Delivery
The Year 11 students started the year knowing that they were to be the 'guinea pigs' in a unit designed to test if the Graphics programme could successfully include Technology achievement standards. Ross says that they were mostly enthusiastic and gave the programme their best. The two Level 1 Graphics classes were introduced to the brief: 'Design a high-quality finish model cellphone targeted at the youth market of the future'. The phone had to incorporate a video camera and MP3 player, as well as other features which students would determine individually.
Because this was a trial unit, Ross made the specifications for the project quite tight. The models were to be made of foam and dipped so that they would resemble the plastic/glass finish of a phone. The final device had to fit into the palm of a hand.
There was a wide range of stakeholders ranging from the sales manager of a cellphone outlet to teachers, parents and peers.
The sales manager agreed to come and talk to the calss and show them a brochure of their current stock, for which the students prepared some searching questions. Ross says that their client's easy-going outlook made him a popular stakeholder with the students, and that his opinions and feedback were a great help to all. The client resigned from his job before the assignments were completed but continued his involvement with the students' projects.
The Year 11 students started the year knowing that they were to be the 'guinea pigs' in a unit designed to test if the Graphics programme could successfully include Technology achievement standards. Ross says that they were mostly enthusiastic and gave the programme their best. The two Level 1 Graphics classes were introduced to the brief: 'Design a high-quality finish model cellphone targeted at the youth market of the future'. The phone had to incorporate a video camera and MP3 player, as well as other features which students would determine individually.
Because this was a trial unit, Ross made the specifications for the project quite tight. The models were to be made of foam and dipped so that they would resemble the plastic/glass finish of a phone. The final device had to fit into the palm of a hand.
There was a wide range of stakeholders ranging from the sales manager of a cellphone outlet to teachers, parents and peers.
The sales manager agreed to come and talk to the calss and show them a brochure of their current stock, for which the students prepared some searching questions. Ross says that their client's easy-going outlook made him a popular stakeholder with the students, and that his opinions and feedback were a great help to all. The client resigned from his job before the assignments were completed but continued his involvement with the students' projects.
After this, students moved on to making mock-ups, which had to explain and test their design ideas, and be accompanied by evidence that supported the design decisions and key stages.
The students then did their final solution drawings and made a high quality model of the complete package to present to the client. The models were made of green polystyrene foam and covered in a mixture of plaster of Paris and PVA glue. Students experienced some difficulty in getting a good coverage of the plaster as it needed to be thick enough so that they could smooth the model with wet and dry sand paper.
The client came back to consult with the designers, who modified their models and then presented them for further comment.
During the final design evaluation phase, the students had to identify all the positive or negative features of their phone and justify the design solution against the specification. This also entailed consulting the client so that he could evaluate the solution against the brief and specification.
Ross offered a Technology class at night school, as part of the school's involvement in community education, but also to provide an opportunity for any of his Year 11 students who needed more time in the workroom to work on their projects.
