Albany Senior High School/Coursebook/1HAR

What is this course about?
Level One Technology involves building knowledge and understanding of the design process based within individual, community and global contexts. Authentic learning will underpin all study as students learn how to work with stakeholders to develop outcomes which fulfil a need. They will then evaluate to what extent their solution solves the identified problem. Through study within a range of areas that involve intervention by design students will also gain a sense of the community responsibilities which need to be exercised when designing products and systems to benefit a social group.

What will I learn?
At level one students will learn how to develop a brief for an identified key stakeholder. They will also develop skills in visual communication through the creation of conceptual designs. Within the materials section students will also learn the importance of modelling possible outcomes as an aid to decision making, especially when considering ergonomic and anthropometric detail. With regard to practical development students will build on workshop skills using both hand and machine tools through the manufacture of the developed outcome using resistant materials.

What sorts of things will I do?
Students will learn how to adapt and use the problem solving process as it applies to practice in Technology. They will develop skills of graphic communication and they will gain understanding of how to critically analyse existing products. Practical elements which aid design development include work with modelling materials such as clay, balsa and card. In the workshop students will develop skills and understanding of processes such as MIG welding and lathe work (using metal and wood), they will also learn how to measure and mark out using a range of appropriate materials.

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.