What you should know about level 8 specialist strands
Past, present, and future trends
Technical areas (The knowledge of technical areas)
This is a new learning objective at level 8, where students can draw together their knowledge of how technology has changed over time in relation to socio-cultural needs and geographical locations.
TOP
Putting things together
At level 8, several learning objectives merge into a single objective capturing knowledge and implementation, or they do not progress beyond level 7.
Design in technology
The human factors in the design objective do not progress to level 8, however link to the knowledge of design learning objective, where students critique designs using knowledge gained from their learning about spatial relationships between people, systems, or environments (ergonomics and anthropometrics).
Manufacturing
The two learning objectives at level 6 and 7 - knowledge of and implementation of manufacturing - merge into one objective at level 8. This implementation objective has a focus on green manufacturing processes, where the student determines the suitability of an outcome for green manufacture. The knowledge required to implement manufacturing at this level is about quality control, quality management procedures, and the green considerations for the manufacturing processes.
Design and visual communication
What is good design?
Knowledge of design practice does not progress to level 8. The knowledge of elements and principles of design, and design movements or eras will support students to develop criteria to critique and evaluate the design of technological outcomes. This relates to the level 8 objective, design in technology (DET8), where students also learn why design evaluation criteria has changed over time.
Design a software program structure
This learning objective does not continue through from level 7 but merges with constructing a software program at level 8. Students will construct a complex software program for a specified task using a text based programming language.
Processing technologies: Knowledge of processing
The knowledge of processing learning objective does not progress to level 8. However at level 8, students will implement a complex procedure where they will draw upon the knowledge they have developed at level 6 and 7.
TOP
New additions to the learning objectives at level 8
The knowledge of resistant materials/textiles construction
The knowledge of resistant materials/textiles construction learning objectives do not continue through to level 8. However, teachers in these disciplines could chose from the learning objectives: construct a specified product using CNC machines and/or create an applied design.
Construct a specified product using CNC machines
Implement procedures to make a specified product using a Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machine requires student to perform a sequence of performance and tests using CNC machines.
Create an applied design
Students will apply complex techniques using their chosen design medium to create a specified product that incorporates an applied design to a product.
Last updated July 25, 2013
TOP