A socio cultural constructivist approach to technology teaching - pipe dream or

possibility? Resources to support an appropriate

pedagogy

David BarlexDirector Nuffield Design & Technology

STEM Consultant for the D & T Association

Senior Lecturer Brunel University

UPDATE Glasgow December 2007

Presentation overview

• Defining a socio cultural constructivist approach

• Conditions for success• Lessons from Nuffield Design & Technology

• Lessons from Electronics in Schools• Lessons from Young Foresight• Summing up

Defining a socio cultural constructivist approach

Teaching that provides pupils with the opportunity to use their life experiences of the world outside school and prior learning in school to support designerly activity and critique through dialogue with others.

More common in primary schools

Conditions for successTIME

RESOURCES

EXPERTISE

SUPPORT

Drip feed or immersion?

Intellectual and physical

ITE, PD, & from outside teaching

SMT

Professional Association

Collegiality

Lessons from Nuffield Design & Technology

Designing and making a something for a somebody

A BIG Task sometimes called a Capability Task

To be successful a pupil needs to use the learning from Small Tasks sometimes called Resource Tasks

Because you can’t run on empty

See www.secondarydandt.org & www.primarydandt.org

Looking at Design Strategy Resource Tasks

Lots of opportunities for the SCC approach

Using the PIES approach to needs and wants

Understanding winners and losers

Teaching a Capability Task (i)

CapabilityTaskActivity

Teacher decisions

Introducing

Talkstart

Walkstart

Handstart

Readstart

Computerstart

See start Self start

Linking Which other area of the curriculum do you want your pupils to use in thisCapability Task? Is it . .maths, science, art & design, IT, one of the key skills, literacy, citizenship?

The brief What is the scope of the brief? Just how open or closed should it be for yourpupils?Closed – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Open

Trappingideas andfirstfeedback

Use getting design idea strategies for pupils to produce initial design ideas.Do you want them to produce just one idea each or lots of different ideas?Display the ideas so that each pupil can get feedback from the rest of thegroupJ ust one idea – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Lots of ideas

Teaching a Capability Task (ii)

Thespecification

How complex should the task be for particular pupils?Negotiate the specification with individual pupils to achieve gooddifferentiation.Simple – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Complex

Modellingsolutions

What’s the diversity of experience here?How many different sorts of modelling will be happening in your class toproduce prototype products?J ust one sort – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Several different sorts

Secondfeedback

Working in pairs pupils take on alternate roles of client and designer.Client has specification and designer has prototype product. Will theproduct meet the specification? Will it delight the client? What questionswill the pupils ask ? Will you give them questions or will they make themup?Given questions – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Free questions

Teaching a Capability Task (iii)

Teacherfeedback

Use prototypes and pupil’s Nuffield Note Book to give three point feedbackto each pupil• a comment about the design • a comment about the production •

a comment to motivateeither overall or a point of detail personal to the pupil

Production What range of tools, materials and technical components will pupils useNarrow range – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Wide rangeWill all the pupils be able to make their design? How much help will youneed to give? Can they help each other? Will you need to demonstrate? Willyou need to set up specialist making stations? ?

Finalfeedback

How will your pupils evaluate their products?On their own? In pairs or small groups? Through general class discussion?What criteria will they use for this evaluation?

Taskreview

How did the pupils perform in the Capability Task? What did they learn?What might they do better next time?On their own? In pairs or small groups? Through general class discussion?Target setting for the next Capability Task

See Teacher’s Guide in Designing at KS3 www.secondarydandt.org

Lessons from Electronics in Schools

MarketingWho it’s for

ConstructionalHow it fits together

ConceptualWhat it does

TechnicalHow it works

AestheticWhat it looks like

Consider constructing a working radio circuit

Consider designing and making a working radio for your gran who has limited manipulative abilities and poor sight

Lots of opportunities for the SCC approach

Lessons from Electronics in Schools

MarketingWho it’s for

ConstructionalHow it fits together

ConceptualWhat it does

TechnicalHow it works

AestheticWhat it looks like

What about social impact? What about economic impact?

What about environmental impact? Lots of opportunities for the SCC approachSee

www.electronicsinschools.org/index.php

Lessons from Electronics in Schools

Conceptual Technical Aesthetic Constructional

Marketing

BIG Task 1 Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

BIG Task 2 Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

BIG Task 3 Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

BIG Task 4 Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Pupil or teacher?

Etc

This design decision audit reveals the opportunities for the SCC approach

Lessons from Young Foresight

• Pupils design but NOT make• Products and service for the future• Using new and emerging technologies in their design proposals

• Writing their own design briefs• Working in groups• Supported by mentors from industry• Presenting their proposals to their peers, teachers and mentors and to adult audiences at innovation conferences REQUIRES the SCC

approach

Conceptual design with the Young Foresight Tetrahedron

Technology

Society

Markets

People

See www.youngforesight.org

The QTC Challenge

• QTC is clever stuff. • It comes as thin sheets or a powder.• It can be built into textiles or fixed to hard

surfaces.• In a relaxed state it is a good insulator.• When it is stretched, squashed or twisted it

becomes a conductor.• The harder you stretch, squash or twist it the

better it conducts.• It’s already been used in power tools and a

robot hand.

• What would you use it for?

Pupils’ concept 1

Pupils’ concept 2

Pupils’ concept 3

A response to a more open challenge

Summing up

• Socio cultural constructivism defined

• Conditions for success - imperative to the endeavour

• Nuffield D&T - a simple effective pedagogy supportive of SCC

• EIS - design decision audit revealing opportunities for SCC

• Young Foresight - collaborative conceptual design requiring SCC

Thanks for listening

dbarlex@nuffieldfoundation.org