David Barlex Director Nuffield Design & Technology STEM Consultant for the D & T Association

1. A socio cultural constructivist approach to technology teaching - pipe dream or possibility? Resources to support an appropriate pedagogy UPDATE Glasgow December 2007 David Barlex Director Nuffield Design & Technology STEM Consultant for the D & T Association Senior Lecturer Brunel University

2. Presentation overview • Defining a socio cultural constructivist approach • Conditions for success • Lessons from Nuffield Design & Technology • Lessons from Electronics in Schools • Lessons from Young Foresight • Summing up

3. More common in primary schools Defining a socio cultural constructivist approach Teaching that provides pupils with the opportunity to use their life experiences of the world outside school and prior learning in school to support designerly activity and critique through dialogue with others.

4. TIME Drip feed or immersion? SMT Professional Association Collegiality Intellectual and physical SUPPORT RESOURCES EXPERTISE ITE, PD, & from outside teaching Conditions for success

5. Because you can’t run on empty Lessons from Nuffield Design & Technology Designing and making a something for a somebody A BIG Task sometimes called a Capability Task To be successful a pupil needs to use the learning from Small Tasks sometimes called Resource Tasks See www.secondarydandt.org & www.primarydandt.org

6. Using the PIES approach to needs and wants Understanding winners and losers Looking at Design Strategy Resource Tasks Lots of opportunities for the SCC approach

7. Teaching a Capability Task (i)

8. Teaching a Capability Task (ii)

9. Teaching a Capability Task (iii) See Teacher’s Guide in Designing at KS3 www.secondarydandt.org

10. Conceptual What it does Lots of opportunities for the SCC approach Marketing Who it’s for Technical How it works Constructional How it fits together Aesthetic What it looks like Lessons from Electronics in Schools Consider constructing a working radio circuit Consider designing and making a working radio for your gran who has limited manipulative abilities and poor sight

11. What about social impact? Conceptual What it does What about economic impact? Marketing Who it’s for Technical How it works Constructional How it fits together Aesthetic What it looks like What about environmental impact? Lessons from Electronics in Schools Lots of opportunities for the SCC approach See www.electronicsinschools.org/index.php

12. Lessons from Electronics in Schools This design decision audit reveals the opportunities for the SCC approach

13. Lessons from Young Foresight • Pupils design but NOT make • Products and service for the future • Using new and emerging technologies in their design proposals • Writing their own design briefs • Working in groups • Supported by mentors from industry • Presenting their proposals to their peers, teachers and mentors and to adult audiences at innovation conferences REQUIRES the SCC approach

14. Technology People Society Markets Conceptual design with the Young Foresight Tetrahedron See www.youngforesight.org

15. The QTC Challenge • QTC is clever stuff. • It comes as thin sheets or a powder. • It can be built into textiles or fixed to hard surfaces. • In a relaxed state it is a good insulator. • When it is stretched, squashed or twisted it becomes a conductor. • The harder you stretch, squash or twist it the better it conducts. • It’s already been used in power tools and a robot hand. • What would you use it for?

16. Pupils’ concept 1

17. Pupils’ concept 2

18. Pupils’ concept 3

19. A response to a more open challenge

20. Summing up • Socio cultural constructivism defined • Conditions for success - imperative to the endeavour • Nuffield D&T - a simple effective pedagogy supportive of SCC • EIS - design decision audit revealing opportunities for SCC • Young Foresight - collaborative conceptual design requiring SCC

21. Thanks for listening dbarlex@nuffieldfoundation.org