Unit rationale, description and aim
There is growing educational and societal need for young people to develop technological literacy, ethical awareness and future focused design capabilities. As emerging technologies transform Australian industries and everyday life, students require learning experiences that build problem-solving, creativity and sustainable design practices.
This unit prepares preservice teachers to engage Years 7–10 learners in Design and Technologies, reflecting contemporary curriculum expectations, national priorities and the diverse cultural and linguistic realities of Australian classrooms. Through online learning and practical design activities, preservice teachers will explore evidence informed approaches to Design and Technologies, including explicit instruction, design thinking, project based learning and safe, ethical use of digital and physical design environments. Learning experiences will build their capacity to plan coherent learning sequences, embed cross curriculum priorities and design assessment that supports student progress. Inclusive, culturally responsive and accessible pedagogies are modelled to enable preservice teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners, including those with disability and varied prior experience.
The aim of this unit is to equip preservice teachers with the curriculum knowledge, pedagogical skills and professional judgement required to design, implement and evaluate high-quality Years 7–10 Design and Technologies programs that prepare students for active and ethical participation in a rapidly changing world.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.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.
Describe the structure, intent and key features of...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain how students learn Design and Technologies...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse the concepts, substance and structure of D...
Learning Outcome 03
Design coherent unit and learning sequences in Des...
Learning Outcome 04
Evaluate assessment strategies and feedback practi...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
· Reflecting on prior experiences of teaching and learning in Years 7-10 Design and Technologies (D&T)
· Australian Curriculum and local curriculum documentation for Year 7-10 D&T, including Cross‑Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities
· Theories of learning relevant to design and technology education
· Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in D&T, including design thinking, project-based and collaborative learning
· Designing units of work and related summative assessments for Years 7-10 D&T
· Teaching strategies and approaches for Years 7-10 D&T, including explicit instruction, project-based learning, and design thinking process
· Managing practical classes, including classroom movement, and safe use of equipment and materials
· Strategies for monitoring and differentiating student learning in Year 7-10 D&T, including formal and informal feedback, checklists, and differentiated instruction model (content, process, product, learning environment)
· Resource development and curation to support D&T teaching and learning that is ethical and professional, including the use of generative AI for data analysis, modelling and simulation
· Classroom verbal and non-verbal communication for D&T, including the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) model, questioning, modelling and scaffolding techniques
· Roles and professional responsibilities of a contemporary teacher of D&T, including student safety and wellbeing in physical and online environments, including generative AI.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessment in this unit is designed to strengthen preservice teachers’ capability to plan, teach and assess Design and Technologies in Years 7–10. The two tasks are sequenced to provide formative feedback and build knowledge and skill through alignment with authentic school-based responsibilities associated with teaching Design and Technologies. Both tasks include explicit guidance on the ethical use of generative AI for brainstorming, drafting and refinement, with clear expectations for transparency and originality, making and evaluation of digital tools.
Task 1 requires preservice teachers to design a coherent Years 7–10 Digital Technologies unit of work aligned to curriculum requirements. This task assesses their ability to interpret curriculum documents, apply evidence-informed pedagogical approaches such as design thinking and explicit instruction, incorporate differentiation and address digital safety and ethics. Task 2 involves developing a folio of eight teaching resources for Design and Technologies and providing a critical analysis of their pedagogical design. Preservice teachers evaluate how the resources support learning through design thinking, future focused pedagogy, and inclusive practices.
To pass this unit, preservice teachers must complete all assessment tasks and receive a passing grade of 50% overall.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Planning a Unit of Work Stude...
Assessment Task 1: Planning a Unit of Work
Students will design a coherent Year 7–10 Design Technologies unit of work that aligns with curriculum requirements, such as NESA Stage 4 Technology Mandatory, and leads to a selected summative assessment task. Apply evidence informed approaches to (1) develop design thinking, content and skills, including problem-solving; (2) incorporate explicit instruction, differentiation and inclusive practices; and (3) justify curriculum, pedagogical and assessment decisions using relevant scholarly and policy evidence.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Design Teaching Resources Foli...
Assessment Task 2: Design Teaching Resources Folio
Students will develop a portfolio of eight (8) teaching resources that support learning in Design and Technologies in Years 7-10, such as NESA Stage 5 Design and Technology. Conduct a critical analysis of the resources and their pedagogical design using relevant pedagogical frameworks. The resources should demonstrate the integration of design thinking, future-focused pedagogy, inclusive practices, and curriculum alignment reflecting best practice in teaching, learning, and assessment in Design and Technologies.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The teaching approach in this unit is grounded in evidence informed practices that support and build preservice teachers’ capability to teach Years 7–10 Design and Technologies. Learning experiences draw on social constructivist and adult learning principles, enabling preservice teachers to learn through active engagement, problem-solving, modelling and reflective dialogue. Tutorials and practical activities model effective pedagogical practices, including explicit instruction, cognitive scaffolding, design thinking cycles and project-based learning.
Teaching strategies are sequenced to gradually build pedagogical content knowledge and technical skills, with frequent opportunities for practice, feedback and collaborative learning. Diverse learning needs are supported through multiple means of representation, optional supports, step-by-step modelling, and structured opportunities for guided practice, consistent with principles of accessibility and inclusive pedagogy. Consideration is given to model how teachers can scaffold activities that may challenge some learners, including those with disability or limited prior experience to promote confidence and equitable participation. Overall, the teaching strategy aims to develop preservice teachers’ professional judgement, curriculum knowledge and capacity to apply evidence informed pedagogies in authentic Design and Technologies contexts.
Representative texts and references
Recommended texts and documents
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au
Relevant jurisdictional curriculum documents ACT Education Directorate: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/Our-Curriculum.
New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA): https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (CAA): https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/HomePage.aspx.
Recommended references
Alfarwan, A. A. (2025). Generative AI use in K–12 education: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1647573. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1647573
Bower, M. (2017). Design of technology enhanced learning: Integration of technology in schools. Emerald Publishing.
Australasian Journal of Technology Education. (2025). Australasian Journal of Technology Education, 10. https://ajte.org/index.php/AJTE
Bower, M., & von Mengersen, B. (Eds.). (2025). Technologies education – Students as digital designers. ACU Press.
Design and Technology Education: An International Journal. (2022–2025). Design and Technology Education: An International Journal. Liverpool John Moores University. https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/DesignTechnologyEducation
Fock, A., & Siller, H.-S. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence in secondary STEM education in the light of human flourishing: A scoping literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 12, Article 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-025-00589-5
Hatzigianni, M., Gregoriadis, A., & Fleer, M. (2021). Developing students’ digital literacy across learning areas: A pedagogical framework. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 37(5), 80–95.
Giffney, S., & Lane, D. (2025). Towards an integrated model of STEM education in secondary schools: Perspectives of practicing teachers in Ireland. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 35, 1805–1824. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-025-09971-4
Kalelioğlu, F. (2020). A systematic review of the use of AI-based educational tools in K–12 settings. Education and Information Technologies, 25(4), 1–20.
McLain, M. (2022). Towards a signature pedagogy for design and technology education: A literature review. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32, 1629–1648. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09667-5
Mitchell, A. (2021). Teaching STEM in the secondary school: Helping teachers meet the challenge. Design and Technology Education: An International Journal, 26(1), 137–140. https://doi.org/10.24377/DTEIJ.article1259
Mosely, G., Harris, J., & Grushka, K. (2021). Design education in schools: An investigation of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 31, 677–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-020-09572-3
Niu, M., Lo, C.-H., & Yu, Z. (2021). Embedding virtual reality technology in teaching 3D design for secondary education. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2, Article 661920. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.661920
Rahman, N. A., Rosli, R., Rambely, A. S., Siregar, N. C., Capraro, M. M., & Capraro, R. M. (2022). Secondary school teachers’ perceptions of STEM pedagogical content knowledge. Journal on Mathematics Education, 13(1), 119–134. https://doi.org/10.22342/jme.v13i1.pp119-134
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Tang, K.-S., Cooper, G., Rappa, N., Cooper, M., Sims, C., & Nonis, K. (2024). A dialogic approach to transform teaching, learning and assessment with generative AI in secondary education: A proof of concept. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 19(3), 493–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/1554480X.2024.2379774
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