Supporting Learning Environment Level 3

To support students to develop understanding of technological modelling at level 3, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to explore different forms of functional modelling and guide students to gain insight into the different types of information that have been gathered
• provide students with the opportunity to discuss how functional modelling informs decision making and guide them to identify the benefits and limitations of functional modelling in examples provided
• provide students with the opportunity to understand that benefits include such things as reducing the risk of wasting time, money and materials and 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 discuss that specifications include both acceptability and feasibility considerations related to the outcome’s fitness for purpose
• provide students with the opportunity to explore a range of examples of prototyping and guide them to gain insight into how appropriate information can be gained to evaluate a technological outcome’s fitness for purpose against the specifications
• provide students with the opportunity to discuss the role of functional modelling and prototyping to develop an understanding of the importance of both in technological development. Examples should include the modelling practices of technologists and should provide students with the opportunity to explore both successful prototypes and those that did not meet specifications.
• examples should include the modelling practices of technologists and should provide students with the opportunity to explore both successful prototypes and those that did not meet specifications.

Discuss examples to identify the different forms of functional models that were used to gather specific information about the suitability of design concepts

Identify information gained from a model

Have examples of different models (e.g. drawings, sketches, circuit diagrams, mock-ups, prototypes). What information does each give the technologist? Use in context with a certain tech outcome

Venn diagram of two types of models

Venn diagram of two different forms of functional modelling e.g. drawing and mock-up. Have students list the information each provides in the circles and what information both provide in the intersection of the circles.

Class brainstorm

Class brainstorm about the different forms of functional modelling we used…
e.g. What information does our
… (model) give us and how can we use this to test and evaluate our design?

Estimate what modelling will provide, then reflect on actual findings

For each form of modelling used…
Estimate:

• What information do I expect my model to allow me to test?]

Reflection:

• What information did I actually get?
• Did my model make me change anything? If so, why?

BMW Modelling

Watch video clip of functional modelling by BMW (YouTube link)
Identify forms of models in video clip (e.g. tape drawing, C.A.D, clay model)

• What evidence or information did each form of modelling give them?
• Why do they do these different forms of modelling?

Discuss how functional models and prototypes provide different evidence

Technology student website – modelling

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

Technology student website – CAD

The form of modelling used needs to suit the tech outcomes

Discuss with students why some forms of modelling are more suited that others to testing design ideas e.g.

• A card mock-up 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 forms would have been used to test the outcomes attributes during its development.

Matching game – Match models with evidence they provide

Cards with different models (e.g. sketches, descriptions, circuit diagrams, mock-ups, prototypes). Cards describing different attributes tests (e.g. 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 required to match the model with the evidence it might provide. Justify their decisions.

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)

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

Explore functional modelling in the story of the development of a technological outcome.

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 in this example
• pros/cons of using the functional model.

Benefits and limitations of my own modelling

For each form of modelling done or identified students ask…

• What information does this model give me?
• What information is missing?
• In the future I would choose this model when I need to test for…
• In the future I would not use this model when I need to test for…

Describe examples of particular prototypes that did not meet specifications.

Explore prototype products that have never gone into production
(e.g. apple prototypes… )

Show examples and discuss

• what might have been the specifications for this product?
• how was the prototype used to measure these specifications? e.g. testing of the prototype
• what did/could this process have told them?
• why did it go no further? next steps?

Explain why functional modelling and prototyping are both needed to support decision making when developing an outcome.

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)

Venn diagram

Using an example product or story of a products development, identify information gained from functional models and prototypes using a venn diagram. Explain what they have in common in terms of their purpose and the evidence they provide, and what they don’t. This can highlight how they are both needed to support decision making.

Investigate product flops

• Read about a product that failed
• Identify possible reasons why this product failed?
• How could technological modelling have lessened this product failure?

Consider…

• What functional models could have helped the technologist?
• What information did the technologist not find out?
• When were the key times when decisions were made?
• What other testing or trialling could have been done?
• How could prototyping have helped?
• What technological modelling would be needed to re-launch this product?