[Systems Engineering Teachers' Mailing List] Draft VCE Systems Engineering Survey ... A bit of a joke.

[Bell, Kenneth C]

This is one of my very few conversations on this edulist.

Many of the systems engineering teachers may have received an invitation to participate in a survey for the draft study design.

Having downloaded the draft and summary of proposed changes, I decided to complete the surveymonkey to vent my spleen at another disappointing draft study design.

I should not have been surprised when I found this survey to a fairly limited survey on a few particular aspects of the study design. It is quite obvious that the panel are really happy with the current design and do not want changes. They are obviously happy that Systems Engineering remains a boutique subject taught by a small number of schools when it should be a mainstream subject taught in nearly every school.


Since there was lack of consultation in this survey, I would like to make offer some recommendations (knowing full well that they will be ignored).



*         Make sure the Key Knowledge leaves both the teacher (and the student) to what depth they have to know each concept.
(For example: the use of the words "Function and Operation" is just too vague and leaves the teacher and the student in the dark about how much depth they should know each electrical and mechanical component.


*         Unit 3:  Get rid of the current Area of Study 2 on Clean Energy technologies (Such a vague area of study which again is confusing, particularly the assessment task. How does this equate to what students should study for in the end of year exam?).
Instead:
Area of Study 1: Should focus on Mechanical Principles
Area of Study 2: Should focus Electrical\Electronic Principles
Area of Study 3: Students have to have submitted sufficient project evidence up to and including a chosen design option with justification for their chosen design option. (Just like ART has to do now for their SAT.)


*         Unit 4: Get rid of the current Area of Study 2 on New and Emerging technologies (Again, vague and really poorly resourced. Again, how does this equate to what students should study for in the end of year exam?).
Instead:
Area of Study 1: Should focus on Arduino or Picaxe micro-controller programming (best to have only one and I now believe Arduino is the way to go.).
Area of study 2: Completion of the student project (SAT).

SAT:
Get rid of the requirement that the project must integrate both mechanical and electrical components. Over the last couple of years, there have been Top Design exhibit that appeared to be purely electronic.
(2016 Synthesiser, 2015 Stringless laser harp, 2015 Guitar effects pedal).
So the requirement should be that the project integrates systems but does not need be both mechanical and electrical\electronic.
I feel the current requirement restricts students choice of projects as well as discriminates against school that do not have good metal work construction facilities.
Reduce the number of assessment components for the folio and speak English.  I feel that I have to translate the SAT assessment criteria into a language that students can actually understand.

Anyway, that's my spleen vented. It does feel good to offer my recommendations, even  though I know nothing will change.


Ken Bell
Mortlake College




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