Supporting Learning Environment Level 6

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

• guide students to understand the role subsystems play in the design, development and maintenance of complex technological systems. Complex technological systems are those designed to change inputs to outputs through more than one transformation process.
• support students to indentify why subsystems may be ‘black boxed’ for development and/or maintenance purposes and guide them to understand how this can result in both advantages (reduced need to understand all aspects of the system, ability to replace faulty subsystem without disrupting the entire system) and disadvantages (trouble shooting can be difficult).
• guide students to understand how control and feedback at a system level allow ‘back up’ or ‘shutdown’ subsystems to be employed to reduce malfunction and/or component damage
• support students to analyse examples of how subsystems have been selected and used in particular complex technological systems.
• support students to use examples to gain insight into how the use of subsystems can impact on system design, development and maintenance. Examples should include system design, development and maintenance practices of technologists.

Explain the variety of roles played by subsystems in complex technological systems

Students disassemble complex technological systems that contain subsystems (ie phone, toaster) to identify the subsystems and their components within them, and determine the role each subsystem plays within the overall technological system

From system diagrams identify the subsystems and explain the role they play in relation to the overall function of the technological system

Use existing diagrams of amplifiers, phones, power pack etc.

Explain the implications of using subsystems during the design, development and maintenance of complex technological systems

Class discussion using a range of videos and/or other resources

Find video clips showing the use of subsystems within a system e.g. ENIAC computer, or a module in a modern computer.
Discuss the implications of using subsystems for the design, development, maintenance of technological systems.

Investigate a system the students have made themselves.

Either make or mock-up a system or use a system they have made previously. Identify the subsystems within the overall system. Explain:

• the advantages of using subsystem at the design stage of a systems development.
• the implications of using the subsystem at the development (manufacturing) stage
• the implications of using the subsystem at the maintenance stage

Describe examples to explain how control and feedback requirements impact on subsystem use

Class discussion on everyday examples of control/feedback systems.

Discuss a range of everyday systems using control/feedback. Discuss how the control/feedback works and how it allows self-regulatory technological systems to be achieved.

Worksheets

Students provided with the diagrammatic representation of a range of systems. They are required to annotate the diagram showing what part of the system is providing the control and which the feedback.

Discuss examples to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of subsystems employed in particular technological systems.

Case study of a selected technological system

Students choose a system and research the advantages/ disadvantages having it designed around interconnected subsystems.

Teacher demonstration of a system

Teacher sets up a system involving a number of subsystems. Students identify the advantages and disadvantages of being able to describe a system in terms of the subsystems which make it up

Black box activity

Teacher explains the concept of black boxes. Students use one of the systems looked at previously and discuss how parts of the system could be regarded as a ‘black box’