Design and Technologies (Version 8.4)

Learning in Design and Technologies builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit, strengthen and extend these as needed.

By the end of Year 8 students will have had the opportunity to create designed solutions at least once in the following four technologies contexts: Engineering principles and systems, Food and fibre production, Food specialisations and Materials and technologies specialisations. Students should have opportunities to design and produce products, services and environments.

In Year 7 and 8 students investigate and select from a range of technologies − materials, systems, components, tools and equipment. They consider the ways characteristics and properties of technologies can be combined to design and produce sustainable designed solutions to problems for individuals and the community, considering society and ethics, and economic, environmental and social sustainability factors. Students use creativity, innovation and enterprise skills with increasing independence and collaboration.

Students respond to feedback from others and evaluate design processes used and designed solutions for preferred futures. They investigate design and technology professions and the contributions that each makes to society locally, regionally and globally through creativity, innovation and enterprise. Students evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of design ideas and technologies.

Using a range of technologies including a variety of graphical representation techniques to communicate, students generate and clarify ideas through sketching, modelling, perspective and orthogonal drawings. They use a range of symbols and technical terms in a range of contexts to produce patterns, annotated concept sketches and drawings, using scale, pictorial and aerial views to draw environments.

With greater autonomy, students identify the sequences and steps involved in design tasks. They develop plans to manage design tasks, including safe and responsible use of materials and tools, and apply management plans to successfully complete design tasks. Students establish safety procedures that minimise risk and manage a project with safety and efficiency in mind when making designed solutions.

Learning in Design and Technologies builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit, strengthen and extend these as needed.

By the end of Year 10 students will have had the opportunity to design and produce at least four designed solutions focused on one or more of the five technologies contexts content descriptions. There is one optional content description for each of the following: Engineering principles and systems, Food and fibre production, Food specialisations and Materials and technologies specialisations. There is an additional open content description to provide flexibility and choice. Students should have opportunities to experience creating designed solutions for products, services and environments.

In Year 9 and 10 students use design and technologies knowledge and understanding, processes and production skills and design thinking to produce designed solutions to identified needs or opportunities of relevance to individuals and regional and global communities. Students work independently and collaboratively. Problem-solving activities acknowledge the complexities of contemporary life and make connections to related specialised occupations and further study. Increasingly, study has a global perspective, with opportunities to understand the complex interdependencies involved in the development of technologies and enterprises. Students specifically focus on preferred futures, taking into account ethics; legal issues; social values; economic, environmental and social sustainability factors and using strategies such as life cycle thinking. Students use creativity, innovation and enterprise skills with increasing confidence, independence and collaboration.

Using a range of technologies including a variety of graphical representation techniques to communicate, students generate and represent original ideas and production plans in two and three-dimensional representations using a range of technical drawings including perspective, scale, orthogonal and production drawings with sectional and exploded views. They produce rendered, illustrated views for marketing and use graphic visualisation software to produce dynamic views of virtual products.

Students identify the steps involved in planning the production of designed solutions. They develop detailed project management plans incorporating elements such as sequenced time, cost and action plans to manage a range of design tasks safely. They apply management plans, changing direction when necessary, to successfully complete design tasks. Students identify and establish safety procedures that minimise risk and manage projects with safety and efficiency in mind, maintaining safety standards and management procedures to ensure success. They learn to transfer theoretical knowledge to practical activities across a range of projects.