Unit rationale, description and aim
Design thinking is a critical capability in the twenty-first century. In this unit, you will have the opportunity to develop safe, effective workshop skills and enhance your understanding of resistant materials through the application of a structured, iterative product design process. You will extend your ability to use computer-aided design and manufacturing processes to design, safely manufacture and critically evaluate designed products made from a range of different materials, including timber, plastic and metal. This unit contributes to an accredited sequence of industrial and design technologies units that is recognised by state-based Initial Teacher Education standards authorities (NESA, VIT and QCT) and aligns with the Australian Curriculum: Design and Technologies.
Through examples and case studies, you will explore design and manufacturing techniques suitable for timber, metal and plastics, including CAD/CAM technologies. This knowledge and these skills will be applied to your own developed and designed products.
The aim of this unit is for you to explore how a range of resistant materials can be appropriately applied in product design contexts.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Discuss properties and performance characteristics...
Learning Outcome 01
Select and use a range of materials, tools and equ...
Learning Outcome 02
Interpret and apply principles of design using dia...
Learning Outcome 03
Evaluate products in terms of appropriate material...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Design Issues
- Classification, structure and properties of timber, metal, and plastics
- Analysis of properties and performance characteristics of timber, metal & plastics
- Selection criteria for using various materials
- Introduction to sustainability issues in a range of resistant materials
- Introduction to design issues specific to timber, metal & plastics
- Introduction to product design considerations of functionality, aesthetics, and user-centred design
- Introduction to quality attributes specific to timber, metal & plastics design
- Design of simple engineered systems
- Forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour and performance of engineered systems, machines and structures.
Manufacturing techniques
- Design, fabrication and finishing techniques suitable for Industrial Design (resistant) materials
- Timber
- Metal
- Plastics
- Including: measuring and marking out, cutting, shaping, patterning/surface decoration, joining/assembly
- Hand and machine tools – care and use
- Finishing techniques, functional and aesthetic
- Design, fabrication and use of timber, metal and plastic components in simple engineered systems
- Computer-aided manufacturing (subtractive and additive processes)
Workplace Health and Safety
- Workplace health and safety legislation
- Safe operating procedures
- Introduction to risk management processes (including risk assessment)
Implementing design solutions
- Selection of materials and processes – considering characteristics, properties, functionality and the needs of the user/s
- Life cycle thinking and sustainable design strategies
- Iterative design development
- Effective integration of design and manufacture
- Selecting production methods and manufacturing resources
- Production planning
- Quality attributes
- Product review and evaluation
Graphic and design communication techniques for Industrial Design
- AS1100 drawing standards
- Preparing, reading and interpreting production drawings
- Computer-aided design
Technologies Workshop Safety
- Safe Operating Procedures for Timber Workshop hand tools, equipment and machines used for manufacturing timber products
- Safe Operating Procedures for Metal Workshop hand tools, equipment and machines used for manufacturing metal products
- Management practices for technology teachers including safety and risk management, budgeting, selecting, storing, maintaining and replacing materials, equipment and other resources related to product design manufacturing technologies in Timber and Metal
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy uses an assessment-for-learning approach. Tasks progressively assess knowledge, understanding and skills developed throughout the unit. Each assessment task is mapped to learning outcomes and scaffolds a developmental learning sequence related to resistant materials, technologies and product design. The assessment strategy provides a range of authentic tasks aligned to real-world purposes and facilitates self-direction. Assessment tasks are aligned with ACU graduate capabilities and professional standards to allow you to demonstrate knowledge and skills and apply them in preparation for professional work as a Design and Technology teacher. The first task supports you to acquire knowledge of product design by researching and reporting on the properties of resistant materials and manufacturing techniques.
Safe work practices are introduced in workshops and assessed through a hurdle task. Practical workshops provide opportunities for skill development and formative assessment, which supports the assimilation of knowledge. Subsequent tasks assess your achievement of a synthesis between design theory and practice in resistant materials.
The main assessment method used is a design project comprising a design folio and a designed and manufactured product. Folios document your design processes and include evidence of identifying user needs, project definition, research, ideation, prototyping, iteration, critical evaluation and risk assessment.
Overview of assessments
Hurdle Task Technologies Workshop Safety Induct...
Hurdle Task
Technologies Workshop Safety Induction that requires student to demonstrate correct safe use of hand, machine and manufacturing technologies Timber and Metal in a workshop environment and related OnGuard WHS online safety training and testing records.
Pass/Fail
Assessment Task 1: Materials, Design and Fabricat...
Assessment Task 1: Materials, Design and Fabrication Processes Report
Requires students to test and discuss properties and performance characteristics of resistant materials.
20%
Assessment Task 2: Design Project 1 Requires stu...
Assessment Task 2: Design Project 1
Requires students to demonstrate developing design and manufacturing knowledge of and skills in a range of resistant materials.
40%
Assessment Task 3: Design Project 2 Requires stu...
Assessment Task 3: Design Project 2
Requires students to demonstrate developing design and manufacturing knowledge, design communication skills and the ability to evaluate a designed product.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning or the equivalent of 12.5 hours per week over a 12-week semester. You will be provided with a range of structured learning opportunities, including lectures, practical workshops, classroom discussions, reflection, case study analysis, research, online materials such as readings and videos, and preparation of assessment tasks.
A student-focused, problem-based learning approach is used in this unit to support you in developing theoretical and technical knowledge and skills. This unit is designed to consolidate and extend your prior learning in product design and to help you make meaningful new connections between existing and new knowledge.
You will encounter concepts and principles of industrial product design through lectures, analysis of case studies and development of design projects. In practical workshops, you will apply your knowledge and skills to design, safely produce and evaluate resistant materials solutions that respond to authentic, real-world needs. Skills in product design, manufacture, and critical evaluation are developed through a practice-oriented learning method. This learning method enables you to develop conceptual knowledge of product design in parallel with procedural knowledge and provides you with sufficient opportunity to improve your skills and strengthen your capacity for professional activity.