 ©foodforum.org.uk 2000
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A practical context
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A balance of activities
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The outcome
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Why this approach?
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The KS4 position
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Curriculum 2000
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National Curriculum (England and Wales)
D&T: a practical context
The distinctive contribution of D&T to the curriculum is clearly stated in the revised National Curriculum (England and Wales) documents, ie. it should:
prepare young people to cope in a rapidly changing technological world
enable them to think and intervene creatively to improve that world
develops skills required to take an active and responsible part in home and community life (citizenship)
help students to become discriminating users of products
help students to become autonomous, creative problem-solvers
support students working as individuals and with others
equip students with the knowledge, skills and understanding about materials, tools and processes (technical know-how)
develop practical capability, ie. being able to use knowledge, skills and understanding to design and make products
encourage the ability to consider critically the uses, effects and values dimension of design and technology (technological awareness or literacy)
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A balance of activites
Curriculum 2000 restated the need for a balance of teaching and learning activities, ie. that:
D&T capability develops best through a planned programme of appropriately focused learning activities which develop students' designing and making skills, at the same time as their knowledge and understanding
students should gradually build up a resource bank from which they can operate to develop ideas, not just to acquire knowledge and skills in their own right, but in order that they may be put to practical use and transferred effectively when different contexts present themselves
the whole of the D&T curriculum should not be taken up with designing and making products, rather students should be challenged to design and make every now and then within their programme of study or course
The National Curriculum requirement is for D&T to be taught through:
product analysis/evaluation activities
focused practical tasks, egs. investigative and experimental work, individual and group activities, problem-solving tasks
designing and making assignments
The D&T curriculum should provide students with a range of types of activity, including:
investigative and experimental work
individual and group activities
problem-solving tasks
evaluation of existing products and systems
development of systems thinking and application of control concepts
taught inputs/demonstrations, eg. to teach techniques
discussion, eg. of technological issues and value judgements
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The outcome
As a result of their experiences in design & technology, young people should:
develop technological literacy in relation to a range of contexts, ie. become critical and analytical thinkers in relation to technology
develop practical skills and technical know-how (design & technology capability) and apply each purposefully to the other
It is this context from which young people should learn about food including the underlying science, design, and technology knowledge, skills and understanding. When young people design and make food products they should do so with knowledge and understanding, rather than without it.
Life is fast moving and demanding, so people need to develop the skills of flexibility, adaptability. It is no longer sufficient preparation for life to acquire knowledge and skills about food. What is more important is to learn how to apply the knowledge and skills in a range of contexts.
Why this approach?
technology only exists because people design with it and employ materials, tools and equipment to meet their varied needs, solve problems and create solutions
we create and we innovate - it is part of the human condition
on a daily basis we interact with, use, apply and adapt technology
specifically - we make decisions on a daily basis about food, diet and nutrition, we interact with food (preparing, choosing and eating it) at regular intervals and the food industry presents us with decisions about food which may be made on the basis of cost, nutrition, availability, need, preference, situation
we face everyday challenges requiring design & technological solutions, ie. thought through and worked out, using knowledge and skills acquired
success in life depends on being able to handle and work with ideas and materials - D&T capability requires both and gives students practice in doing this in preparation for life
material resources are an important part of the make-up of societies, economies and cultures on a global basis and D&T provides a good preparation for the world of work
D&T should be taught with reference to industrial and commercial practices to ensure that students are learning about and through 'real world' contexts, rather than this being limited to school technology
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The KS4 position
The introduction of disapplication rules and vocational courses means
that schools have greater flexibility at KS4 in terms of the courses
offered to students in the technology area. However, some schools use
this as a way of encouraging students to opt away from D&T courses -
a practice that needs to be challenged in most cases if students are
to be offered courses that meet their entitlement to technological education.
Further guidance about the statutory position of D&T at KS4 is available
from QCA - www.qca.org.uk and DATA
- www.data.org.uk.
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Curriculum 2000
Tips for meeting the new curriculum challenges in D&T departments
Revisions to the National Curriculum (England and Wales) were introduced in September 2000 and it is against these curriculum requirements that schools will subsequently be inspected. The following checklist may prove useful for departments considering their readiness for these new challenges.
- devise a programme
of learning at KS3 that builds on children's previous experience,
ie. that recognises they have been in school for six years before
they arrive in Y7
- address progression
and continuity within and between key stages and across the whole
of D&T
- be a team player - collaborate
with colleagues - a way of sharing and gaining expertise and taking
them with you
- work as a team in D&T to decide
how to approach the teaching of common strands such as graphic skills,
ICT and designing skills, egs. analytical, evaluative, investigative,
decision-making skills
- take the equivalent approach
to the teaching of designing skills as the teaching of making skills,
ie. teach students 'how to' design - provide them with the skills,
techniques and methods
- assess students regularly to
monitor how the knowledge, skills and understanding that are essential
for capability are progressing (the easiest way of doing this is to
have learning objectives for each unit of work, against which you
assess students)
- challenge students from time
to time with a major piece of designing and making - their chance
to pull out all the stops and show how capably they can handle their
knowledgeĠ skills and understanding - use these occasions to assess
their developing capability
- involve students in their own
learning by providing them with on-going feedback about how they are
doing and getting on
- ensure that KS3 provides a
relevant foundation for KS4 and that courses at KS4 provide rigorous
experiences and teaching enabling students to:
- undertake the piece of
in-depth product development work that is the coursework
- demonstrate knowledge and
understanding by responding to examination questions - rather
than the KS4 experience being 'the coursework' and 'the exam'
- make reference to the world
beyond school (other scales of production and ways of doing things
- develop post-16 courses and
viable groups - strengthen the subject at this level
- incorporate
ICT across D&T - it should be accessible as a resource to learning
- refer to the revised National Curriculum (England or Wales) document to see what is
now required and plan what you need in the way of training and resources
to meet the new requirements
©foodforum.org.uk 2001. All rights reserved
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