[Design and Technology] Student production and commercial plans

[Lisa Walsh]

Dear David,
Are you asking whether a student might use the "plans" without any design
development of their own? My understanding of the integrity of the Product
Design & Technology course is that students are to develop "three to six
potential solutions" using "creative and critical thinking techniques" in
the process. Also that the design and subsequent product should satisfy the
"needs and requirements" of a particular "client/end user". My
understanding is that a good design incorporates the functional needs of
the client, has an appealing aesthetic for the client, shows the use of
appropriate materials and processes to achieve the best possible quality
and incorporates cleverness or innovation. Some "complex processes" should
be involved. I cannot see how these aspects can be satisfied by the use of
another designer's plans. As a textiles teacher, students use patterns only
as a starting point, as designers in industry also do, and then students
develop them into their own patterns to reflect their unique design
aesthetic and then further following client fittings and alterations. I
have been teaching PD&T for several years and I am also "the department" as
many of us are...I hope this helps.
Regards,
Lisa Walsh




On 15 February 2014 21:49, Pitt, David <pi at camhigh.vic.edu.au> wrote:

>  *From:* Pitt, David
> *Sent:* Saturday, 15 February 2014 7:50 PM
> *To:* 'destech-bounces at edulists.com.au'
> *Subject:* Student production and commercial plans
>
>
>
> Hi all
>
>
>
> I'm teaching Unit 3/4 VCE Product design for the first time this year, and
> I'm currently "the Department", as it were.  So, I have a question
> regarding reference to commercially or publicly available plans for
> resistant material production for the esteemed minds.
>
>
>
> I was curious to know:   How heavily can a student draw on pre-designed
> patterns (particularly for wood/metal).  I was led to wonder, not just say
> "Not at all", after a student pressed me on it last week after going
> through the study design and assessment advice, and I wonder whether he is
> right, assuming he acknowledges his sources.
>
>
>
>
>
> I went back to the books, and turned up the following:
>
> The study design, Prod. Des. assessment handbook, and authentication
> advice do not *explicitly* state the role that reference to commercial
> plans can take in the SAT process (except as related to a garment - 3
> changes if it is the basis of the work).   I know the implication
> throughout is that all design work and therefore options should be student
> initiated. My understanding was that all design options *had to be
> original*.  But.
>
>
>
> The Key Skills the student needs to demonstrate from Unit 3 Outcome 3
> related to the design activities (and therefore the terms of reference)are :
>
>
>
> ·         *Use a range of visualisations, drawing and communication
> methods, including ICT where appropriate, for the design and development
> stage of the Product design process and appropriately acknowledge IP and
> other sources of information.  (emphasis added)*
>
>
>
> And this is the criteria related to the design (4) from the recent 10pt
> SAT marking criteria.
>
>
>
> Criteria
>
> 5                                     -                                6
>
>
>
> 4. Skill in developing
>
> innovative and creative
>
> design options, ability to
>
> use a decision matrix and
>
> justify the preferred option.
>
> a)      Adequate use of a range of
>
> communication methods to
>
> convey design options.
>
>
>
> b)      Design options incorporate
>
> adequate annotations relevant to
>
> the design brief that show
>
> innovative and creative design
>
> thinking techniques.
>
>
>
> c)       Satisfactory justification of the
>
> preferred option using weighted
>
> criteria in the decision matrix, in
>
> conjunction with client and/or
>
> end user(s) feedback.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> a)       Now, I can image how it would be entirely possible for a student
> to successfully show knowledge and use of visual communication methods
> (visualisations, design options) through the representation or expansion of
> parts of commercial plans which have not been detailed (exploded views,
> isometrics from orthogonal plans, etc.) to convey their ideas without
> substantively changing the design, but attributing IP.
>
>
>
> b)       Annotation of the design options (assuming a heavily
> appropriated option) would be *easily *made relevant to the brief and
> show the relationship between design brief and option, regardless of who
> drew it
>
>
>
> c)       Justification of any option via criteria should be performable
> by any individual with the same result, assuming that the criteria are
> valid, and the Design options are detailed enough to convey the requisite
> info.
>
>
>
>
>
> So.  The Crux.
>
>
>
> Have I missed somewhere where it *explicitly* states that a student
> *cannot* use, interpret, and/or expand upon a commercial or publicly
> available plan in the presentation of visualisations and design options for
> Unit 3 Outcome 3, or which states that by doing so, they will lose marks in
> Criteria 4 specifically and the SAT generally.
>
>
>
> If it turns out "No public plans", I'm also confused what happens if they
> choose to acknowledge IP of the designer and use their design anyway, but
> then complete the annotations and justify their choice with appropriate
> criteria.  They will have achieved two components of the three.  Should
> they be given the marks?  Or does not satisfying one element invalidate the
> whole criteria?  Therefore do we need to mark to the lowest achievement in
> every criteria which is a composite of multiple activities, even if it's
> the minority that is lower range?
>
>
>
> If anyone can definitively answer (with a reference to a specific line of
> VCAA published advice) this question of how much reliance can be placed on
> pre-existing designs, I'd really appreciate it.  First year in the study, I
> don't want to be caught out by missing one line of text, or a "Commonly
> held understanding" that isn't explicitly stated anywhere at all.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> David Pitt.
>
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