Education Essays – Design and Technology

Can we advance more involvement in Design & A ; Technology by holding more relevant undertakings.

Abstraction

To specify Design and Technology and what pupils need to cognize in instruction is complex, and pulling straight on existent universe patterns may supply pedagogues with assurance and counsel in learning design. This should give clear definitions and descriptions on how design works in pattern, therefore enabling pedagogues to choose which characteristics of these patterns can be translated into the encouragement of interior decorator thought and behavior in educational contexts. This paper considers the encouragement of involvement required to heighten and actuate a higher involvement in Design & A ; Technology by holding more relevant undertakings. Where realization of constructs empowers phantasies, liberating the imaginativenesss from world into design. Making the desired from the perceived. Resulting in maintaining the procedure crisp.

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This paper will discourse considerations on the manner a student perceives and processes information, for design in footings ofaction, contemplationandassessmentand for engineering in regard to solutions to technological jobs through the procedure of innovation.

Evaluation will be made of public presentation in regard to old research foregrounding the instruction schemes used and the managing of the undertaking.

Above all, the project of the undertaking and the design procedure involved will put out to be a successful rating of learning / larning experience.

Reappraisal of Literature

The work of Denton ( 1993 ) discussed the relevancy of the design procedure in schools and whether it has simply a ‘stylised rite ‘ , more to make with the production of eternal sheets of over adorned graphics with luxuriant boundary lines than a design tool. He discusses how the rite of planing has arisen in instruction, the beginnings preceding the National Curriculum, around the clip when Craft, Design & A ; Technology was introduced into the Curriculum. Furthermore, Denton states that it appears to be centred on an ‘incomplete apprehension of the procedure of planing ‘ and the maps of modeling and drawing. The formal design procedure, as used in industry surely does flux from initial thoughts, research, questionnaires and so on, and Denton is non being hypercritical of the design procedure as such, alternatively he points to the obvious primary map in design activity being the practical result instead than a orderly ocular presentation of the design activity. Commercial interior decorators have a unsmooth thought of the result before they really start planing and they model a patterned advance of polishs and fluctuations in their thoughts. By patterning, Denton makes mention to three types that are utile design tools:

Pulling: These range from rapid studies of the design to ‘externalise ‘ design thoughts to formal rendered pictural representations of the finished merchandise, complete technology drawings and exploded diagrams.

Models: These range from 3D ‘lash ups ‘ to show he principles, give a better thought of proportion and, once more, to project design thoughts. The other terminal of the graduated table is the professional presentation graduated table theoretical account that we are familiar with.

Cad: These can besides run from scribbles in ProDesktop ( or something similar ) , which enables the interior decorator to acquire an thought of graduated table, right through to professionally produced rendered CAD designs.

Most of these concluding coloured, rendered, anatomically right theoretical accounts ( and drawings ) are used to pass on with clients, who will hold no involvement in unsmooth studies. It is these unsmooth studies and scribbles that are at the bosom of the design procedure and should be of premier importance to instructors as they are better indexs of the kid ‘s design thought. Denton asserts that most schools prefer finely finished and beautifully presented work, complete with boundary lines, in contrast with the fundamental initial studies of the design procedure. This penchant is communicated to the students, who so spend clip make overing their initial drawings, blowing clip and efficiency in the procedure, and decelerating down the geographic expedition of fresh thoughts. Much of this booklet work is finished to such a criterion that it is declarative of it being produced after the artifact has really been made.

In this paper, he proposes that it may be a more utile scheme to interrupt away from the current scheme: starting at AT1:Investigating & A ; Making– generating thoughts, and alternatively get down by measuring something in order to do proposals on how it may be made better. I find that this proposal makes perfect sense, after all most designs are a redesign of an earlier design. The first autos were redesigned passenger cars, and subsequent autos were merely evolutionary alterations, besides, one can sympathize with students that have limited life experiences, seeking to plan an artifact get downing with a virgin sheet of paper.

Another proposal that, I think, has virtue is altering the ratio of planing to doing in favor of doing, since it is the doing that takes the most clip. A disproportional sum of clip is spent ‘doing research ‘ or more accurately, collating images. Entire lessons devoted to cutting images out of Argos catalogues have small virtue and a minor influence on the concluding design. Denton suggests that ‘efficiency and effectivity ‘ may besides be developed ‘by the usage of informal groupwork in the early phases coupled with the usage of short deadlines can besides advance motive and perchance the coevals of thoughts ( Denton, 1992 ) .

Kimbellet Alexplores the consequences derived from the APU ( Assessment of Performance Unit ) survey of 1991, that described the capableness in Design and Technology in footings ofaction, contemplationandassessment. He explains, in graphical footings, how male childs and misss differ in the consequences of their coursework. Harmonizing to the APU, misss systematically outperform male childs right across the scope of abilities, Internet Explorer, high accomplishing misss perform better than high accomplishing male childs and low accomplishing misss perform better than low accomplishing male childs. While this survey is fruitful, it does n’t explicate why this should be the instance.

Lawler ( 1999 ) examines this disparity in consequences between genders by puting a group of students in the concluding twelvemonth of primary school two separate undertakings, entering the consequences and doing comparings. This age group were chosen because they had had minimum exposure to the procedural methodological analysis imposed on them by their instructors.

The paper hasevolved from research into ways of depicting the procedure of planing. Two possible forms to demo the effects of presenting undertaking work have been called ‘Big images ‘ and ‘Small stairss ‘ .

‘Big images ‘ designing is future focussed, inspirational, and consequences in statements of complete thoughts. Concerned with the mental procedure instead than the procedural, self directed, metacognitive procedure of design.

‘Smallstairss ‘ designing is brooding, consecutive, analytical, and descriptive.

‘Good ‘ designing is evidenced as a combination of these two manners. Some students may hold a penchant for one attack that, if it conflicts with the manner their instructor manages the undertaking work, may curtail their advancement. Raising the consciousness of the instructor to the effects that the scheme that they impose on the undertaking work has on the students, could be an of import factor in increased pupil success. The survey compared two different contextualised planing attacks to the presentation and direction of undertaking work. It shows the effects that each attack had on the public presentation of a group of 75 11 twelvemonth olds, and highlights the different responses of male childs and misss to the same design state of affairss. The consequences indicate that the scheme adopted by the instructor for the sequencing of practical undertaking work had a greater consequence on ‘good interior decorator ‘ male childs, than it did on ‘good interior decorator ‘ misss and had a greater negative consequence on less able misss than it did on less able male childs ( Lawler, 1999 )

In a different effort to associate students ‘ thought manners to public presentation in Design and Technology, Atkinson ( 1995 ) used a trial of Cognitive Style, shown to be closely related in thoughts and attitudes, to analyze the public presentation of students in their GCSE coursework, using a trial devised by Riding and Cheema ( 1991 ) The Cognitive Style Analysis ( CSA ) . The trial was a consequence of over 30 methods of specifying cognitive manner being reviewed had it was concluded that most could be grouped within two cardinal independent cognitive manner dimensions. These forms used in that trial were seen along two axes ( ten, y ) each topic being placed along the two continua ofWholist to Analyst( ten axis ) andVerbaliser to Imager( y axis ) .

Analytic

Verbaliser Imager

Wholist

A pupils place in theWholist to Analyticdimension reflects whether they understand state of affairss as a whole or see things in parts, while their place in theVerbal to Imagerydimension reflects the mode in which they represent information while thought, either as words or mental images. In psychological footings analysts were defined as being field dependant, being affected by the universe around them ( in their perceptual experiences ) and wholists as being the opposite and field independent.

By uniting these two constructs, utilizing wholist and analyst to analyze students ‘ manner of planing, new forms for ‘designing manners ‘ were proposed.

The CSA was produced as a computerised trial that automatically calculates and plots a pupils place on both dimensions. The consequences reflect the manner a student perceives and processes information. The comparative velocity in which a student replies different manners of inquiries, reveals their cognitive manner ( Riding & A ; Staley, 1998 )

Methodology

Whilst on school arrangement, I noticed another instructor proposing thoughts to a year-12 student. Within proceedingss, the instructor had filled up a side of A3 with quickfire studies and scribbles. If students have a short clip to concentrate their heads on speedy studies, it can be more productive than passing an full lesson bring forthing colored drawings.

I had an chance to seek this attack at my last school arrangement when learning a category of assorted ability Year 9 ‘s. The category were stuck, holding spent the old lesson bring forthing 1 or 2 designs. I suggested that they all swap documents in their groups of four and better on the original thought. After 10 proceedingss, the documents were swapped once more, and once more after another 10 proceedingss. This resulted in each student with three extra thoughts to work with.

From this arrangement experience, I have decided that the best manner to set up what Key Stage 3 students addition from theDesign & A ; Makeundertakings would be to revisit the two schools in which I taught whilst on learning pattern. The intent of my visits would be as follows:

To analyze the undertakings that are made by Key Stage 3 students and taking one illustration note the followers ; the tools required to do the undertaking, the procedures involved, and the sum of the students ‘ ain design input.

Capable to blessing by the caput of section, inquire students to finish my questionnaires. This will be an indicant of whether the students have enjoyed doing the undertaking, what the students have learned from doing the undertaking and, if the student is in Year 9, whether that student is sing taking up Design & A ; Technology in Key Stage 4.

Finally, I will besides inquire students if they have any suggestions that will better the undertaking.

The intent of set abouting design is the development of results of assorted types. Each design undertaking has phases of building: these are the constituents of the concluding object, in which each phase containsaction, contemplationandassessment. As an illustration: to construct a auto, there are phases of building for the engine, transmittal, wheels, bodywork, doors, Windowss, and interior etc. Each of these constituents has an initial construct, in whichaction, contemplationandassessmenttakes topographic point for pick, stuff and size before it is offered into the concluding building of the auto, where one time once moreaction, contemplationandassessmentwill take topographic point. Then one time all the constituents are fitted and the auto is complete, so contemplation and assessment takes topographic point. Concluding alterations are made and appraisal takes topographic point. The auto is completed.

The grade ofaction, contemplationandassessmentthat each student with undertake is governed by the leading of their long-run instructor, the instructors experience of design in general and cognition of design in the existent universe, and most significantly their assurance and competency within their specialism.

This public presentation of the instructor: and their usage of rapid studies, pictural presentations and technology assembly drawings all go towards efficient patterning techniques. The concluding piece may be a scaly version or may merely be on a computing machine screen, but irrespective its value is in the development of design thoughts and the extent of the student ‘s thought.

I will see each school every two hebdomads to measure and discourse pupil advancement. The undertaking being set for theDesign and Makeundertaking for Key Stage 3 will be in the context of control, which allows students to appreciate the concluding significance of their work. My way will be focused towards: the efficiency & A ; effectivity of design, and a good quality merchandise within a short deadline. These factors I will promote, as they are the foundation towards the promoting of motive and the coevals of thoughts ( Denton, 1992 ) .

My way of measuring for the undertakings research will be concise as possible, giving the student the high-level accomplishment chance, looking for the right sum of information that allows them to gain the purpose.

Following completion of my rating, I will give verbal feedback to everyone, with a more elaborate written appraisal sent within a sensible clip period. The written appraisal is an of import factor, for the students ‘ motive and long-run patterned advance of development for both designerly thought and behavior.

My purpose will be to do clear links between the cognition and skills the students need and the sequences of larning activities they are being taught. In my readying before the visits I will hold a clear way for the design job: who is it for, what are their demands, where will it be used, figure of units to be produced etc. , and which design solution of: peculiar stuffs, engineerings, or merchandises can be identified and taught ( Anninget Al,1996 )

During each visit I will look for the instruction of engineering to be presented in a clear mode that shows a existent apprehension of engineering can be obtained. This apprehension will be of the procedures of design every bit good as elements of technological cognition and indispensable technological rules. I will look for student seeking solutions to technological jobs through the procedure of innovation, demoing a deeper, Fuller apprehension of engineering by consequence. Throughout I shall look for encouragement in the usage of independent schemes, methods and rules of development, for out of this procedure of technological development by the student can be examined ( Hill, 1996 ) .

During my visits, through a brief allocated period, by manner of this clip constraint trial I will measure their design public presentation by manner of theLarge PictureandSmall Measureforms. I will promote the students towards professional interior decorators patterns for inspiration, and seek grounds for accent the importance and demand for the following in professional design: treatment at all phases of the design procedure, to continually mention back to the undertaking aims, to continually measure advancement, and to utilize sketching asocular notetaking( Hill, 1996, p.3 )

Throughout the allocated clip for completion of the undertaking, the students will be able to entree their normal scope of information beginnings made available to them. Therefore I can derive the students remarks with respect to their deepness of to probe, treatment and ensuing informed determinations on the quality, intent and map required.

On completion of the undertaking I will inquire each student to finish the questionnaire ( see Appendix ) from which the responses will be assessed.

Above all, the project of the undertaking and the design procedure involved should be a successful instruction / larning experience for all.

Results & A ; Discussions

The undertaking was to finish the design and concept a fuse examiner. From the consequences in table1 it is clear that from the two schools visited, School A shows that there are more phases involved in planing and doing the fuse examiner. Students from School A besides had greater range for individualizing their designs, although many students copied each other because of deficiency of creativeness.

School A

School B

Circuit theory

Circuit theory

Draw circuit utilizinglivewire

Spider diagram to place stop user

Solder Components into PCB

Initial thoughts

Test Circuit

Final thoughts

Research into handheld devices

Mark out acrylic

Spider diagram to place stop user

Cut out design

Initial thoughts

Bend acrylic to determine

Final thoughts

Stick Cu tape on acrylic

Make paradigm from froth

Solder the articulations

Make Mould ( two halves )

Trial and Measure

Vacuum signifier instance from Molds

Test & A ; Evaluate

Table 1

My purpose to do clear links between the cognition and skills the students needed and the sequences of larning activities was successful. With my readying before the visits I had a clear way for the design job:

  • Who is it for:General consumer
  • What are their demands:To prove general family fuses
  • Where will it be used:In place and office
  • Number of units produced:250,000
  • Which design solution-

peculiar stuffs:Plastic,

engineerings:True or false index, Circuit board

and merchandises:Connector ( s ) , Battery

On each visit, on ab initio turn toing the category I checked with those students furthest off that all could hear me, and that my voice was non excessively quiet. I so briefly explained the undertaking, whilst passing out excess information sheets, which I so covered in inside informations and finished by inquiring for any inquiries. I had taken with me big print versions on the undertaking in instance there was student ( s ) nowadays with sight troubles.

My instruction of engineering was presented in a clear mode, where good hearing and larning sing the procedures of design every bit good as elements of technological cognition and indispensable technological rules took topographic point. It was clear that single students on the whole, sought solutions to the technological jobs through the procedure of innovation, where a Fuller apprehension of engineering followed. I encourage the usage of independent schemes, methods and rules of development, from which the procedure of technological development by the student could be examined.

I successfully informed the students towards professional interior decorators patterns for inspiration at a sensible gait, look intoing that all students understood, and emphasised the demand for treatment at all phases of the design procedure, to do certain to continually mention back to the undertaking aims, to continually measure advancement, and to ever utilize sketching asocular notetaking. All of which was successful in changing grades.

It was seen that some students were stronger in associating to some production constructs than others, and in utilizing a changing grade ofphotographic memoryin their elaborate studies whilst seeking their solutions.

Not all interior decorators in the existent universe are specializers in all Fieldss, therefore it was non expected that a student would stand out in all countries. And that was confirmed with some students being stronger in associating to some design and production constructs than others, a grade ofphotographic memorybeing one illustration where a student showed promise in work outing a job with a elaborate study of a related or unrelated object as the solution.

The completed questionnaire consequences confirmed the determination of Atkinson ( 1995 ) that showed no important gender difference sing the students perceived ability or their enjoyment of the design procedure. From the entire samplea bigfigure of the students believed that they were hapless at planing and did non bask the undertaking.

Boys %

Girls %

Enjoyed and achieved

Enjoyed but could non accomplish

Did non bask but achieved

Did non bask and could non accomplish

Sums

100 % ( )

100 % ( )

Table 2: Students perceived enjoyment and capableness to accomplish good consequences.

As outlined in Atkinson ( 1995 ) the accomplishment and instruction schemes used confirm a clear comparing of confederate ( School A ) and interventionist manner ( School B ) . The construct of collaborative acquisition brings to mind the image of a ‘circle of scholars ‘ , in which the students learn with each other by co-constructing cognition. Collaboration means that people labour together to build something that did non be before the coaction. From this it was seen that the input by the instructor: their personal technological capablenesss ; their apprehension on how each thought could or could non be manufactured by the available resources ; the clip available ; and the cognition of the students fabrication capableness.

Whilst the interventionist mode a faster gait is dictated, non much clip was spent on the design, it was draw initial thoughts and straight to fabricating. Very few elaborate studies and their development took topographic point, the undertaking development took topographic point during the fabrication. Students tended to acquire out of their deepness with their technological ability, and showed that here the student lost ownership of their thought to the instructor. At this point even capable students would be waiting for farther direction as the following measure was beyond their capableness, which resulted in the instructor going frustrated with the student ‘s demands.

Regardless of which learning scheme was adopted the findings confirm that of Atkinson ( 1995, p.40 ) at the undertakings start they both followed a similar form. The undertaking was explained, so work began on the specifications and analysis of research required. It was observed that misss were at easiness working in a reflective, appraising research and analysis stage, whilst a big figure of the male childs were purpose on looking frontward, past this of import design period, on to the fabrication period in front.

In regard to the appraisal ofLarge PicturesandSmall Stairssthe procedure of control and accomplishment of the student by the instructor. Observed over the continuance of the undertaking it proves that the originative thought and undertaking direction ofSmall Stairssin School A was clearly passed on to the students, as opposed to the additive theoretical account ofLarge Picturesused in School B, yet on an single degree, students being offered a combination of both procedures produced ‘Good ‘ designing capablenesss.

From the project of the clip constrain test the consequences confirmed the findings of Lawler ( 1999 ) in that a big proportion of the male childs achieved better consequences when the undertaking was introduced throughLarge Picturedesigning, and that a big proportion of the misss achieved better consequences when the undertaking was introduced throughSmall Measuredesigning.

It was interesting to see a verification of informations as found by Lawler ( 1999, p.136 ) in that the male childs did better with aLarge Pictureplaning attack instead thanSmall Stairss, yet misss were spread more equally between the two.

Conclusions & A ; Recommendations

It is clear through this probe that to reply the inquiry of: can we advance more involvement in Design & A ; Technology by holding more relevant undertakings, the reply is yes.

Teaching of Design & A ; Technology, like most originative topics, has to be lead by the industry in the existent universe. The methods of design: from the initial construct, through development to the client, is an of import country that can non be ignored. The assorted stuffs and constructions that are used in modern building have to be described, discussed and evaluated to inform the student. For without the right bringing and schemes adopted, patterned advance with Design and Make is slow and inhibited.

Neither, the Collaborative or the Interventionist schemes allow students to develop valid attacks to designing, where both via media advancement in different ways. The former being slow with great item in the procedure at the disbursal of good designed results, and the latter being all velocity at the disbursal of development, and complete advanced designs. Yet both schemes are required by the student in Key Stage 4 as the advancement is ever that both male childs and misss work beyond their technological capableness.

Despite the quality of School A ‘s fuse examiner being far superior to that of School B, the terminal consequence is the same ; a device to prove whether a fuse has blown. There can non be many students that can be enthused about doing a fuse examiner. Electrical contraptions are reasonably dependable presents and a blown fuse is a rareness. The fuse examiner will, more than probably, stop up in the debris drawer with its battery robbed to power something else. A battery examiner would hold been a far more utile undertaking wholly.

A slightly more involved thought for a undertaking would be to do a Peripheral Interface Controller ( PIC ) orientated undertaking utilizing the PICAXE PIC bit, a UK sourced microcontroller system that is a computer-on-a-chip which is used to command devices, a type of microprocessor that highlights autonomy and cost-effectiveness.

Microcontrollers are exciting new electronic ‘single bit computing machines ‘ that are quickly being used in industry and instruction. The ‘PICAXE ‘ system is an highly powerful, yet low cost, microcontroller scheduling system designed to simplify educational and hobbyist usage of microcontrollers ( Picaxe, 2006 )

These Interface Accountants are being used progressively in schools for all sorts of undertakings: electronic die, nomadic phone ringtone generators, cyber pets, all sorts of dismaies and detectors, simple electronic games or blinking LED circuits can be made. The possibilities are endless.

Although the students would n’t understand 100 % how the circuits work, this is n’t necessary. There is sufficient range for planing and doing to carry through the national course of study demands and, possibly more significantly, to enthuse the students into desiring to finish them and take good deserved pride in their accomplishments. There is more possible for individualizing these undertakings, where creativeness could be fostered to offer the student high motive, a positive patterned advance and first-class accomplishment to promote farther instruction in the topic, and into Design and Technology in Key Stage 4.

Bibliography

Anning, A, Jenkins, E. , Whitelaw, S. ( 1996 ) Bodies of Knowledge and Design Based Activities. In [ Ed. ] IDATER’96: International Conference of Design & A ; Technology Education & A ; Research & A ; Curriculum Development. Loughborough University, UK

Atkinson, E.S. ( 1995 ) Approaches to Designing at Key Stage 4. University of Sunderland, UK

Denton, H.G. ( 1992 ) Towards maximizing pupil enterprise: An question into a learning attack centred on teamwork and stimulation in the context of Technology instruction. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Loughborough, UK. In Denton, H.G. ( 1993 ) The Design and Make Task ( DMT ) : some contemplations on the designing in schools. Dept. of Design & A ; Technology, Loughborough University, UK

Denton, H.G. ( 1993 ) The Design and Make Task ( DMT ) : some contemplations on the designing in schools. Dept. of Design & A ; Technology, Loughborough University, UK

Hill, B. ( 1996 ) Researching the Procedure of Inventive Learning in Technology Education. In [ Ed. ] IDATER ’96: International Conference of Design & A ; Technology Education & A ; Research & A ; Curriculum Development. Loughborough University, UK

John, D. , Boucouvalas, A. Multimedia Tasks and User Cognitive Styles. Multimedia Research Group, Bournemouth University, UK

Kimbell, R. A. , Stables, K. , Wheeler, A.D. , Wozniak, A.V. , Kelly, A.V. ( 1991 ) The Assessment of Performance in Design and Technology, Schools Examinations and Assessment Council. HMSO, London, UK

Lawler, T. ( 1999 ) Exposing the Gender Effects if Design and Technology Project work by Comparing Schemes for Showing and Managing Pupils Work. In [ Ed. ] J. Smith, IDATER’99: International Conference of Design & A ; Technology Education & A ; Research & A ; Curriculum Development. Loughborough University, UK

Picaxe ( 2006 ) PICAXE Microcontroller. Revolution Educational [ Internet ] Available from: & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/ [ Accessed on: 29 April 2006 ]

Riding, R.J. , Cheema, I. ( 1991 ) Cognitive Manners: an overview and integrating. Education Pyychology, Vol.11 Nos 3 & A ; 4, pp 193-215. In Atkinson, E.S. ( 1995 ) Approaches to Designing at Key Stage 4. University of Sunderland, UK

Riding, R.J. , Staley, A. ( 1998 ) Self Perception as Learner: cognitive manner and concern surveies pupils ‘ class public presentation. Assessment & A ; Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp 41-58. In John, D. , Boucouvalas, A. Multimedia Tasks and User Cognitive Styles. Multimedia Research Group, Bournemouth University, UK

Stables, K. Kimbell, R. ( 2005 ) Unorthodox Methodologies: attacks to understanding Design and Technology. Technology Education Research Unit. Goldsmiths College, UK

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