Outcomes
The programme has proved very successful. Doug believes the structure of the course 'pretty much' guarantees an improvement in both skills and outcomes. Basic skills - measuring, cutting, fitting, finishing - were improved and students put in the position of being able to move into any of the L3 NCEA materials technology courses.
Doug believes the structure of the course motivated the students and allowed them to take pride in their work and at the same time allowed them to demonstrate their creativity and flair.
"At the end of the unit, every student walks out the door with a quality outcome, no matter what the quality of the design was."
Doug is particularly pleased with the use of functional modelling. He believes that apart from helping produce good outcomes in terms of a 'take-home product', modelling also helps ease students into the documentation process. The use of photos as a means to record all steps of development is used extensively. While it's clear that some documentation is done retrospectively and is contrived as a result, the enthusiasm brought about through modelling carries over into the period after full-sized articles have been finished and the workbooks are being completed.
