Grade 12 - Product Development(Problem Solving)

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

appraise products or systems and justify modifications to design or production processes
use appropriate technical vocabulary and information technology tools to communicate solutions
apply business and entrepreneurship principles when developing products or systems

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Product Development (Problem Solving) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Product development provides students with opportunities to analyse and evaluate materials, processes, and technology in all stages of production. Using real-life production issues, students learn to make effective decisions when developing products or systems.

Have students work in teams to identify design flaws in the school´s facilities (e.g., hallway congestion, noise transmission, poor ventilation or lighting). Provide students with copies of the building plans, then ask them to list possible improvements and justify their suggestions using engineering, production, and design principles.
Ask students to identify and design products that are needed in the community. To ensure that the products they develop will meet end-users´ needs, encourage students to conduct background research on the target markets. Once they complete their research, ask them to begin development and also to create final reports that each include a business plan, an account of production costs, and a breakdown of responsibilities. Ask students to present their products to the class and describe how the information they gathered contributed to their designs.
Have students redesign and, if possible, construct a kitchen or bathroom in a local community facility (e.g., library, recreation centre) as a barrier-free area. Ask them to ensure that the modifications they suggest incorporate current access guidelines and regulations for:
- counter tops
- storage facilities
- washing facilities
- bathroom fixtures or kitchen appliances
- lighting and electrical outlets
- grab rails
Challenge students to create a scale model of their design and display it at the community facility.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

As students work on problems in product development, they can demonstrate their abilities to justify modifications to design or production processes in terms of principles of engineering, standards of quality and reliability, reduction of waste, specified design criteria, time, and cost.

As students examine their school for design flaws and suggest possible improvements, note their abilities to:
- identify design flaws
- read plans or blueprints to collect pertinent information
- generate a variety of viable solutions to address design flaws
- use appropriate terminology
After students design a barrier-free kitchen or bathroom, confer with them to assess their abilities to critically analyse their designs. Ask them the following questions:
- What are the strengths and limitations of your design solutions?
- What potential safety concerns did you address?
- Are there any other issues you would address in a subsequent design?
To assess student thinking, confer with individuals or design teams as they develop devices to suit a particular client with a physical limitation. Ask questions such as:
- What design parameters did you define based on the user´s needs?
- How will your device meet the user´s needs?
- How else could you have designed the device to meet these needs?
- What design elements have you incorporated to improve the function or aesthetic appeal of the device?
- How could you evaluate the effectiveness of your device?