Outcome Development and Evaluation Explanatory Paper
Introduction
The purpose of this explanatory paper is to clarify and define the way in which outcomes are conceptualised, developed and refined as part of technological practice. It presents the component descriptor, the key ideas underpinning it, and illustrative examples of these from technology and technology education.
Component descriptor
The development of a technological outcome (product or system), or any other outcome of technological practice (concepts, plans, models, etc.), involves the creative generation of design ideas and the refinement of potential outcomes. This is achieved through ongoing research, experimentation, analysis, testing, and evaluation against the specifications of the brief.
Developments should be based on the evaluation of the functional modelling undertaken during practice, and prior to the realisation of the outcome. Refinement of a realised technological outcome should be informed by evaluations from prototype testing in situ, in order to optimize its fitness for purpose. Outcome Development and Evaluation can be thought of as the trialing and production practices of technological practice.
