Curriculum links
Values education and green motorcycle design
Values education is a clear focus of The New Zealand Curriculum (2007)
Values are described as 'deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed in the ways that people think and act'.
The curriculum suggests that all schools should encourage students to value:
- excellence
- innovation, enquiry and curiosity
- diversity
- equity
- community and participation for the common good
- ecological sustainability including care for the environment
- integrity
- respect for themselves, others and human rights
Teachers are encouraged to develop learning experiences that provide students with opportunities to learn about values and develop value-related capabilities.
Learning about values refers to students learning about:
- their own and others values
- different kinds of values such as moral, social, cultural, aesthetic and economic values
- those values upon which New Zealand's cultural and institutional traditions are based.
Developing value-related capabilities refers to students developing the ability to:
- express their own values
- explore the values of others
- critically analyse values and actions based on them
- discuss disagreements that arise from differences in values, and negotiate solutions
- make ethical decisions and act on them
Discussion points
Statement: "Motor cycles have been around almost as long as automobiles and it seems their time has come."
Discussion topic: What evidence would support this statement?
Statement: "An important part of any designers job is to design for changing customer expectations."
Discussion topic: What are some of these changing expectations in relation to evolving motorcycle design?
Statement: "In applying clean technologies, motorcycle designers will have to grapple with many non technical issues."
Discussion topic: What 'non-technical issues' are identified in the article and how might they influence the ongoing development process.
Statement: "However they proceed, designers will also have to design for persuasion: they will have to create products that potential buyers/clients find desirable."
Discussion topic: 'Desirable' attributes and their prioritisation will vary depending on the moral, social, cultural, aesthetic and economic value set of the potential buyer/client. Discuss how competing values may significantly impact on the development process and the ultimate commercial viability of the end product.
Further examples showing how values education intentions can be embedded within technology learning experiences linked to each of the components of the technology strands can be found on the Technology and Values page of the Techlink curriculum support pages.
