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D1.2 · Identify practices that reduce computing impacts

Learn to identify practices that reduce computing impacts through clear examples and targeted practice.

Ontario Grade 11 Computer Science

Topics in Computer Science

ICS3U study topic D1.2: Identify practices that reduce computing impacts

Computing has benefits, but making, using, and disposing of devices can also have impacts. A laptop, for example, requires materials and energy; its use may involve electricity and printing; and eventually it may become unwanted equipment. D1.2 asks you to identify practices that reduce computing impacts. The goal is not to claim that one choice removes every impact. It is to recognize practical steps that can reduce avoidable waste, energy use, or harm to people. This lesson focuses on everyday choices at school and at home.

What you will learn

Describe ways computing devices and services can affect people and the environment.
Identify practical choices that can reduce some of those impacts.
Compare choices by considering the device’s use, lifespan, and end-of-life handling.

1. Think through a device’s life

A useful way to reason about computing impacts is to consider three stages: getting a device, using it, and dealing with it when it is no longer needed. This is a simple organizing model, not a calculation. It helps prevent a narrow answer that considers only electricity while ignoring discarded equipment or the people affected by technology.

At the getting-a-device stage, producing equipment uses materials and other resources. A practice that can reduce demand for replacement equipment is to take care of a device and keep using it while it still meets the user’s needs. If a device is broken, checking whether it can be safely repaired may be a reasonable alternative to replacing it immediately. Reuse is another option: a working device that is no longer needed by one person may still be useful to someone else, if it can be transferred safely and appropriately.

During use, devices need electricity. Turning off equipment when it will not be used for a long time, or using an available sleep setting during a shorter break, can avoid some unnecessary power use. Printing only when a paper copy is needed can also reduce paper and supply use. These are practical choices, not guarantees of a specific amount of savings; the result depends on the device and situation.

Consider getting, using, and end-of-life handling.
Care, repair, and reuse can help avoid unnecessary replacement.
Avoid unnecessary electricity use and printing.

2. Handle unwanted devices responsibly

A device that is no longer wanted should not automatically be treated like ordinary household garbage. Electronics can contain materials that need appropriate handling, and a device may also contain personal information. Where possible, first determine whether it can be reused or repaired. If it cannot be used again, look for an appropriate electronics collection or recycling program in your community.

Before passing on or recycling a device, follow the organization’s instructions for protecting personal information. For example, remove accounts and personal files using the device maker’s or program’s guidance. Do not assume that deleting one visible file removes every personal detail. If you are unsure, ask a responsible adult or the collection organization for help.

These choices address different concerns. Reuse may extend a device’s useful life; a suitable recycling route may help ensure materials are handled appropriately; and preparing a device for transfer helps protect the previous user. A responsible choice depends on the condition of the equipment and the options actually available.

Consider reuse or repair before disposal.
Use an appropriate electronics collection route when a device cannot be reused.
Protect personal information before transfer or recycling.

3. Make the practice fit the situation

A practice is useful when it addresses the impact in front of you. If a class has working computers that meet its needs, careful use and repair may be preferable to replacing them just because a newer model exists. If students need to share a document, a digital copy may avoid unnecessary printing; however, a paper copy may still be needed for a particular task or user. Consider the actual need rather than treating either choice as always best.

Impacts can also involve people. A device or online service may affect privacy, access, or how people communicate. Protecting personal information before a device is transferred is one concrete practice. When choosing a digital option, consider whether the people who need it can use it and whether sharing information is appropriate. This lesson does not ask you to calculate or rank all possible impacts; it asks you to identify practices that reduce them.

You can check a proposed practice with three questions: What impact does it address? What action can someone actually take? What situation might change the choice? For example, turning off an unused monitor addresses avoidable power use, but a device should not be switched off if someone is actively using it. This kind of reasoning makes your answer specific and realistic.

Name the impact and connect it to a practical action.
Consider user needs, privacy, and the device’s condition.
Avoid claiming that one practice is best in every situation.

4. Check claims and apply the idea

When researching a local recycling option or a device’s power-saving settings, use information from a source that is responsible for the program or product. For example, check your municipality’s electronics collection information, the device maker’s support instructions, or ENERGY STAR guidance about energy-saving settings. These sources can help verify what to do; local availability and device instructions may differ.

A strong response to D1.2 names a practice and explains the impact it is intended to reduce. “Recycle old computers” is a start. A clearer response is: “If a computer cannot be reused or repaired, take it to an appropriate electronics collection program, following its instructions, rather than putting it in ordinary garbage.” The second statement identifies a condition and a suitable action without claiming a specific environmental result.

Try the same reasoning with a school scenario. A teacher notices that several documents are printed for every student, although the class can use a shared digital copy. The teacher can check whether the digital option meets everyone’s needs and then avoid printing copies that are not needed. The practice reduces unnecessary printing while keeping access in view.

Use responsible sources for local or device-specific instructions.
Connect each suggested practice to the impact it addresses.
State important conditions instead of making absolute claims.

Matching a situation to a practice

Situation	Practice	Impact addressed
A device still meets the user’s needs	Care for it; consider repair if needed	Avoid unnecessary replacement
A computer will not be used for a long time	Turn it off if appropriate and allowed	Avoid unnecessary power use
A working device is no longer needed	Consider passing it on safely	Extend its useful life
A device cannot be reused	Check an appropriate electronics collection option	Support suitable handling of unwanted electronics

Worked example

A laptop that still works

A school laptop is several years old but still works for the class tasks. Someone suggests replacing the whole set with newer laptops. Identify practices that could reduce computing impacts in this situation.

Check the need
First ask whether the laptops still meet the class’s needs. If they do, replacing them solely because newer models exist may create avoidable demand for replacement equipment.
Consider care and repair
Keep the working laptops in use and follow appropriate care practices. If a particular laptop develops a problem, check whether safe repair is practical before deciding to replace it.
State the practice and its purpose
A suitable answer is to extend the laptops’ useful life through careful use and repair where appropriate. This can reduce unnecessary replacement; it does not mean that every device should be kept regardless of safety or whether it can do the required work.

Answer: Continue using laptops that meet the class’s needs, care for them, and consider repair when needed before replacing them.

Check: The answer links a practical action to avoiding unnecessary replacement and includes a condition: the devices must remain suitable for the class.

Worked example

A long break between classes

A student leaves a school computer on during a long break when nobody will use it. Identify a practice that could reduce computing impacts.

Identify what is unnecessary
The computer is on, but no one will use it during the stated break. That makes avoidable power use the relevant impact in this scenario.
Choose a suitable action
If school procedures allow it, the student can turn off the computer before leaving. For a shorter pause, an available sleep setting may be suitable. The choice should follow the school’s instructions and should not interrupt work that someone is using.
Explain the limit of the claim
Turning off an unused computer can avoid unnecessary power use during that period. The scenario does not give enough information to state a numerical amount of energy saved.

Answer: Follow school procedures to turn off an unused computer during a long break, or use an appropriate sleep setting for a shorter pause.

Check: This answer identifies the situation, action, and intended reduction without inventing a measurement.

Worked example

An unwanted tablet

A family has a tablet that is no longer needed. It still works, but they are unsure whether to discard it. Identify a responsible sequence of practices.

Consider continued use
Because the tablet still works, first consider whether it can be kept for another appropriate use or passed to someone who needs it. Reuse may extend its useful life.
Protect the previous user
Before transferring the tablet, follow the maker’s instructions to remove accounts and personal information. If the family is unsure how to do this, they should seek appropriate help rather than guessing.
Use suitable collection if needed
If it cannot be reused, check local electronics collection instructions and take it to an appropriate program. This is preferable to assuming unwanted electronics belong in ordinary garbage.

Answer: Consider reuse first, prepare the tablet by following appropriate privacy instructions, and use a local electronics collection program if reuse is not practical.

Check: The sequence addresses useful life, personal information, and responsible end-of-life handling.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Claiming that recycling is always the first or only choice.

Correction: Consider whether the device can be kept, repaired, or reused. If it cannot, look for an appropriate electronics collection option.

Saying that turning off a device always saves a known amount of energy.

Correction: Explain that turning off an unused device can avoid unnecessary power use, but do not invent a measurement.

Treating every digital option as automatically better than paper.

Correction: Check whether the digital option meets people’s needs and whether printing is actually necessary in the situation.

Passing on a device without considering personal information.

Correction: Follow the device maker’s or receiving program’s instructions for preparing it before transfer.

Lesson summary

Computing impacts can arise when devices are obtained, used, and discarded.
Care, repair, and reuse can help avoid unnecessary replacement.
Turning off unused equipment and avoiding unnecessary printing are practical choices.
Protect personal information and use appropriate electronics collection when devices cannot be reused.
Explain what impact a practice addresses, and avoid unsupported claims about exact results.

Check your understanding

Question 1

A school tablet still meets a student’s needs. Which practice best fits this situation?

Replace it immediately because a newer model exists.
Care for it and consider repair if a problem develops.
Put it in ordinary garbage to clear storage space.
Print all digital work so the tablet is used less.

Show answer and explanation

Care for it and consider repair if a problem develops.

Keeping a suitable device in use and considering repair can help avoid unnecessary replacement.

Question 2

A computer will be unused for a long break. What is a reasonable practice, if school procedures allow it?

Leave it on because turning it off always causes harm.
Turn it off to avoid unnecessary power use during the break.
Claim a specific amount of energy will be saved without measuring it.
Replace it with a newer computer.

Show answer and explanation

Turn it off to avoid unnecessary power use during the break.

Turning off equipment that will not be used is a practical way to avoid unnecessary power use; the scenario does not support a numerical claim.

Question 3

A working device is no longer needed by its current owner. What is a responsible next step?

Consider safe reuse or transfer, protect personal information, and check collection options if reuse is not practical.
Discard it immediately without checking whether it can be used again.
Pass it on without preparing it because personal information cannot remain on a device.
Assume every recycling program accepts every device in the same way.

Show answer and explanation

Consider safe reuse or transfer, protect personal information, and check collection options if reuse is not practical.

This choice considers reuse, privacy, and appropriate end-of-life handling while recognizing that local program instructions may differ.

Key terms

Computing impact: An effect connected to computing devices or services, such as resource use, power use, discarded equipment, or effects on people.
Reuse: Using a working device again, either by its current owner or by another suitable user.
Repair: Fixing a device so it can continue to be used, when repair is suitable and safe.
Electronics collection: A collection option intended for unwanted electronic equipment; local instructions determine what is accepted and how it should be prepared.

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About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This reviewed lesson follows Ontario Grade 11 Computer Science (ICS3U), expectation D1.2. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, content is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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