TechnoPush Step-by-step

TechnoPush Step-by-step
NRMA in the Community | TechnoPush | TechnoPush Step-by-step
STEP 1: Engaging Students - Getting Started

  • Introduce the KDC-NRMA TechnoPush Challenge Scenario and the Design brief
  • Highlight the major features and requirements
  • Build the context - explore leisure activities over time and in different cultures
  • Focus on pushcarts: identify what we already know and what we need to find out
  • Introduce and display the KDC-NRMA TechnoPush Challenge Design specifications
  • Develop the class/group criteria for success.

By the end of STEP 1 students will have established criteria and requirements for their design of the pushcart. 


Reflection questions:
Students:

  • What is the purpose of the task?
  • What do we need to do to achieve our goal?
  • How did we establish the design criteria for the pushcart?
  • What did we learn?

Teacher:

  • Could students clarify the task?
  • Do they understand the purpose of the task?
  • Do students understand the requirements of the challenge?

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STEP 2: Investigating phase - Investigating to inform design

  • Establishing investigations: "What do we need to find out about pushcarts?"
  • Create expert groups for investigation
  • Observing and exploring vehicles
  • Planning and conducting tests on pushcart components - devising a fair test
  • Expert groups report and display their findings with class
  • Assessing investigation.

By the end of STEP 2 students have completed fair tests to investigate components of the pushcarts, movement and materials. 

They have used their findings to recommend suitable design features for the pushcart.

Reflection questions:
Students:

  • As a group, how did we decide what investigation question we would focus on?
  • What did we learn about fair tests? What's important to remember when conducting a fair test?
  • What have we learnt about the investigating process?
  • What do I understand about energy and forces?
  • How well did we use the test results to make recommendations for the pushcart design?

Teacher:

  • Were instructions explicit enough to enable students to work through the process?
  • What could I have explained further?
  • Were student groups given the opportunity to collaborate to choose and evaluate investigative tasks undertaken?
  • How well were students able to apply and transfer what they learnt from their scientific investigations to the proposed pushcart design?

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STEP 3: The Design Phase - Generating, refining and selecting ideas for the class pushcart

  • Record, organise and analyse data from investigations and research
  • Generate ideas for the class pushcart
  • Record design ideas in drawings
  • Ask an expert - e-mail an expert
    • An online facility allowing the class to ask questions of industry professionals is a component of the Kids' Design Challenge. Ensure that students have a particular aspect of their design or a problem in mind about which to seek feedback or new ideas.
    • Discuss how to create appropriate e-mail questions. Use the ?Ask an expert' strategically, and monitor student emails to ensure quality of questions.
  • Presenting group design proposals
  • Consolidating ideas to create a class pushcart design
  • Assessing designing and making.

By the end of STEP 3 students will have developed, through negotiation, a plan for the class pushcart, that clearly depicts all facets of the brief - based on established criteria and specifications. 


Reflection questions:
Students:

  • What did we need to consider when designing the pushcart?
  • How well did we collaborate with the members of our group to achieve our goals?
  • How did the model making help us generate ideas for the pushcart?
  • How well does our proposed pushcart design meet the negotiated criteria and the design specifications?
  • How will we assess if the pushcart meets the design criteria and the requirements of the event relay/ obstacle/ time trial challenge?

Teacher:

  • Were instructions explicit enough to enable students to work through the process?
  • What could I have explained further?
  • How useful was the assortment of hands-on equipment for students in generating ideas and drawings?
  • Were students able to incorporate features they considered important or essential in Step 1 and Step 2?

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STEP 4: Producing the pushcart and preparing for the Challenge event

  • Revisit the design task to identify the tasks required
  • Introduce group tasks and allocate students to teams.

Team 1- Building the pushcart: based on the class' design solution, and referring to the design specifications

Team 2 - Drivers and pushers: devising safety and fitness plans for the class

Team 3 - Media: documenting and presenting aspects of the class' work in creating the pushcart
 
Team 4 - Marketing: developing a distinctive identity and ?look' to promote the pushcart and the class team.

  • Teams identify specific roles and responsibilities, and develop team action plans
  • Using their plans, students complete the team tasks
  • Ask an expert - e-mail an expert - as required
  • Review all tasks by checking against the Design Specifications and criteria
  • Assess learning outcomes.

By the end of STEP 4 students will have built a pushcart that meets the design criteria and the requirements of the challenge. All changes and rethinking will have been documented. All groups have planned, managed and completed their group's event tasks. 

Reflection questions:
Students:
Builders Group:

  • What are the most appropriate materials/tools to use?
  • What is the most appropriate method of construction?
  • How well did the pushcart design ideas meet a) the pushcart design criteria? b) the requirements of the challenge?
  • What needed modification? Why? How has it been documented?
  • Was the procedure for building and deconstructing the pushcart easy to follow?
  • How well did we follow the design process?

Advertisers/ Media/Riders and Drivers Groups:

  • How well did you meet the criteria of your group task?
  • How well did your group organise, prioritise and manage your tasks? What would you do better?
  • What did you learn about ?.? (Advertising, media presentation, preparing fitness and safety programs for others to follow)
  • How well did you work with members of your group?
  • How well did you collaborate with other groups to achieve the class goals for the event challenge?
  • How well did we follow the design process?

Teacher:

  • To what degree were students able to direct their own learning?
  • Did students apply "just in time" skills when constructing their models and creating their presentations?
  • Were the resources adequate?
  • Were student groups given opportunities to resolve and evaluate tasks undertaken?
  • Were the students on-task and working cooperatively?
  • How well did the group organisation help in fulfilling the challenge?

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STEP 5: Evaluating Phase: evaluating and celebrating design achievements

Visit by NRMA Scrutineers.
  • Prepare for the KDC-NRMA TechnoPush Challenge Event. Bring together all the elements of the presentation
  • Students test their products and practise using them
  • Present final product to the school and community
  • Display the final solution and the record of the learning processes
  • Assess learning outcomes.

 By the end of STEP 5 It's time to CELEBRATE!

The design solution is complete. Requirements for the event challenge day have been met. The class' event presentation is ready.

Reflection questions:
Students:
  • What have we learnt about the design process?
  • What have we learnt about physical phenomena /energy and forces?
  • What have we learnt about the investigating process?
  • What did we learn from each other to complete the class event presentation?
  • How well did your product meet the agreed criteria for success?
  • How well did we follow the design process?
  • What would you do differently?

Teacher:

  • To what extent did students achieve the anticipated outcomes and big ideas?
  • Did the implementation strategies enable students to complete the tasks and achieve the outcomes?
  • How well were students able to evaluate the products as well as the learning processes?
  • How well were students able to integrate what they learnt from each other and combine them in one class presentation?
  • What worked well?
  • What didn't work?

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STEP 6: Showcase your class' achievements!

  • Prepare brief electronic record of the class' experiences
  • Refer to the Essential Information hand out for suggested items to include in the presentation
  • Presentations should:
    • feature images and drawings produced by the class
    • contain no more than 10 pages/slides
    • be no larger than 1mb in total file size.
  • Submit CD-ROM at the KDC-NRMA TechnoPush Challenge Event

At the end of the project: Step 6: The class has reflected on the challenge event and their learning.

The pushcart class design solution and presentation has been submitted to Kids' Design Challenge! 

Reflection questions:
Students:
  • How did we learn?
  • What did we learn?
  • What have we learnt about presenting our design solution?
  • How well did we achieve our goals throughout the challenge?
  • How did we feel presenting and participating in the TechnoPush Challenge event?

Teacher:

  • To what extent did students achieve the anticipated outcomes and big ideas?
  • Did the implementation strategies enable students to complete the tasks and achieve the outcomes?
  • How well were students able to evaluate the products and the learning processes?
  • How well were students able to integrate what they learnt from each other and combine them in one class presentation?
  • What would you do differently if you taught this unit again?
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- Ask an expert


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