
Worked answer: A listener selects and plays music, whereas a musician supplies music by uploading songs.
Why it works: It makes a direct difference between the roles clear. One person could hold both roles.
Definitions: Bomfim et al., Digital Society (Hodder, 2022), printed p. 373 / PDF p. 387. Plain-language labels, the scenario and examples are original teaching aids, not additional IB definitions or mark schemes. If interactive buttons are unavailable, the questions and expandable answers below remain a complete practice route.
Class 2 / Write your own explanation and evaluation • 5–15 minutes
Use the same Pulse scenario. Replace the weak answer “Pulse is useful” with your own responses to these two questions.
1. Explain why Pulse’s suggestions might be useful to a listener.
Write about two sentences. Name a benefit and show how a feature of Pulse could produce it.
2. Evaluate Pulse’s suggestions as a way for listeners to choose music.
Write about three or four sentences. Develop a strength and a limitation, weigh their importance for a stated goal, then give a justified judgement. A different judgement from the example is welcome when supported.
Write in “My explanation” and “My evaluation” in your workbook. Use your own words and the given scenario; do not invent statistics. This remains practice, not additional graded work.
Class 1 / 27–47 minutes
Two sources. More than one perspective.
Open your chosen case. Spend about six minutes on each reading window, then record one useful detail and one limitation from each source. Notice the publication date, the date of the evidence and the source’s purpose.
Evidence log: Source ID → useful fact or attributed claim in your own words → what it supports → what the source cannot establish. Your own inference is allowed; label it as an inference.
Case A / Who gets to participate online?
Q5 focus: Evaluate Australia’s decision to require age-restricted social-media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s holding accounts.
Content: networks and the internet; media; data. Contexts: social; political.
Age assurance means methods used to check or estimate a user’s age. This case concerns Australia, not a Canadian rule.
A1 / REGULATOR’S RESEARCH UPDATE
Early insights from eSafety’s comprehensive evaluation project ↗
Read: the opening findings, then the final paragraphs beginning “While the majority…” and “As the data…”. Skip the enforcement/legal detail.
Blocked link? Read the backup summary
eSafety’s July release reports data collected in March 2026, three months after Australia’s restrictions began. Reported under-16 account holding fell from 52.4% to 42.1%; platform use, including without accounts, fell from 85.9% to 81.5%. Some children reported connection difficulties; others reported benefits. eSafety says it is too early to judge whether the policy’s intended outcomes have been achieved.
Original paraphrase, not the full article or a direct quotation. Cite [A1 summary].
Watch the evidence: Early findings are not a final verdict. The account change is 10.3 percentage points, not 10.3%. This is not a legal finding of platform non-compliance.
A2 / RESEARCH-INFORMED OPINION
Restrictions Alone Won’t Keep Kids Safe Online. Here’s What Research Says Might ↗
Read: only the section headed “A tolerant, supportive parenting style helps build judgment”. Stop at the next heading.
Blocked link? Read the backup summary
Nyenhuis argues that restrictions should be accompanied by supportive relationships and digital literacy. He draws on research to support conversations in which young people question what they encounter online. Rules can play a role, but the article argues they are insufficient on their own. This is an opinion article, not an evaluation of Australia’s policy.
Original paraphrase, not the full article or a direct quotation. Cite [A2 summary].
Watch the evidence: Use this as a perspective on complementary approaches. Do not claim it proves that Australia’s restrictions have failed.
Does a fall in account ownership prove that young people are safer?
Whose opportunities to connect or express themselves might change?
What can an early study establish—and what remains unknown?
Case B / Does AI help us learn—or just finish?
Q5 focus: Evaluate the use of AI assistants such as Tutor CoPilot to support human tutors in school mathematics.
Content: artificial intelligence; algorithms and code; data. Contexts: human knowledge; social.
Tutor CoPilot suggests responses to a human tutor. The tutor can choose or edit them. In this case, AI supports a human; it does not replace the tutor.
B1 / RESEARCH NEWS SUMMARY
Research Notes: Two Emerging Strategies for Using AI in Tutoring ↗
Read: the introduction and the Tutor CoPilot section beginning “A second study…”. You do not need the separate LearnLM example.
Blocked link? Read the backup summary
This research summary describes Tutor CoPilot, which suggests responses that human tutors can choose or edit. In the reported study, students supported by tutors using it were four percentage points more likely to master mathematics topics. The largest gains occurred with lower-rated tutors. The result concerns a particular tutoring approach, not all AI tools or the removal of human teachers.
Original paraphrase, not the full article or a direct quotation. Cite [B1 summary].
Watch the evidence: This is a 2026 summary of earlier research, not a study conducted in February 2026. Topic mastery is not proof of lasting achievement in every classroom.
B2 / RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 ↗
Read: go to “Key messages”. Read the messages about task performance versus learning, pedagogical intent, and augmenting human teaching and tutoring.
Blocked link? Read the backup summary
The OECD distinguishes completing a task successfully with AI from learning to do it independently. Its report argues that educational purpose and design matter: some uses can support learning and human teaching, whereas outsourcing thinking to a general-purpose tool may not. It calls attention to preserving teachers’ agency rather than treating all AI use as equivalent.
Original paraphrase, not the full report or a direct quotation. Cite [B2 summary].
Watch the evidence: A broad synthesis helps judge conditions and risks; it does not directly measure Tutor CoPilot in your school.
Who decides what feedback the learner receives?
Is success on today’s task the same as independent learning tomorrow?
Would one result justify using every AI tool with every learner?
Case C / The cloud has a physical footprint
Q5 focus: Evaluate continued expansion of data centres in Ireland, considering benefits to digital-service users and implications for local communities.
Content: computing devices; networks and the internet; artificial intelligence. Contexts: environmental; economic.
A data centre houses computers that store and process data. “The cloud” still uses physical infrastructure. TWh means terawatt-hours, a unit of electrical energy.
C1 / OFFICIAL STATISTICS + INFOGRAPHIC
Data Centres Metered Electricity Consumption 2025 ↗
Read: study the infographic and its text transcript. Record the year, location, unit and what is being measured.
Blocked link? Read the backup summary
Ireland’s Central Statistics Office reports that data centres accounted for 23% of the country’s metered electricity consumption in 2025, compared with 22% in 2024 and 5% in 2015. The infographic also reports 18% for urban dwellings and 9% for rural dwellings in 2025. These figures cover all data centres, not AI alone.
Original paraphrase, not the full release or a direct quotation. Cite [C1 summary].
Watch the evidence: The release is from 2026, but the data are from 2025. Ireland is not the whole world; electricity is not all energy. Urban plus rural dwellings total 27%, not 18%.
C2 / ENERGY ANALYSIS + PROJECTIONS
Key Questions on Energy and AI — Executive summary ↗
Read: the updated electricity-demand outlook and the section on whether data centres raise electricity prices. Find the paragraph beginning “AI has the potential…” for possible energy-system benefits.
Blocked link? Read the backup summary
The IEA projects global data-centre electricity demand rising from about 485 TWh in 2025 to 950 TWh in 2030. It examines grid and supply pressures, while explaining that price effects depend on local conditions. AI could also help operate energy systems more efficiently. The future figures are projections, not measurements, and the global analysis is not specific to Ireland.
Original paraphrase, not the full report or a direct quotation. Cite [C2 summary].
Watch the evidence: Do not label all data-centre demand as AI demand. Potential grid benefits are not guaranteed, and a global projection does not predict a particular Irish community’s outcome.
Who benefits from a global digital service, and who hosts its infrastructure?
What does the infographic measure: all energy, electricity, or AI alone?
Which claims describe measured results, and which describe possible futures?
Reading pack prepared on 17 September 2026. School filters and later website changes can affect access. The summaries are original paraphrases, clearly separated from the textbook-based reference cards and from the full sources.
Keep this open
Your two-class route.
Times are minutes from the start of each class. Your substitute helps with access and timing; the instructions and thinking stay with you.
Class 1 / Investigate
0–5
Set up
Open your own document. Choose A, B or C and a partner, or work independently.
5–17
Seven-lens sprint
Read the concept cards. Write one short case-related question per concept. Do not answer all seven.
17–27
Learn the commands
Study four worked examples, choose A or B for three practice questions, and write one takeaway.
27–47
Investigate two sources
Read only your case’s two reading windows. Note a useful detail and a limitation for each.
47–60
Focus on two concepts
Choose two strong lenses. Read their textbook pages if available. Draft Q1 and Q2 independently.
60–67
Teach it back
Explain one lens in 60 seconds. Partner asks “Which detail supports that?” Switch roles. Solo: explain aloud quietly or self-question in writing.
67–70
Save a checkpoint
Record one uncertainty. Save your case, evidence and drafts. Show the substitute where your work is saved.
Class 2 / Build your case
0–5
Retrieve
Without checking, say how Explain differs from Evaluate. Then verify.
5–15
Write two practice answers
Use the actual questions in the Class 2 repair clinic. Explain a benefit of Pulse, then evaluate its suggestions.
15–50
Write independently
Finish Q1–Q5. Consult the sources and reference cards. Use both sources explicitly in Q5.
50–60
Peer audit
Check concept links, how/why, evidence and judgement. Suggest one change without writing for your partner. Solo: use the same checklist.
60–67
Revise
Make your most important improvement. Separate source claims from your own inferences.
67–70
Submit
Submit one individual document through the normal class channel. Keep your saved copy.
Finished early? Take a different case and explain in three sentences how changing one concept would change the investigation. Optional; no extra marks.
Your individual assessment
Five responses. Twenty marks.
Stay with the same case. You may reuse relevant evidence, but each answer must do the different thinking requested. You are not graded on graphic design or a slideshow.
Q1/2
Identify two stakeholders in your chosen case.
A stakeholder is a person, group or organisation that affects a decision or is affected by it. Give two precise names or groups. Avoid “everyone”.
1 mark for each relevant, distinct stakeholder.
Q2/4
Explain how two concepts help you understand your case.
About 80–100 words total. For each: “By [concept], I mean… In this case, [specific detail] reveals…”. Go beyond attaching a label.
For each concept: accurate meaning (1) + explained, specific case connection (1).
Q3/4
Explain one impact on one stakeholder.
About 60–80 words. Which feature of the digital system—or decision about its regulation—produces the effect? How? Why does it matter to this stakeholder? Add a source detail.
Accurate impact (1), mechanism (1), causal link to stakeholder (1), supporting source detail (1).
Q4/4
Analyse how one feature or decision connects impacts on two stakeholders.
About 90–110 words. Trace: feature/decision → impact on A → relationship with B. Show a trade-off, dependency or feedback—not two unrelated lists.
Feature/decision with source support (1), impact on A (1), impact on B (1), relationship between them (1).
Q5/6
Evaluate your case’s focus question.
Use the exact Q5 focus question printed in your Case A, B or C reading pack.
About 140–180 words. Use BOTH sources. Develop a strength and a limitation. Weigh them using a criterion such as safety, learning, fairness or sustainability. End with a justified, possibly conditional judgement.
Evidence-linked strength (0–2), evidence-linked limitation (0–2), weighing and justified judgement (0–2). For strength/limitation: 0 = missing or inaccurate; 1 = relevant but asserted or weakly evidenced; 2 = developed with source support. For judgement: 0 = missing/indefensible; 1 = limited weighing; 2 = a clear criterion, weighing and a justified conclusion with a condition or uncertainty. With only one source, strength and limitation are each capped at 1/2; judgement is assessed normally.
This /20 score is teacher-created classroom practice, not an official IB examination mark scheme or a conversion to an IB 1–7 grade. There are no separate marks for length, appearance, speed or partner participation.
Save / revise / submit
Your work belongs in your document.
This website is a guide and practice space. It does not collect or submit your answers. Paste the template into your own Google Doc or word-processing document and save there.
Use sources visibly. Put a short tag such as [A1] after a source-supported statement. Add the two sources’ titles, publishers, dates and URLs to your references. Label a backup summary [A1 summary]. Label your inference “This suggests…” rather than claiming the source proved it.
Before you submit
✓ All five responses are mine and answer the command used.
✓ I explain two accurate concept connections.
✓ My analysis connects two stakeholder impacts.
✓ My evaluation uses both sources and weighs significance.
✓ I distinguish source claims, projections and my own inferences.
✓ My document has a name, source references and a saved copy.
Submit at the end of Class 2 through the normal class submission channel. If the submission slot is unavailable, save your file and show the substitute. Do not assume clicking a website button has submitted it.
Teacher workbook master / access note
Open the Google Doc workbook master ↗. The teacher assigns a copy to each student; access to this master may be restricted. The copyable template above works without access to the master.
Keep the reasoning visible.
A useful paragraph route is Point → Evidence → Exploration → Link. “Exploration” is the textbook’s wording for developing how evidence supports a point (p. 377). A sentence starter supports your explanation; it does not replace it.
No textbook? Use the reference cards here. No articles? Use the backup summaries. If an older handout has the A–F matching task, use this revised Commands section instead. No partner? Self-question and self-audit using the same prompts.