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Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?
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Alison Hardy:
This week's episode is the final of the three parts about the redesigning Design and Technology Project, which I launched in Episode 109. I'm currently sharing some questions that I want your views on whether these are the questions that we need to ask if we're going to redesign, design and technology. So I'm into the final stage, I've got some questions this week that are all about learning and assessment. The previous two episodes have been about the nature of design and technology, and content. So just to remind you, I'm not asking you to answer the questions just yet, in terms of how you respond to the survey that I've got linked to these episodes, there will be an opportunity for you to do that at a later date. What I'm really interested in is whether you think these questions even need to be debated. Are they the key issues? And do you agree with them, or not in terms of that we need to sort of as a community, talk them out and get some answers. And I'm gonna come back to that at the end. So as I said, this is the third and final episode about this project redesigning design and technology. Or rather, just to rephrase, it's the third and final episode of this stage of the project, there's about another three or four stages to go through, which I'll be posting about as they come online. So the third and final section is all about learning and assessments. And there are I can't remember how many questions in this one, there are eight questions. So the first one is, do you agree that we need to debate this question? Do children need to be skillful makers and modellers and the emphasis there is on children? So this is not about whether these children need to be able to do this when they finish school or later on in life? It's do they need to be able to do it. Now? This is why we're thinking about that this is about learning. Do children need to be skillful makers? And modellers? And then the next question, do you think this one should be debated? Or do we already have an answer to it? Should children make what they design? Crikey, my mind is spinning off in all sorts of directions about that one? I want to answer that question. But I think I do think that this is a question that we need to debate that there are lots of different viewpoints that aren't always heard, and some are heard more than others. But do you think we need to debate this question? Should children make what they design? Thirdly, in this section, can you start a D&T project without knowing anything? Now, I've recently been involved in some debates about this, and different people do have different views. So again, I think this is a question that we need to talk about and discuss as a designer technology community. This third question, can you start a DMT project without knowing anything? I deliberately kind of quite a loaded in terms of putting the word anything at the end. But something we need to think about maybe number four, should children be taught cognitive modelling skills? Now what I mean by cognitive modelling skills, this is something from Eddie Norman, who talks about work by Bruce Archer, Ken Baynes and Phil Roberts, who talks about cognitive modelling being the modelling in the mind's eye? And it goes on to say that designers can imagine and manipulate designs in their minds without externalising them at all. And do we actually need to teach children how to do this? Or is this something that we can just assume that they can do? And then the fifth question, do we teach skills in design and technology? And this actually has two parts? And what do we actually mean by skills in DMT? I think it's a word that's bandied around quite a lot, not just in design and technology, but in lots of different places and lots of different subjects. You know, and it came out in my research. So again, this is why I think it's an important question. Do you agree that's an important question that something that we do need to discuss? Or is it a question that we don't need? That? Actually, there's an answer? And so we can kind of design a curriculum already? Because we know what the answer is to this question. I don't know. So I'm welcoming your thoughts in the fifth question. I think, actually, on the sixth question, I'm losing count. Do you need a workshop in design and technology? And I'm, and then I've actually asked it, or any specialist space, because I think the word workshop is loaded. And so specialist space covers more around design studios, as well as spaces where we can make things regardless of what material so do we actually need that in design and technology? Yeah, that's, you know, that's, again, another loaded question. If we don't, then what does that mean for making? What does that mean for modelling? I don't know. So maybe, but do we need to debate what we mean by this workshop or specialist space? Do you think it follows on from from the other questions about? Should children make what they designed and if we skill filmmakers and modellers, but the space where the subject is taught, there are lots of assumptions made, maybe we just kind of go along with things. I know some people have come up with different solutions to the spaces. And Dave Perry clip system has done quite a lot of work around this. But has this really been debated? Amongst the DNC teachers themselves? You know, those of you who are listening who practices subject day in day out? Then second to last question, is the outcome more important than the process? And again, this links to a bit about this idea about a finished product or prototype? But is that what we're driven by, in pupils learning and designing technology? Or is it the process? Or do we know what the answer to that question? So I think we don't need to debate it. And then the final question is about assessment. Can we assess design? Now I know some people listening to this have been involved in leading on assessment for design, and they will say yes, but others might say, are we assessing design? Or are we assessing the outcome of design? And what do we mean by that? And in what ways can we do that? So those are the six questions, just checking again, that is six questions. I think it's eight. I don't know. Mine's a bit addled today. Sorry about that. Those are the eight questions that I've put in this section for learning and assessment. I'm really interested in whether you think these are questions that we need to answer or not answer. And now you've heard all 26 questions over the three episodes? Are there any questions that are missing? So if you go to the survey, there's a link in the show notes. If you go to the survey, there's some questions there that I really like your responses to, which ones of these questions these 26 questions did you particularly agree with? And why? Were there any issues or questions that you didn't agree with? Why? And do you think that we missed any issues or questions? So that's where we're at at the moment is trying to find out? Before we begin redesigning, design and technology, one of the things that we need to resolve as a community? And have we these are the questions that me and Eddie Norman have come up with? Do you agree with them? So those are for you to think about? There's a link in the show notes to the survey, and also a link to the Dropbox document where actually all the questions are listed. So you don't have to have written them all down as I was talking. There's also a space on the survey if you want to be involved in the next part of the project in terms of the expert panel. So once we've gone through all the responses to the survey, and the questions will come out, again, reformatted and whether we styled whether we think they're right. And then there's also an opportunity there, if you want to get involved in the project team that's actually in managing the project running the project, leading the project, there's space for you to indicate that as well. Okay. I've just emailed today, some people who said that they want to be part of that project team. So ask them to promote the survey. And so I know some people are thinking about getting involved, you know, you can get involved as much or as little as you like, there's lots of different ways you can do that. One of the ways you might want to do this, and I've been speaking to some people in the last week or so some people want to take these questions and debate them in their departments to think about redesigning their own curriculum. I've kind of said, Yes, you can do that. And that's absolutely fine. I'm not precious about any of these questions. But you might find it more useful to see the next version of the questions which will come out after people like yourselves who's listening, have responded to the survey. And we've kind of added other people's views. And because at the moment, the questions are only mine, and Eddie's so that might be something else you want to do. I know some people are printing off the questions and sharing them at department meetings and talking about the questions and responding to the survey, in department meetings, and so on. And that's absolutely great. A couple of departments have asked me to go along and lead a session to get people talking about that. If you want me to do that, you're more than welcome to ask me to do that. I've only got limited time. But I can do that. And I can work with departments if you want to think about these questions and think about what they mean for you and how you might respond to them. But I hope if nothing else, you found these 26 questions, mostly it's questions, kind of got your brains thinking about what your view is. But like I said, What I'm really into and if you want to be have be involved in the project to have an impact on the project, the best thing you can do is respond to the survey. Because the more responses we get, the better we are more confident we are in having in knowing that we've got, you know, lots and lots of different views. So please do that. Please do take the time to respond at the moment. The survey is only open until the end of November. I might extend that date because there's no there's nothing precious about that time. We can extend it till the end of December or early January if need be. But please do come back to me if you got any questions, thoughts, opinions or views, I can add that in to the survey. But the best way to do that, as I said, is to follow the link in the show notes to the survey, put your response on there, I also can feel more guaranteed that that's all been done ethically, and I've got your permission to include your responses in our next level of our analysis. And the next part of the project is really exciting. I don't know where it's gonna go. I don't know, whether the DfE or government or whoever might take on board, whatever we come up with as a project team. But it is exciting to even go through these questions and be debating them to see what we all think. As usual. Thanks for listening. You can find me in all the usual places on different social media platforms. Take care