Design & Technology - Introduction
What is the value of Design &Technology?
Design & Technology is an important subject for all students, not only for those who want to specialize in courses in further and higher education.
One feature of Design & Technology is that it makes practical use of knowledge and skills acquired from other subjects. It has links with Mathematics and Science based subjects as well as Economics, Geography and Art & Design. Other subjects have also contributed to the understanding of Design & Technology, which in turn has influenced the way we live our lives.
Another important feature is that it integrates and uses the experiences of students in the development of design briefs whereby student's interests and the knowledge from other subjects are combined in order to formulate Design problems. Particular attention is given to the study of the man-made world and the natural environment. It is also essential for students to consider how Technology has effected the development of society, and in particular, our lives. Students must be able to appreciate the balance between the advantages and the disadvantages of developments in Technology to society.
A member of Society
Design & Technology should be seen as a challenge to all students. It requires initiative, determination, an enquiring mind, being able to manage time and resources and making decisions that demonstrate responsibility for any actions taken. It will also give students the opportunity to work and co-operate with professionals. This will help students to become informed consumers, understanding the balance of issues involved in compromise and in search for quality at an affordable price. This will result in students developing their own set of values and to understand those that operate within society.
Preparing for ones working life
The way one lives today may not be the way one lives tomorrow. We are now living in a constantly changing society where the patterns of work are changing rapidly. This emphasizes the need for students to be adaptable in the knowledge and the skills they acquire.
Design & Technology often involves students in approaching design problems that tackle the development, manufacture and the sale of a product in a business-type environment. This is done by them establishing a market opportunity, meeting the needs of a particular target group, manufacturing the product, considering the distribution and sales, deciding on an appropriate price for the market and then evaluating how successful the product has been.
In this way students learn to adapt to unpredictable situations as they progress through a design problem.
Further Education
Design & Technology is a broad based subject, which has some specialization in project work and in the examination course. Some of the areas include: Advertising, Electronics, Engineering, Product Design and Architecture. In addition to these courses being followed in higher education, they will also provide the basis for further study in Management Ergonomics, Occupational Therapy, Urban Planning and Education.
"The teaching of quality design & technology in our schools is a vital requirement for the country's in the 21st century"
James Dyson
Inventor and manufacturer of the first bagless vacuum cleaner.