CellSense™ – A World's First...
Curriculum links
This page aims to increase familiarity with and understanding of the Technology curriculum in The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) by providing starter focus questions/discussion points relating to the case study followed by explanations of the terminology involved. The following terms are examined: Context | Issue | Need or Opportunity | Stakeholders | Technological Outcome | Fitness for Purpose
Starter focus question:
- How would you describe the 'context' of the Cellsense™ development?
Definition:
Context is defined in the Techlink Curriculum support material's Explanation of terms as follows:
- 'Context' in technology education has been used to refer to the overall focus of a technological development or of a technological learning experience within technology education. In order to ensure that the contexts chosen provide for a range of diverse learning opportunities, programmes should include contexts in both senses as explained above. These contexts should cover a range of transformations associated with technology. That is, the transformation of energy, information and/or materials for the purpose of manipulation, storage, transport and/or control.
When talking about the context of a technological development, the term refers to the wider physical and social environment within which the development occurs. For example:
- The context of Zambesi's work was that of rebranding an airline with a focus on the manipulation of information.
- The context of wind generation is sustainable energy generation with a focus on the storage and control of energy.
- The context of a packaged scallop product is marketable food products with a focus on the manipulation, transport and storage of material and information.
When talking about the context of a technological learning experience the term refers to all the aspects that must be thought about to situate the learning.
Starter focus activity:
- Describe the 'specific subset of the context' which is being addressed in the Cellsense™ development process.
Definition:
Issue is defined in the Techlink Curriculum support material's Explanation of terms as follows:
An issue in technology refers to a specific subset of the context that will allow students to identify a need or opportunity.
For example:
- The issue in Meeting Seating was outdoor seating that is designed to promote discussion.
- The issue in ICT programming was developing educational programmes.
- The issue in Hairs your Gift was developing hair products.
Starter focus activity:
- Discuss the terms 'need' and 'opportunity' as they relate to the Cellsense™ development.
Definition:
Need or Opportunity is defined in the Techlink Curriculum support material's Explanation of terms as follows:
A need in technology refers to an identified requirement of a person, group or environment. A need is identified from an issue, and sits within a context. Technological practice can be undertaken in an attempt to meet an identified need.
For example:
- The need in Meeting Seating was to develop a seat appropriate for a school garden where students could meet for discussions
An opportunity in technology refers to an identified possibility for a person, group or environment. An opportunity is identified from an issue, and sits within a context. Technological practice can be undertaken in an attempt to realise an identified opportunity.
For example:
- The opportunity in Hairs your Gift was to create a gift for a selected recipient.
Starter focus activities/questions:
- Identify 'key' and 'wider' stakeholders in the Cellsense™ development process.
- What strategies were employed to involve these stakeholders in the development process? Explain why such importance was placed on this ongoing consultation.
Definition:
Stakeholders is defined in the Techlink Curriculum support material's Explanation of terms as follows:
Stakeholders are any individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the technological development or technological outcome.
Key stakeholders are those people that are directly influential or will be directly impacted on by the Technological Practice itself and/or its resulting outcomes (including the technological outcome and any other by-products).
Wider community stakeholders are those people that are less directly influential for or impacted on by the practice or outcome. They can, nonetheless, be identified as having some level of influence, often through others, and/or they may be affected by the project or its outcome in the future.
Starter focus activities:
- Describe the 'technological outcome' produced in the Cellsense™ development.
- Identify 'intermediate outcomes' and explain their importance in the overall development process.
Definition:
Technological Outcome is defined in the Techlink Curriculum support material's Explanation of terms as follows:
Technological outcomes are developed through technological practice for a specific purpose and are defined as material products and/or systems that are fully realised in situ. Technological practice also results in other outcomes that are referred to as intermediate outcomes. These intermediate outcomes are very important in technology and technology education, as they are valuable for developing ideas, exploring, testing and communicating aspects of technological outcomes before they are fully realised in situ. These include such things as feasibility studies, conceptual designs, models, prototypes, etc.
For further information see the Explanatory Papers – Outcome Development and Evaluation, Characteristics of Technological Outcomes and Characteristics of Technology.
Starter focus questions:
- In terms of 'doing the job', how would the fitness for purpose of the final product be determined?
- When you consider the fitness for purpose of the Cellsense™ development 'in its broadest sense' what other factors would have to be taken into consideration?
Definition:
Fitness for Purpose is defined in the Techlink Curriculum support material's Explanation of terms as follows:
The concept of 'fitness for purpose' is commonly used to judge the ability of an outcome to serve its purpose in 'doing the job' within the intended location, where the job to be done is clearly defined by the brief. When 'fitness for purpose' is described as being 'in its broadest sense', the concept is extended to include the determination of the 'fitness' of the practices involved in the development of the outcome (including such things as the sustainability of resources used, treatment of people involved in manufacture, ethical nature of testing practices, cultural appropriateness of trialling procedures, determination of lifecycle and ultimate disposal, etc) as well as the 'fitness' of the outcome itself.
Extending the concept in this way is an attempt to locate both the concept of 'fitness for purpose' and its application within a philosophical understanding of the Nature of Technology whereby the performance of any outcome is but one of the factors that justifies a positive 'fitness for purpose' judgment.
