Product Design and Technologies Unit 4: Production and evaluation of ethical designs

Prerequisites

Product Design and Technologies Unit 3.

Course Description

In this unit students continue to work as designers throughout the production process. They observe safe work practices in their chosen design specialisations by refining their production skills using a range of materials, tools and processes.

Students collect, analyse, interpret and present data, use ethical research methods and engage with end user(s) to gain feedback and apply their research and findings to the production of their designed solution. Students also focus on how speculative design thinking can encourage research, product development and entrepreneurial activity through the investigation and analysis of examples of current, emerging and future technologies and market trends.

In Area of Study 1, students continue to make the product designed in Unit 3, using materials, tools and processes safely and responsibly. Throughout the production process, they monitor and record their progress during implementation of their scheduled production plan and justify decisions and modifications, if and when necessary.

In Area of Study 2, students evaluate their product and a range of existing products using criteria, data and feedback. They speculate on how designers can be future-focused, innovative and entrepreneurial by suggesting and justifying possible product enhancements and/or improvements based on this evaluation.

 

Areas of Study

Area of Study 1 - Managing production for ethical designs

In this area of study, students focus on working technologically to implement the scheduled production plan and make a product that relates to ethics in order to address the needs or opportunities of an end user(s) as described in Unit 3. Students continue to use materials, tools and processes safely and manage the risks involved. They record and monitor their implementation of the scheduled production plan and document decisions and modifications made throughout this process.

Area of Study 2 - Evaluation and speculative design

In this area of study, students have the opportunity to gather feedback from end users and use criteria to evaluate their product and a range of other existing products. Students follow ethical research practices and use digital technologies that facilitate efficiencies in the collection of data. Students interpret and use these results and other feedback to suggest and justify possible product enhancements and/or improvements.

In addition, students explore speculative design thinking and examine how designers can be future-focused, innovative and entrepreneurial in the adaptation and renewal of products, by using research and development to integrate new and emerging technologies and address market trends.

Assessment

 

Outcome	Marks	Assessment tasks
Outcome 1 SAT On completion of this unit the student should be able to implement a scheduled production plan, using a range of materials, tools and processes and managing time and other resources effectively and efficiently to safely make the product designed in Unit 3. To achieve this outcome the student will draw on key knowledge and key skills outlined in Area of Study 1.		Assessment of VCE Product Design and Technologies includes a School-assessed Task. For this assessment teachers will provide to the VCAA a score representing an assessment of the student’s level of performance according to criteria published by the VCAA.
Outcome 2 SAC On completion of this unit the student should be able to synthesise data to evaluate a range of products, including making judgments about the success of each product, and discuss product designs in regard to entrepreneurial activity, innovation and sustainability and/or other ethical considerations. To achieve this outcome the student will draw on key knowledge and key skills outlined in Area of Study 2.	50	Any one or a combination of: data analysis oral presentation using multimedia: face-to-face or recorded as a video or podcast product analysis research inquiry

School assessed course work for Unit 4 10% of study score

External assessment

The level of achievement for Units 3 and 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year examination. End-of-year examination

Contribution to final assessment

The examination will contribute 30 per cent to the study score.

Description

The examination will be set by a panel appointed by the VCAA. All the key knowledge and key skills that underpin the outcomes in Units 3 and 4 are examinable.

Conditions

The examination will be completed under the following conditions:

•  Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
•  Date: end-of-year, on a date to be published annually by the VCAA.
•  VCAA examination rules will apply. Details of these rules are published annually in the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook.
• The examination will be marked by assessors appointed by the VCAA.

Graded Assessment	Title	Assessment	Exam Duration	Contribution to Study Score (%)
1	Units 3 and 4 Coursework	School-assessed		20
2	School-assessed Task	School-assessed		50
3	Written Examination	November	1.5 hrs	30

The VCAA publishes specifications for all VCE examinations on the VCAA website. Examination specifications include details about the sections of the examination, their weighting, the question format(s) and any other essential information. The specifications are published in the first year of implementation of the revised Unit 3 and 4 sequence together with any sample material.