The Technological Knowledge Strand Explanatory Papers Updated May 2010
Technological Modelling
Senior Secondary (Years 11-13)
Possible learning experiences
The learning experiences suggested below have been provided to support teachers as they develop their understandings of the Technological Modelling component of the Technological Knowledge strand, and how this could be reflected in student achievement at various levels. There is no expectation that these would form the basis of any specific unit of work in technology. The learning experiences have been written in such a way as to support student learning across a range of levels. This stance reflects the majority of classrooms, where it is expected that students will demonstrate a range of levels of achievement.
Students could identify a local community issue, and work alongside key stakeholders to identify their priorities and how they impact on their perceptions about what type of solution would be fit for purpose.
Examples of issues could include: establishment of a marina, restoration of a mining site, reclamation of a wetlands area, site of a new building sub-division, need for flood protection, need to stop sand dune erosion, redesign of an accident prone intersection, etc.
From this basis students work to identify arguments for possible scenarios that employ both functional (what can be done) and practical (what ought to be done) reasoning, and use these to develop a series of functional models to test a range of design ideas and explore any real and/or perceived risks associated with them. Models developed could be justified in terms of purpose, medium and the validity of the evidence they will provide in order to make decisions of 'where to next?' Students could employ a range of models and gather evidence, to support their decision for a recommendation of a feasible conceptual design that would address some or all of the needs/opportunities provided by the issue and mitigate identified risks.
Students achieving at level 4 could be expected to:
- explain how functional modelling can be employed to gather specific information about how a potential outcome might be perceived by key stakeholders;
- explain how technological modelling could be undertaken to test design ideas for stakeholder acceptability and technical feasibility;
- present a design concept of a possible outcome, that is explained in terms of both stakeholder acceptability and technical feasibility.
Students achieving at level 5 could be expected to:
- explain how different forms of functional modelling can be used to identify conflicts between key stakeholder priorities;
- explain the reasoning that led them to decide on a particular conceptual design as both acceptable and feasible; and
- present and justify a design concept for a technological outcome that would address the needs/desires of key stakeholders.
Students achieving at level 6 could be expected to:
- explain the difference between functional and practical reasoning and discuss how both types of reasoning informed their decision making;
- explain how the functional models used enhanced and/or limited their ability to explore and identify the risks; and
- present and justify a design concept for a technological outcome that would address the needs/desires of key stakeholders, and take account of informed predictions from the wider social and physical environment.
Students achieving at level 7 could be expected to:
- justify the need to gather a range of evidence through different types of functional modelling, in order to make decisions about both what could and should be done in relationship to a particular issue;
- employ functional modelling to identify and assess possible risks in relation to a range of design ideas developed to address a selected issue, and present an argument for how these risks could be mitigated; and
- using a range of evidence, present and justify a design concept for a technological outcome that would most effectively address the needs/desires of key stakeholders and take account of predictions from the wider social and physical environment.
Students achieving at level 8 could be expected to:
- using illustrative examples from the issue explored, explain the critical role of functional modelling in making informed predications and defensible decisions, regarding an outcome's suitability to address a range of competing and contestable factors inherent in the issue;
- explain and justify the use of different media and procedures in functional modelling to ascertain the risks associated with different potential outcomes, based on a critical understanding of the issue, related historical development practices and past outcomes, and the specific perspectives of individual stakeholders and the community as a whole, and identified requirements of the social and physical environment in the short and long term; and
- using a range of evidence suitable for different audiences, present and justify a design concept for a technological outcome that would most effectively address the needs/desires of key stakeholders, take account of predictions from the wider social and physical environment; and outline feasible and acceptable safeguards that could be developed to mitigate identified risks.
