The Technological Practice Strand Explanatory Papers Updated May 2010
Outcome Development and Evaluation
Junior Secondary (Years 9-10)
Learning experiences
The following learning experiences have been provided to support teachers as they develop their understandings of the Outcome Development and Evaluation component of the Technological Practice strand. There is no expectation that these would form the basis of any specific unit of work in technology. The learning experiences have been summarised from classrooms across New Zealand and provide examples of student achievement across a range of levels. This stance reflects the majority of classrooms, within which it is expected that students will demonstrate a range of levels of achievement.
In an attempt to consolidate earlier learning in technology, a teacher decided to focus her year 10 students on developing batters as a way of developing a better understanding of food formulation.
The students began by trying out basic recipes, such as pikelets, to gain experiences to work from. They were then asked to work with people outside the classroom to identify a client for their ‘batters in a bottle’ development work. There was a strong focus on sensory evaluation and storage testing to help students to evaluate their outcomes to create high quality food products suitable for their selected client. For details of this unit please see Batters in a Bottle.
Students achieving at level 3 could:
- develop designs for labels that reflect the selected client’s colour preferences;
- explore the suitability of a range of containers;
- explore and test different recipes for a range of potential products, and identify storage issues associated with the ingredients for each;
- evaluate designs and product ideas to determine suitability for the client and select one for further development;
- undertake sensory testing with the client to refine the recipe;
- develop a package of bottled ingredients, including labels for containers, that address the client’s colour, taste, and ‘ease of making’ preferences; and
- evaluate the package against key attributes identified in the brief.
Students achieving at level 4 could:
- develop designs for labels, and select a range of containers and product outcomes that reflect the selected client’s colour, taste, nutritional requirements, and requirements for making preferences, i.e., ease of use and time to make;
- develop concept diagrams to test design ideas with the client to gain feedback on what attributes are key from their perspective;
- explore and test different recipes for a range of potential products and use the outcomes as functional models to gain further feedback from the client on taste preferences (sensory testing using a hedonic scale) and nutritional concerns based on the ingredients used (discussion of recipes);
- test ingredients to identify any storage issues and explore how these may be influenced by container choice;
- evaluate labels, containers, and product ideas, and select a package design appropriate for further development, refine the package design to ensure it incorporates key attributes;
- develop a prototype of bottled ingredients for client testing, refine product in keeping with client feedback on key attributes associated with the look and user friendliness of labelling and instructions and the quality of outcome produced;
- develop a package of bottled ingredients, including labels for containers, that incorporate the key attributes as determined by the client’s preferences, and address the constraints imposed by storage requirements; and
- gather client feedback to provide evidence of how well it addressed the key attributes for use in an evaluation of the package’s fitness for purpose.
Students achieving at level 5 could:
- experiment with a range of "ready to make" food packages and analyse how labelling and packaging requirements enable the product to be successful – or not;
- reflect on past experiences of food preparation and use the above analysis and reflection to develop a feasibility guide to inform the generation of initial ideas for developing a ‘batters in a bottle’ food package;
- develop designs for labels, and select a range of containers and product outcomes justified in terms of the requirements of the brief (based on client preferences and specifications associated with storage, packaging, and user friendliness);
- develop appropriate functional models (including concept diagrams, discussion prompts, photographs of container types, recipes, and photos of products);
- use the models to illustrate the range of options available and test initial design ideas as to how they may form a package;
- use the models to gain critical feedback from the client on the specifications they consider essential;
- experiment with a range of labels, recipes and storage options, and seek input from additional sources (for example, research findings, other people who may eat the food product such as family members, friends, etc.) to determine suitability of resources in terms of the specifications;
- refine package ideas, incorporating justified label designs, containers, recipes, and ingredients, and undertake further functional modelling with the client to gain critical feedback to select one for further development. Modelling includes sensory testing of food product, functionality testing of containers, and judgments on quality of label including clarity of instructions;
- develop a prototype of bottled ingredients for client trialling in the environment for which the package is being developed;
- refine the product in keeping with client feedback related to the specifications of the brief and any additional comments from others who viewed and/or used the package or ate the food product; and
- use feedback from key stakeholders, including the client and teacher, to provide evidence to support an evaluation of the fitness for purpose of the final "Batters in a Bottle" package.
