Albany Senior High School/Coursebook/3SOF

What is this course about?
Technology courses at ASHS revolve around authentic, real life situations based within individual, community and global contexts. You will learn to work with a variety of soft materials using the design process as a problem solving method in order to create solutions which respond to the needs of an identified client. You will develop an awareness that a sense of social responsibility is at the heart of good technological practice. Courses in soft materials technology support career opportunities within the Fashion and Textile Industry.

What will I learn?
At Level 3 you will be working within a given context - Structures – and will be provided with a scenario that offers a real life experience. There will be scope to challenge yourself and think “outside the square”. What sort of product could be developed? What resources could you use? How could those resources be used? From the context and scenario you are given you will develop a brief, undertake research and create a technological outcome that is “fit for purpose”. You will also explore the work of practicing technologists, their responsibilities to the wider community and how their knowledge and practice influences your technological practice. As an example, your scenario might be “A Gallery Space”. What could be developed in your technology area? Some possibilities:- Fabrics – a textile installation, staff uniform, screen printed bags and packaging Hard Materials – an installation, reception desk, reception furniture Foods – canapes for an opening, a lunch menu for the gallery cafe Digital Technology – a website with dynamically linked content, an android application Graphics – building design, interior redevelopment, branding

Your technology teacher will be your client so there will be ample opportunity to arrange regular interviews. There are plenty of opportunities/needs for a huge range of products to be investigated and will provide a much more rewarding experience than making a ball dress!!

What sorts of things will I do?
Depending on your personal project you may develop further, but are not limited to:


 * Working with your client as well as other stakeholders. Authentic, real world learning
 * Brief development and refinement
 * Conceptual development and modelling of ideas for your client
 * Presentation of storyboards to client
 * Disassembly of existing products to demonstrate understanding of basic processes
 * Pattern drafting or adapatation of existing patterns
 * Experimentation of materials to demonstrate fit for purpose
 * Outcome construction
 * Report writing and evaluation
 * Final presentation to your client and client feedback

Scholarship opportunities
Technology Scholarship requires students to demonstrate that they can synthesise and critically analyse their technological experiences. Evidence for assessment is required to be presented in a reflective report with supporting portfolio evidence.

The reflective report should: explain the complexities of a situation(s) that the student has identified and explored in the development of a technological outcome(s) through undertaking technological practice; and provide justifications for the technological practices they adopted to develop a technological outcome(s), as well as evidence of the technological outcome(s) itself.

The portfolio evidence should support the reflective report and provide evidence which illustrates the technological practice the student undertook and the technological outcome they developed Students who have been successful in Technology Scholarship examination have usually used a major project where they developed a technological outcome(s) which has also been assessed against the Level 3 internal and/or external achievement standards.

Frequently asked questions:
Are there any prerequisites for this course?

There are no set prerequisites for Product Design courses at Albany Senior High School. It is however within the nature of the subject area that through the senior years, although students build their abilities using familiar methods of design and production, study will be at ever deeper more sophisticated levels.

There is an expectation that over this time students will move towards greater levels of independence where they are demonstrating enthusiasm, self motivation and perseverance in order to solve authentic design problems within their specialist Technological area. It is therefore advisable that you always speak to the specialist Technology teacher working in your area of interest before making final decisions on course choice.