Design and Technology

Design and Technology (also D&T, D.T, or Craft and Design in Scotland) is a National Curriculum academic subject of the UK educational system that can be taken at all levels from primary school upwards. It is also offered in several other countries such as Brunei, Bermuda, and Botswana. Many international schools have courses. It is also a university subject in the UK, Botswana and some other countries. Some of the UK universities who deliver courses include: Brighton, Sheffield Hallam, London (Goldsmiths), Greenwich . In Botswana, the University of Botswana at Gaborone has been offering D&T for over ten years and they started offering a parallel programme in Industrial Design in 2004. Many other counties have copied the practical problem solving approach in developing similar courses including Australia, Canada, America, Singapore, South Africa, Nederlands and New Zealand. Support for the subject is available at www.naaidt.org.uk and www.data.org.uk. National curriculum projects for pupils ages 4 years old to 15 years old can be seen at the above and www.ncaction.org.uk.

GCSE

At GCSE level, the two year course requires all students to produce one piece of coursework. This coursework must consist of a product that the student has manufactured in the workshop plus a folder including sketches, drawings and analysis about the problem being solved and the route towards producing the finished product. On completion the course teacher awards marks for finish of the final product, creativity, complexity, and how well the project itself was made. 40% of the final mark is given for the practical work, 20% for the coursework and 40% for an examination of general knowledge in the subject. However, if a student is injured whilst in the process of making their practical work the teacher of the student can apply to the exam board to have either an extension of time or the teacher can apply to give the student an estimated mark.

• Manufacturing GCSE

A level

A and AS level examinations are rigorous and demanding. Many universities like the examination because it prepares students for individualised learning and problem solving, which is essential in business and industry. The examinations are as rigorous as any other subject. Indeed, due to the complexity and variety of tasks and organisational skills required this examination and course is very demanding. The subject covers activities from control technology to aesthetic product design. Students have to use all types of computer software including computer-aided design and manufacture, spreadsheets and presentations. Outputs from such work are often sent to CNC machines for manufacture.

International Baccalaureate Design Technology

IB Design Technology (DT) is an elective subject offered in all IB schools globally. Design Technology is also offered in the IB Middle Years Programme as a compulsory subject for the first four years of the MYP (grades 6–9), and at the Diploma Programme level (grades 11-12). IB Design Technology is very similar in content to Design Technology, which is widely offered in the national curricula of England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and many African nations. It is one of the Group 4 sciences.

The primary focus of MYP Design Technology is to give students hands-on experience utilizing tools and learning the sequence of steps involved in designing and modifying projects: this uses heavy documentation, and evaluation of the student's processes, often collected in a process journal.

The Diploma Programme of Design Technology is a two-year introduction to designing, a range of fundamentals of technology, and global technological issues. It provides students with the knowledge to be able to desgin and make in school workshops, and also to develop an informed literacy about technology in general. Because it is an international curriculum it has a particular focus on global environmental issues. It covers core topics in design, materials, product development and innovation, energy, structures, mechanisms and sustainability. Students can then specialize in one of textiles, electronic products, food, computer control or human factors. The diploma is accepted for university entrance in many countries, and is a good preparation for careers in areas such as engineering, architecture, design and education.

Technological Education, Scotland

Technological education is part of the Scottish secondary school curriculum. Technological education is segregated into five different subjects:

• Graphic Communication
• Craft and Design
• Technological Studies
• Product Design
• Practical Craft Skills

External links

• DesignandTech.com A huge website covering all areas of Design and Technology.

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