Supporting Learning Environment Level 7

To support students to develop understanding of characteristics of technological outcomes at level 7, teachers could:

• provide students with opportunities to discuss how malfunction can impact on the design or manufacturing of similar and related technological outcomes
• provide students with opportunities to identify that form refers to the physical nature of a technological outcome and function refers to the functional nature of the outcome. Design elements related to an outcome’s physical nature include such things as: colour; movement; pattern; proportion; harmony; taste etc. Design elements related to an outcome’s functional nature include such things as strength; durability; stability; efficiency; nutritional value etc. Design elements are prioritised in different ways as determined by such things as a designer’s intent for the outcome, understandings of materials, the socio-cultural location the outcome is to be situated, professional and personal beliefs etc.
• support students to critically analyse the physical and functional nature of technological outcomes to identify how design elements appear to have been prioritised and to explain how such a priotisation could be justified
• support students to analyse the prioritisation of design elements in particular technological outcomes with respect to the intended purpose of the technological outcome, intended users and specific context, the wider socio-technological environment it was a part of, and the era of its development and to make informed judgments as to the outcome’s fitness for purpose.

Explain how malfunction can impact on the design and/or manufacture of similar and related technological outcomes

Find examples of where malfunction has lead to subsequent enhancement / modification of the outcome and/or similar outcome. e.g. baby buggy.

Give students an example of a badly designed outcome and a well designed outcome e.g. baby buggies and identify differences.

Teacher sourced examples of ‘technological outcomes that have malfunctioned.

Teacher led discussion about why these technological outcomes might have malfunctioned
Students in groups discuss how such malfunctions could have been prevented

Justify how the design elements appear to have been prioritised in technological outcomes.

Prioritisation of design elements

Look at the ipod family and identify the design elements specific to each model and how the models differ in function. Which design elements were prioritised for each model and why. Source images of the ipod family. Devise a matrix that allows a clear comparison to be made/shown between the individual products.

Justify the fitness for purpose of technological outcomes in terms of their physical and functional nature and socio-technological environment/s they are used within

Students research a technological outcome that are familiar with have in order to justify it as being fit for purpose in terms of its physical and functional nature and socio-technological environment where it is used

Students present justifications/ argument in a seminar presentation to the class

Students research a technological outcome that are unfamiliar with have in order to justify it as being fit for purpose in terms of its physical and functional nature and socio-technological environment where it is used

Students present justifications/ argument in a seminar presentation to the class