Outcomes
A finished product
Changing the development process so that students now go from six models to two then one, instead of six to one, made the unit more difficult because students have to fit an extra model into the time period. While this new process means students might create two or three models in one session, it has made the final products and the overall module more successful. The students are enthusiastic about developing their concepts and work harder to complete their work – Judith says that some teams are "down to the wire" when finishing, but everyone does achieve it.
One aspect of the module that students find challenging is the teamwork; Judith notes that occasionally a team's first model isn't particularly good but they will pick themselves up and turn out some good products during the rest of the cycle.
Instead of being instructed every lesson on what they should be doing, students are encouraged to be independent in their work and use the relevant skills and knowledge they have been taught. Although apprehensive at the beginning, they enjoy this challenge and the need to work efficiently to complete their work – Judith comments that "if you set the benchmark high, the children will rise to it."
The students often want to take their outcomes to other classes to get other student stakeholders to taste them. This would, says Judith, be better Technology than students tasting it themselves, but it is too time-consuming getting them to organise stakeholders and record their comments.
If time permitted, Judith would modify the six-two-one ratio further, so that the students might go from six to five which, she notes, is how the product development process works.
