Teacher Guidance Level 1

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 1, teachers could:

• guide students to understand that functional models are representations of potential technological outcomes and that they can take many forms (eg, thinking, talking, drawing, physical mock-ups, computer aided simulations etc)
• provide students with the opportunity to interact with a variety of functional models and guide them to identify that the common purpose of functional modelling is to test design concepts. Design concepts include design ideas for parts of an outcome as well as a complete conceptual design for the outcome as a whole
• guide students to understand that a prototype is the first version of the fully completed technological outcome
• provide students with a range of prototyping examples and guide them to identify that the common purpose of prototyping is to test the outcome.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Describe what a functional model is.

Define physical and functional attributes first (Technological practice) before defining functional modelling.

Identify link between physical/functional attributes and functional modelling.

Using a range of functional models, discuss:

• what they look like (physical appearance)
• what they enable (function) in terms of design decision-making.

Discuss examples of functional models.

Identify examples of functional models, such as drawings, talking, mockups or recipes.
Create a class definition of a functional model and discuss why these help us when developing technological outcomes.

Identify the purpose of functional modelling.

Compare a range of functional models to prototypes.

Provide examples of prototypes (eg, photos of prototype cars – see Future for all) and examples of functional models (eg, sketch of car), and ask:

• What is the difference?
• What is similar?
• Why have functional models?
• Why have prototypes?
• What is the purpose of each?

Use a Venn diagram to record differences and similarities.

Functional modelling of everyday items.

Share examples of functional modelling of everyday items (eg, bendy straw or check out Google Patents), and ask:

• Why did the technologist create this model?
• What did it tell them?
• How did it help them?

Describe what a prototype is.

Look at prototype products (eg, cars and other products – see Future for all).

• What stage of production process is a prototype at?
• Why is it at that stage? Next stage?
• What info is gained from a prototype?

Identify the purpose of prototyping.

Compare functional models and prototypes.

Share examples of prototypes of everyday items (eg, bendy straw, check out Google Patents).

• Why did the technologist create this model?
• What did it tell them?
• How did it help them?

Teacher Guidance Level 2

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 2, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to interact with a variety of functional models and support them to identify the design concept being tested and if it related to the physical and/or functional nature of the potential outcome. Design concepts include design ideas for parts of an outcome as well as a complete conceptual design for the outcome as a whole.
• provide students with examples of evaluations from prototyping and support them to identify whether the technological outcome tested was fit for purpose.
• guide students to reflect on the role of functional modelling and prototyping to develop an understanding of the importance of both in technological development.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain that the purpose of functional modelling of design ideas allows for the gathering of specific information about the possible nature of a potential technological outcome.

Provide examples of functional models for a range of products.

Students encouraged to answer the following questions:

• What information about physical nature does this model give me?
• What information about functional nature does this model give me?
• What was the purpose of this model (testing physical attribute and/or functional attributes)?

Describe examples to illustrate how functional modelling has been used to test design ideas and develop conceptual ideas.

Provide examples of technological outcomes alongside examples (pictures /photos) of its functional modelling.

Students could look at, for example, the mobile phone as a technological outcome, and its drawings, circuit diagrams, mock-ups as functional modelling, and discuss how each functional model was used to test design ideas (parts of, eg, just buttons) conceptual ideas (the whole).

Describe examples to illustrate how prototyping has been used to test technological outcomes.

Prototype products that have never gone into production.

Show examples and discuss:

• What testing was/might have been done?
• What did/could it have told them?
• Why did it go no further?
  

Discuss the importance of functional modelling and prototype testing in the development of technological outcomes.

Examples of modelling in a technological outcomes story of development.

Give students a story (Gadget Nation book is good) about a technological outcome and its development. They identify the functional modelling that was done with that technological outcome and also identify other modelling that could/might have been done. They also describe the information the technologist gained from that functional modelling.

Teacher Guidance Level 3

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 3, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to explore a range of examples of functional modelling and support students to gain insight into the different types of evidence that can be generated and to explore the impact that the media used can have on the way evidence is generated.
• support student discussion of how functional modelling informs decision-making and guide them to identify the benefits and limitations of functional modelling in examples provided. Benefits include such things as reducing the risk of wasting time, money and materials. Limitations arise due to the representational nature of modelling. That is, what is being tested is necessarily partial and therefore prototyping is required to fully test the outcome.
• provide students with the opportunity to explore a range of examples of prototyping to gain insight into how appropriate evidence can be gained to evaluate a technological outcome's fitness for purpose and establish if there is a need for any further development.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain that different forms of modelling provide different types of evidence.

Identify information gained from a model.

Students are shown examples of different models (eg, drawings, sketches, circuit diagrams, mock-ups, prototypes), and asked: What information does each give the technologist? Use in context with a particular technological outcome.

Discuss how physical mockups and prototypes provide different evidence than functional models.

Technology student website – modelling

The form of modelling used needs to suit the technological outcomes.

Discuss with students why some forms of modelling are more suited than others to testing design ideas. For example:

• a card mockup will not be used to model a circuit.
• a drawing will not tell you about the weight of potential materials.

Have students suggest possible modelling techniques to test a specific desirable attribute in a technological outcome
Analyse an existing technological outcome and suggest what modelling techniques would have been used to test the outcomes attributes during its development.

Matching game – Match models with evidence students provide.

Students are given cards with different models (eg, sketches, descriptions, circuit diagrams, mock-ups, prototypes) and cards describing different attributes tests (eg, to test strength, safety, durability, aesthetics, fitness for purpose). These cards can be of words ("circuit diagram”) or photos (photo of a circuit diagram) or pictures (the actual circuit /circuit diagram) or descriptions (the thinking/talking). Students are asked to match the model with the evidence it might provide, and to justify their decisions.

Discuss examples to illustrate how particular models were developed to gather specific data to inform decision-making.

Visiting technologist (or their story from Techlink).

Visiting technologist (or their story from Techlink) shares the modelling they have undertaken and how each model informed their decision-making.
(Also see: Gadget Nation activity above)

Identify the benefits and limitations of functional modelling undertaken in particular examples.

Provide examples of modelling in the development of a technological outcome(s).

Give students a story (Gadget Nation book is good) about a technological outcome and its development. Students identify:

• the functional modelling that was done with that technological outcome
• the benefits and limitations of each model undertaken
• the pros/cons of using the functional model.

Describe examples to illustrate how prototypes were tested to evaluate a technological outcome's fitness for purpose and to identify any need for further development.

Provide examples of prototype products (eg, cars, potato peelers, hair dryer.

Ask students:

• Are they fit for purpose?
• What do they need to be fit for purpose? (further development)
• How does a prototype help determine a products 'fitness for purpose'

Teacher Guidance Level 4

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 4, teachers could:

• support student discussion about the importance of using modelling to explore whether an outcome should be developed as well as whether it could be developed.
• support students to examine examples of extensive and diverse functional modelling practices used to support particular technological developments – both within their own and other's technological practice.
• guide students to gain insight into how design decisions are justified with regards to both feasibility and acceptability. Such justifications will rely on the synthesis of evidence gained from diverse forms of modelling seeking multiple perspectives.
• support students to identify and examine examples of prototyping from both within their own and other's technological practices
• support students to gain insight from examples of how evidence gained can be used to justify an evaluation of a technological outcome's fitness for purpose or its requirement for further development.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain why it is necessary to consider both what 'can' be done and what 'should' be done when making design decisions.

Student investigation of what they consider an unfavorable outcome.

Students investigate an existing technological outcome that they believe 'should not' have been made (weapons? nanotechnology? cell phones?), and present their justification as to why it 'shouldn't' have been created.
Students could:

• answer the question: At what model/stage of development did/should the technologists have asked "Yes I can do it, but should I do it?”
• possibly link with alternative functions, eg, across different cultures?

Class creates a bank of questions that need to/should be considered when developing a technological outcome, for example:

• Who will use it?
• How will it be used?
• Who may be harmed if the outcome is developed and implemented?
• Will any natural resources be depleted if the outcome is developed and implemented?
• Who will benefit if the outcome is developed and implemented?
• Who may be harmed if the outcome is developed and implemented?

Explain why different forms of functional modelling are needed to fully explore possibilities and different types of data.

Weird or unsuccessful products that did not fully explore possibilities and different types of data.

Explore weird or unsuccessful products that did not do enough functional modelling before production. This meant that all possibilities and issues were not fully explored before they were developed and implemented as technological outcomes (eg, McDonalds McDLT flop).

Introduce and explore what CAD is and discuss what kind of data it provides as a functional model.

Technology student website – CAD

Discuss examples of prototyping to explain how evidence gathered provided justification for evaluating a technological outcome as fit for purpose or in need of refinement.

Bad designs/prototypes.

Students find examples of bad designs/prototypes and discuss their intended fitness for purpose (Bad designs site). Students to look at:

• Why are these designs 'bad'?
• How do they need refining?
• How could earlier modelling have avoided these problems?

Weird or unsuccessful products where the prototyping stage could have provided information about fitness for purpose.

Weird or unsuccessful products where the prototyping stage could have provided info re fitness for purpose. This meant that they did not fully explore all possibilities and issues prior to them being developed and implemented as technological outcomes (eg, McDonalds McDLT flop).

Teacher Guidance Level 5

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 5, teachers could:

• ensure students understand that informed and justifiable decision-making relies on reasoning and evidence.
• support students to examine examples of extensive and diverse functional modelling practices used to support particular technological developments – both within their own and other's technological practice.
• support students to gain insight from examples into how design decisions are justified with regards to both feasibility and acceptability. Such justifications will rely on the synthesis of evidence gained from diverse forms of modelling seeking multiple perspectives.
• support students to identify and examine examples of prototyping from both within their own and other technological practice.
• support students to gain insight from examples into how testing procedures can provide information regarding maintenance requirements of a technological outcome. Maintenance requirements involve addressing environmental influences on, and/or ongoing refinements of, the technological outcome.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Discuss examples to illustrate how evidence and reasoning is used in informed and justifiable decision-making during functional modelling

Define evidence and reasoning.

Sudents discuss and define what evidence is and what is reasoning, brainstorming possible evidence and reasoning based on examples of functional modelling.

Visiting technologists explains their use of functional modelling.

The visiting technologist to answer questions such as:

• What modelling did they do?
• What evidence did they have prior to their functional modelling?
• What information did they find as a result of functional modelling?
• What reasoning process did they undertake?
• How did this affect their decision-making?
• What were the consequences for the final technological outcome once it was fully developed and implemented?

Discuss examples to illustrate how prototyping provides information to determine maintenance requirements to ensure optimal performance over time.

Examples of how prototypes can provide this information.

Explore examples of technological outcomes where a prototype did/could have informed the technologist of the maintenance requirements to ensure continued optimal performance over time.
Use examples of products that have recently been recalled, such as seat belts, baby buggies.
Google-search 'product recall notifications NZ' to find examples of local products that have been recalled.

Teacher Guidance Level 6

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 6, teachers could:

• guide students to understand the concept of risk as it relates to reducing instances of malfunctioning of technological outcomes, and/or increasing levels of outcome robustness.
• support students to examine examples of technological modelling to understand how risk is explored and identified within particular technological developments.
• guide students to understand practical and functional reasoning.
• guide students to understand how functional and practical reasoning influences technological modelling particularly in terms of identifying the focus for testing and the interpretation of evidence.
• guide students to understand how technological modelling is used to manage risk through exploring and identifying possible risk factors associated with the development of a technological outcome.
• ensure students examine their own technological modelling as well as technological modelling undertaken by a other technologists

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain practical and functional reasoning and how they work together to enhance technological modelling.

Define practical and functional reasoning.

From Techlink glossary:

• Functional reasoning focuses on 'how to make it happen' and 'how it is happening'.
• Practical reasoning focuses on 'should we make it happen?' and 'should it be happening?
• Practical and functional reasoning focuses the need to consider both what 'can' be done and what 'should' be done when making design decisions.

How do they work together.

Introduce scenarios where only one aspect (practical or functional reasoning) was considered without the other and scenarios where they both worked together, for example: bombs, designer babies, genetic modifications.
Explore notions of practical reasoning – social responsibility, environmental responsibility.

Explain the role of technological modelling in the exploration and identification of possible risk/s.

Technological product flops/disasters.

Take an example of a technological outcome that ultimately failed (eg, Titanic, Hindenburg).
See Examples of products that flopped.
Discuss possible technological modelling that might have been used and what risks they could have/didn't identify had modelling been used.
How could this disaster/product flop have been prevented? What might have been the risks? What technological modelling might have identified the risks?

Describe examples to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of technological modelling for risk exploration.

Technological product flops/disasters.

Students explore strengths and weaknesses of certain technological models for risk exploration Within a context (eg, Titanic) or in general.
Students brainstorm to identify different forms of technological modelling (eg, mock-up, drawings, circuit diagram/software, prototype, testing) and brainstorm potential risk-factors.
Students discuss strengths and weaknesses of each modelling type in relation to the risk factors they could/might have been identified:

• How in depth was the information that a technological model provided concerning a certain risk factor? (eg, a circuit diagram/software will identify the risks of components short circuiting, but testing of a prototype circuit would provide different information re other risks).

Modelling an example.

Present the class with a hypothetical example of the development of a technological outcome (eg, bridge, electronic alarm, chair).
Students brainstorm all the risk factors that need to identified/mitigated for the technological outcome both during its development and prior to it being implemented as a product.
Each student/group does a different technological model (eg, mock-up, drawings, circuit diagram/software), and feeds back to class on the risk factors that the model highlighted.
What risk factors were not explored? What other technological modelling might need to be undertaken?

Teacher Guidance Level 7

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 7, teachers could:

• support students to understand that different people and communities accept different types of evidence as valid. That is, the status given to evidence is dependent on a range of factors including ethical views and the perceived authority of people involved in the presentation of the evidence.
• support students to understand how the context impacts on how valid evidence is perceived to be. This means that shifting from one context to another can change the status of the evidence provided by technological modelling.
• support students to understand how decisions underpinning technological modelling based on what should and could happen, rely on an understanding of how evidence gained may differ in value across contexts and/or communities.
• support students to understand how technological modelling is used to ascertain and mitigate risk. Ascertaining risk involves establishing the probability of identified risks. Mitigation involves taking steps to reduce the probability of the risk being realised and/or severity of the risk should it be realised.
• support students to examine examples of technological modelling to understand how risk is ascertained and mitigated within particular technological developments.
• ensure students examine their own technological modelling as well as a technological modelling undertaken by a range of technologists.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain why different people accept different types of evidence as valid.

Differences in people.

Brainstorm:

• Why do people view the same thing differently/interpret the same information in different ways?
• What makes one person accept something, when another rejects it?

… in terms of factors such as:

• different cultures
• values
• socioeconomic
• geography
• religion
• education
• bias and prejudice.

Explore examples of different forms of technological models/evidence and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each for identifying and mitigating risk, eg, a prototype car being testing in physical environment compared with a the CAD representation of that design.
Explore how different people/groups (based on list above, such as an engineer, food technologist, packaging designer) may approach technological modelling and discuss the reasons for this.

Discuss examples to illustrate why the status of evidence gained from technological modelling might change across contexts.

Status of evidence.

Explore how different technological developments (and their contexts) give different status to the evidence gained from their technological modelling.
For example, the developers of a AS Colour T-shirt give more status to the evidence gained about environmental impact than the developers of low cost high profit T-shirt – see www.ascolour.co.nz.

Explain the influences on decision-making underpinning technological modelling that ensures both what 'should' and 'could' be done are fully explored and justified.

Role-playing on the theme of Influences: Aspects of the technological development

Influences on decision-making can be based on:

• context
• needs/opportunities
• stakeholders
• attributes/specifications

Discuss the following questions, both in general and in the context of an outcome (either student's own outcome or an example such as a new motorway):

• What contributes to the decisions about what "should" and "could” be done (influences)?
• How can these influences be explored?
• How can decisions made be justified against these influences?

Students each given a role to play in a scenario for the development of a controversial outcome (eg, new motorway, new intersection layout, new sports stadium).
Roles:

• different stakeholders (both positive and negative)
• governments (local and central
• road designers
• park management
• contractors
• rate payer

Ask the questions again, and have the group discuss, this time representing the interests of their role.

Role-playing on the theme of Influences: Differing moral, ethical, cultural, and/or political views

Discuss the following questions, both in general and in the context of an outcome (either their own outcome or another example, eg, designer babies, nanotechnology, stem cell research)

• What contributes to the decisions about what 'should' and 'could' be done (influences)?
• How can these influences be explored?
• How can decisions made be justified against these influences?

Influences on decision-making can be …

• Different cultures/ethnicities
• Values
• Socio economic
• Geography
• Religion
• Education
• Political
• Peoples bias and prejudice

Students each given a role to play in a scenario of the development of a controversial outcome (eg, designer babies, nanotechnology, stem cell research). Roles could be based on list above.
Ask the questions again, and have the group discuss, this time representing the interests of their role.

Explain the role of technological modelling in ascertaining and mitigating risk.

See risk examples above
Expand on these to focus on the role of technological modelling in ascertaining and mitigating risk

Describe examples to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of technological modelling for risk mitigation.

See risk examples above
Expand on these to focus on the risk mitigation, not just exploration.

Teacher Guidance Level 8

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Modelling at Level 8, teachers could:

• support students to develop a critical and informed understanding of why technological modelling is an important aspect for ensuring responsible and defensible technological development
• ensure students examine examples of technological modelling that involve a range of competing and contestable factors to gain insight into how these factors can be handled. These factors arise from such things as differing moral, ethical, cultural, and/or political views and the way in which people adhere to and understand issues such as sustainability, globalisation, democracy, global warming etc.
• ensure students examine their own technological modelling as well as a technological modelling undertaken by a range of technologists.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain the critical role of technological modelling in making informed, responsive and defensible design and development decisions within technological developments.

See role play activity above
Expand on this to focus on:

• What makes the modelling critical?
• How can people be informed?
• What is responsive design?
• How do/can you defend your design?

Record (video/audio) the role play and analyse.

Describe examples to illustrate how technological modelling has allowed for justifiable and defensible technological practice that takes account of often competing and contestable factors.

See role play activity above
Expand on this to focus on …

• What are the competing and contestable factors?

Record (video/audio) the role play and analyse.