Supporting Learning Environment Level 6

To support students to develop understanding of technological modelling at level 6, teachers could:

• guide students to explain how practical and functional reasoning underpin technological modelling. Functional reasoning provides a basis for exploring the technical feasibility of the design concept and the realized outcome. That is, ‘how to make it happen’ in the functional modelling phase, and the reasoning behind ‘how it is happening’ in prototyping. Practical reasoning provides a basis for exploring acceptability (including socio-cultural and environmental dimensions) surrounding the design concept and realized outcome. That is, the reasoning around decisions as to ‘should it happen?’ in functional modelling and ‘should it be happening?’ in prototyping.
• 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.
• 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
• support students to analyse examples of technological modelling to understand how risk is explored and identified within particular technological developments. Examples should include the modelling practices of technologists and should include instances where modelling was undertaken to explore and identify risk.

Describe practical and functional reasoning and discuss how they work together to enhance decision making during 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 to enhance decision making

Introduce scenarios where only one was considered without the other and scenarios where they both worked together.
e.g. 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 (e.g. Titanic, Zepplin).
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?

Discuss examples to illustrate how evidence and reasoning is used during functional modelling to identify risk and make informed and justifiable design decisions

Technological product flops/disasters

Strengths and weaknesses of certain technological models for risk exploration Within a context (e.g. Titanic) or in general.
Brainstorm to identify different forms of technological modelling (e.g. mock up, drawings, circuit diagram/software, prototype, testing) that could help identify risks

Discuss strengths and weaknesses of each model ling type in relation to the risk factors they could/might have been identified.
How in depth was the information that a technological model provided re a certain risk factor? (e.g. 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).

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

Visiting technologist

Discuss how they use prototyping to determine maintenance requirements for an implemented technological outcome and ensure minimal risk and its optimal performance over time