Sectors of knowledge and understanding for designing and making

Working in design and technology calls for an understanding of diverse fields of knowledge and expertise. It is not possible for students to be familiar with more than a handful of these. But any particular design and technology activity may call for knowledge and understanding of unfamiliar sectors of activity and the student may be called upon to explore a new sector in order to find a solution to a current problem.

There are two ways of handling this. They are both based on the principle that students are to be encouraged to pursue their own interests, enthusiasms and lines of expertise in design and technology.

• The first is for students to recognise their own interests and competences and to plan their progression in tasks and projects upon them, even if they are very different from those of their fellow students
• The second is for teachers to plan a class-based course of study related to their own interests and expertise at the same time encouraging their students to add their own personal input.

These are not mutually exclusive but they can both give a sense of direction and progression to students and teachers.

On their own, neither prepares students for the unknown future requirements for new knowledge and understanding. But this can be assisted by setting whatever knowledge that is being learned in a framework of transferable concepts, ie common technological concepts which have relevance to many sectors of knowledge.

If this principle is adhered to, it is of less significance which sector provides the principal field of study.

Students should feel confident that design and technology is an area of study dedicated to helping them find the fields of creative activity and the sectors of knowledge and understanding in which they can feel most confident and motivated and able to progress to the limits of their abilities.

Examples of sectors	Technology concepts
Automotive engineering	Propulsion Stability Rigidity Control Force transfer
Furniture design	Rigidity Flexibility Force transfer Stability Prestressing Ergonomics
Communications	Ergonomics Latching Toggling Wireless transmission
Textile technology	Control Latching Toggling Stability Rigidity
Chemical engineering	Chemical ing Electronic indicating
Dynamics	Amplification Power matching Energy storage and transfer
Workshop technology	Materials processing Shearing Amplification

Go to Concepts in design and technology for help in planning a course which, from the start, is rooted in the fundamental concepts of technology and draws on a diversity of sectors for practical illustration.

A guide to knowledge and understanding for designing and making

Using sectors is one convenient way of dividing up the knowledge and understanding which students may need to access for the many purposes of design and technology. It also helps in planning coherent and progressive courses in design and technology.

Sectors may be approached in several ways, such as by type of product, by the workshop facilities available, by science-related fields of knowledge. These are not clear-cut alternatives and there is much overlap between such approaches.

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Type of product

Furniture, models, vehicles, art, science equipment, musical instruments and sports equipment.

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Practical workshop facilities

Materials and components which are to provide the principal manufacturing resources, such as timber, metal, plastic, electronic, textile and food.

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Science-related field of knowledge

Called on in designing, such as structures, mechanisms, aerodynamics, hydraulics, electricity, material and control.

Design and technology calls for an understanding drawn from many fields of knowledge and expertise.

A course in D&T is not an so much an end in itself as a start in lifelong learning for coping with the increasing complexities of technology and using it for purposes of problem-solving, designing, making, maintaining equipment and, generally, living with its effects and influences.

An activity in design and technology may call for knowledge and understanding from unfamiliar sectors, and the student may be called upon to explore a new sector in order to find a solution to a current problem which arose from a different sector.

This open-ended, outward-looking nature of design and technology is one of its key educational features and is to be preserved and fostered. At the same time, it makes for difficulties in planning coherent and progressive courses for whole classes of students, but this can be assisted by setting whatever knowledge that is being learned in a framework of transferable concepts, ie common technological concepts that have relevance in many sectors of knowledge.

If this principle is adhered to, it is of less significance which sector provides the principal field of study.