Two years later…
In July 2008, two years after this case study was published, Diana was asked to comment on developments.
What factors contributed to the success of the unit?
- A chocolate context was chosen as one that would immediately engage students.
- Bringing in the ongoing production aspect worked well.
- The factory visit was important in showing students how their own work had to be able to relate to that 'real' situation.
- Working with a client made students feel proud that they were all contributing to the end goal and producing something useful; the whole class stayed involved right till the end of the process.
- Students achieved well in NCEA assessment, which Diana attributes to their "getting on board with the project" – they realised they had to do a good job for their client and in accomplishing this achieved good results for themselves.
- One-on-one contact with the teacher was available throughout the unit, as was opportunity for students to discuss their work with the consultant food technologist.
- Planning access to key and wider stakeholder groups was an important part of the process.
How has the unit evolved?
- It was originally structured to enable students to produce a good product and meet the requirements of the new NCEA achievement standards; the structure of the technological practice has been further developed to enable students to better access the merit/excellence grades.
- As the focus of the unit moved from achieving qualifications to quality of outcomes and student thinking, Diana directed her ongoing development more towards ongoing production and technological knowledge.
- In the third year, when Diana felt more comfortable with the unit, the enterprise/innovation aspect of the fundraising was introduced, aimed at encouraging more creativity and giving students more opportunity to bring their own ideas into their solutions.
- Although Diana does not teach it anymore, she says that the unit, particularly with the ongoing production aspect incorporated, is still relevant.
How has this unit influenced the teacher's ongoing practice?
- Resources, some built up over a number of years and some made for this unit, were able to be used where appropriate for a particular group of students.
- Working with a food technologist furthered Diana's Food Technology knowledge and techniques, such as disassembly and sensory testing of food.
Any comment for other people using this unit?
- Develop the unit to suit your particular students.
- Take 'small steps' and focus on a few goals, rather than expecting the unit to deliver everything in the first year. If successful it can be gradually built up over following years.
- Diana notes that she found maintaining stakeholder relationships involved a reasonable amount of work, and that using the school as a client was probably easiest due to the more relaxed environment for communication and meetings.
- Diana stopped delivering this unit in 2007, when she felt she had a better understanding of technological knowledge. Instead of doing two projects, she spent more time building up students' Food Technology skills and technological knowledge so that they could apply it to a major project.
- Diana suggested that contexts other than chocolate will enable exploration of a wider variety of ingredients/cooking methods.
- A teacher wanting to move on from this unit might next look to work with the Food Technology Toolbox, a document to support teachers in their planning, and aimed at providing a progression of Food Technology knowledge and skills from Years 7 – 13.
