This content is located in CAPS under Network Technologies: Networks for Grade 11.

File sharing is a significant topic in understanding how networks operate, offering insights into collaboration, data transfer, and the underlying technologies that support these functions. By making this concept interactive and accessible, you can inspire Grade 11 students to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world applications.

Contextualising File Sharing

File sharing allows users to transfer files like documents, images, and videos across a network, whether via direct peer-to-peer (P2P) connections, cloud-based platforms, or shared drives. Students encounter these technologies in their daily lives, such as through Google Drive or media sharing services.

Here are practical ways to bring this topic alive in the classroom:

Interactive Demonstration: Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

• Setup: Use laptops or desktops connected to the same LAN (Local Area Network). Install a P2P sharing application like ShareDrop or simulate P2P using shared folders.
• Activity: Assign students to transfer small files (e.g., text or image files) between devices.
• Purpose: Highlight how P2P eliminates the need for central servers, making the sharing process direct.
• Discussion Points: Discuss the advantages (speed, simplicity) and challenges (security, copyright issues) of P2P sharing.

Cloud Platforms in Action

• Tools Needed: Free accounts on platforms like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox.
• Activity: Create a shared folder where students upload files related to a group project. Assign roles: one student uploads, another downloads, and others collaborate in real time.
• Purpose: Teach the significance of cloud storage for accessibility, version control, and remote collaboration.
• Discussion Points: Compare cloud sharing with traditional methods, focusing on advantages like accessibility and disadvantages like dependency on the internet.

Exploring File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

• Setup: Use an FTP client such as FileZilla to demonstrate file transfer to and from an FTP server. Pre-configure the server with demo files.
• Activity: Guide students in uploading and downloading files via FTP.
• Purpose: Explain how FTP is used in professional environments for bulk data transfers.
• Discussion Points: Highlight security measures like encrypted protocols (e.g., SFTP) and contrast FTP with modern file-sharing solutions.

Real-Life Scenario: Data Sharing Ethics

• Scenario Roleplay: Present a situation where someone shares copyrighted music or sensitive information. Let groups discuss the legal, ethical, and security implications.
• Purpose: Foster critical thinking about safe and responsible sharing practices.
• Discussion Points: Discuss the role of permissions, intellectual property laws, and consequences of sharing harmful content.

Practical Security Awareness

• Setup: Provide a list of secure file-sharing practices, including the use of encryption, strong passwords, and secure links.
• Activity: Challenge students to identify potential security risks in hypothetical file-sharing setups and suggest mitigation strategies.
• Purpose: Raise awareness about file-sharing vulnerabilities, such as eavesdropping or malware distribution.
• Discussion Points: Explore encryption technologies and why security is a critical consideration.

Incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Remembering: Define key terms like “file sharing,” “P2P networks,” and “FTP.”
• Understanding: Illustrate the workflow of file-sharing mechanisms.
• Applying: Use file-sharing tools to complete group activities.
• Analyzing: Compare and contrast different methods (e.g., FTP vs cloud sharing).
• Evaluating: Debate the merits and drawbacks of various platforms.
• Creating: Design a secure file-sharing protocol for a fictional organisation.

End your session by inviting students to reflect on their personal experiences with file sharing. They can discuss how this knowledge can be applied safely in their future careers or academic projects.