Foundation Year. TECHNOLOGY CONTENTS.

(A proposal/draft)
Emphasis: Product Design / Technical Systems Design

OBJECTIVES OF THE AREA: At the end of this emphasis/area, the students will be able to:

1.

Understand the fundamentals of the design process of industrial goods (products & services), identifying and explaining its main activities and associating it with the needs satisfaction of human needs under practical conditions (technical efficacy and efficiency, economics and social conditions). Put into practice the process design in the classroom (simplified) to obtain new products and technical solutions, or to improve existing ones, that solve basic needs and technical problems, through needs analysis, research, design of optimal solutions, building and evaluation of prototype solutions developed. Demonstrate knowledge and skills in a selected set of technical and instrumental fields that are supportive of the process design and be able to apply it to specific problems and classroom projects completing it eventually through basic research. Demonstrate generic and transferable knowledge, skills and attitudes that support how to work in practical design and projects with autonomy, efficacy and creativity, including: communicating, cooperate and teamwork, working in systematic and safe manner, self-management of resources, basic problem solving and use of (IT) technology. Identify relationships between Technology, Science and Society and discuss critically the technological activity under different perspectives, building in this manner the basement of a professional ethics.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6 MAIN CONTENT BLOCKS: BLOCK 1. TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY. Technology and its implications. 6. BLOCK 2. TECHNICAL DRAWING. Communicating technical information in graphic way. 7. BLOCK 3. ERGONOMY AND AESTHETICS. Appearance and basic product functionality. 8. BLOCK 4. MATERIALS AND TECHNICAL PROCESSES. How to make products and with what. 9. BLOCK 5. STRUCTURES. How to get a resistant product or technical system. 10.BLOCK 6. MECHANISMS. How to apply move to the products and technical systems. 11.BLOCK 7. ELECTRICITY AND CONTROL. How to make autonomous and more intelligent the products and technical systems. 12.BLOCK 8. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. IT applied.

BLOCK B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8

NAME TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY. TECHNICAL DRAWING. ERGONOMY AND AESTHETICS. MATERIALS AND TECHNICAL PROCESSES. STRUCTURES. MECHANISMS. ELECTRICITY AND CONTROL. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

TIME 10 H 20 H 10H 15H 10H 15H 20H --

3 MAIN GENERIC DESIGN PROJECTS: PROJECT 1. BASIC PRODUCT DESIGN. Learning the problem solving process. 13.PROJECT 2. MECHANICAL SYSTEM/PRODUCT. Using forces and moving. 14.PROJECT 3. ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM/PRODUCT. Using control. Note: These projects will be distributed through the Technology Emphasis (see program section). (A proposal of) MAIN THEMES/UNITS PER BLOCK. CONTENTS EMPHASIS: CONTENTS BLOCK 1. TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY. Technology and its implications. 1.1. Technology fundamentals. 1.2. Historical perspective of technology and products. 1.3. Technology and the problem of energy. 1.4. Technology and work. 1.5. Technology and environmental effects.

CONTENTS BLOCK 2. TECHNICAL DRAWING. Communicating technical information in graphical way. 2.1. Sketching. 2.2. Technical drawing. I. Geometrical constructions. 2.3. Technical drawing. II. Mechanical drawing. 2.4. Technical drawing. III. CAD.

CONTENTS BLOCK 3. ERGONOMY AND AESTHETICS. Appearance and basic product functionality. 3.1. Aesthetics basic principles and techniques. 3.2. Ergonomic principles and techniques.

CONTENTS BLOCK 4. MATERIALS AND TECHNICAL PROCESSES. How to make products and with what. 4.1. Industrial materials. Basics. 4.2. Wood and paper. 4.2. Metals.

4.3. Plastics.

CONTENTS BLOCK 5. STRUCTURES. How to get a resistant product or technical system. 5.1. Structures. Basics. 5.2. Analysis of structures. Efforts and structural elements. 5.3. Triangulation and other resistant techniques.

CONTENTS BLOCK 6. MECHANISMS. How to apply move to the products and technical systems. 6.1. Machines and mechanisms. Basics. 6.2. Mechanisms of movement transmission and conversion. 6.3. Complex mechanical machines.

CONTENTS BLOCK 7. ELECTRICITY AND CONTROL. How to make autonomous and more intelligent the products and technical systems. 7.1. Electricity. Basics. 7.2. Electric machines. 7.3. Electric control. 7.4. Electronics. Basics.

CONTENTS BLOCK 8. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. IT applied. See description of IT emphasis.

DETAILED CONTENT: BLOCK 1. TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY. Technology and its implications.
UNIT
Complete

CONTENTS

TIME

BLOCK 2. TECHNICAL DRAWING. Communicating technical information in graphical way.

UNIT
Complete

CONTENTS

TIME

PROJECT 1. BASIC PRODUCT DESIGN. Learning the problem solving process. Objective. To design a product which is aligned with a need or problem detected in the near context.

Conditions. The students have to analyze the need, design a solution, build a prototype, evaluate, write a report and communicate the solution, working in teams. The problem will be of low complexity (or, in another case, it could be adapted or simplified in some parts) and the students will work with basic tools and materials (like wood, paper, hand tools, recycled materials, pre-built operational blocks, or basic supportive IT). The supportive knowledge is basic, too (see program section). The resulting prototype must be evaluated against its technical specification. The work process under general conditions and the report/communication of every group are very important too. The main pedagogical purpose of the project is that the students learn and practice the basic problem solving process the industrial product design is based on. For the sake of this finality, the teacher should take into account these supplementary approaches: 1. To pose the same problem to students groups. This implies that the need is pre-specified. Moreover, the students solutions are variations of a generic product that can be compared and some kind of competence game can be established in the classroom. 2. Same as above, given two or three alternative problems to the whole group. Maybe, the groups could choose the problem design the want to work with. 3. The two options above are directed or closed ones. Other approach is to let the students (in groups) explore the near context (the classroom, the school, their home, hobbies or daily activities, etc.) to detect unsolved problems, needs or opportunities. Then, once the situation is validated by the teacher, the groups can work in their own project. This approach probably needs more teacher support and supervision. It has the advantage that the products are diverse and originals.

Design ideas. Design products that solve basic needs in classroom (to keep and classify markers, pens, erasers, paper, keys, etc.). Design products that solve basic needs in school (exhibitors in specifics areas, to keep and classify sports materials, a shelter, etc.). Design products that solve basic needs in daily activities (appliances to facilitate reading, writing, resting, gaming, etc.).

15.PROJECT 2. MECHANICAL SYSTEM/PRODUCT. Using forces and moving.

Objective. To design a product which is aligned with a need or problem detected in the near context, and that include resistance and/or moving and work. Conditions. The students have to analyze the need, design a solution, build a prototype, evaluate, write a report and communicate the solution, working in teams. In this project the complexity of the problem is higher and the students needs to acquire, research and extends more supportive knowledge (see program section). More precisely, the students will work with more materials (metals, plastics, etc.), more specific machines and procedures, mechanical operators and mechanical principles, and more elaborated graphical communications.

The main pedagogical purpose of the project is that the students practice the basic problem solving process in a more complex and technical context. For the sake of this finality, the teacher should take into account these supplementary approaches: 1. To pose a directed project that, maybe, put some emphasis in making. The students face the same (mechanical or structural) problem and, with support, they follow the process to a common (an successful) solution, including analysis, simplified design, making and evaluation. This approach has the advantage that the product can be of high complexity (illustrating the application on mechanical technology). It has the disadvantage that probably limits the creativity and freedom of choice of students. 2. To pose the same (o maybe more than one) problem to students groups and let the students imagine, design, build and test solutions. This implies that the need is pre-specified and probably simpler than above. 4. Same as above, letting the students investigate and choose the mechanical problem they want work with. This is the open option and probable implies more teacher support, monitoring and control. Design ideas. The products than include moves and work are many: toys, appliances, machines and machines parts, vehicles, etc. Attention must be given to the available resources. If they are scarce, maybe the students have to build the mechanisms and the more basic operators. It they are more sophisticated, like pre-built action parts, then the students probably will be able to build more complex machines. Other application area is resistant constructions and structures, like: bridges, buildings, towers and so on. Obviously, this projects are basic prototypes more or less directed (the students can imagine their own design of resistant structure made of preexisting construction blocks and resistant elements or based on recycled materials converted in resistant elements).

16.PROJECT 3. ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM/PRODUCT. Using control.

Objective. To design a product which is aligned with a need or problem detected in the near context, and that include resistance and/or (autonomous) moving and work and some kind of basic control (even automated). Conditions. The students have to analyze the need, design a solution, build a prototype, evaluate, write a report and communicate the solution, working in teams. In this project the complexity of the problem is higher and the students needs to acquire, research and extends more supportive knowledge (see program section). More precisely, the students will work with electrical and electronics operators and electricity and control principles. In addition to the previous knowledge since the projects can be cumulative or progressive. The main pedagogical purpose of the project is that the students practice the basic problem solving process in a more complex and technical context. For the sake of this finality, the teacher should take into account these supplementary approaches:

3. To pose a directed project that, maybe, put some emphasis in making. The students face the same (action or control) problem and, with support, they follow the process to a common (an successful) solution, including analysis, simplified design, making and evaluation. This approach has the advantage that the product can be of high complexity (illustrating the application on electrical and electronics/control technology). It has the disadvantage that probably limits the creativity and freedom of choice of students. 4. To pose the same (o maybe more than one) problem to students groups and let the students imagine, design, build and test solutions. This implies that the need is pre-specified and probably simpler than above. 5. Same as above, letting the students investigate and choose the action/control problem they want work with. This is the open option and probable implies more teacher support, monitoring and control. Design ideas. The products than include autonomous moves and work and some kind of control are many: toys, appliances, machines and machines parts (automatic doors, elevators, scalators, etc.), vehicles (guided automated, etc), etc. Attention must be given to the available resources. If they are scarce, maybe the students have to build the the more basic electrical operators (like switches and so on). It they are more sophisticated, like pre-built action/control parts (little motors, relays, electrical switches, electronics components, etc.), then the students probably will be able to build more complex machines. Other application area is programmable control based in electronics and software (probably, adapted or didactic).

PROGRAM:
PROJECTS CONTENT BLOCKS (supportive content) B1 TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY. P2.MECHANICAL SYSTEM/PRODUCT P3. ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM/PRODUCT

P1. BASIC PRODUCT DESIGN

1.1. Technology fundamentals. 1.2. Historical perspective of technology and products. 2.1. Sketching. 2.2. Technical drawing. I. Geometrical constructions. 3.1. Aesthetics basic principles and techniques. 4.1. Industrial materials. Basics. 4.2. Wood and paper.

1.3. Technology and the problem of energy.

1.4. Technology and environmental effects. 1.5. Technology and work.

B2 TECHNICAL DRAWING.

2.3. Technical drawing. II. Mechanical drawing.

2.4. Technical drawing. III. CAD.

B3 ERGONOMY AND AESTHETICS. B4 MATERIALS AND TECHNICAL PROCESSES.

3.2. Ergonomic principles and techniques.

4.3. Metals.

4.4. Plastics.

5.1. Structures. Basics. 5.2. Analysis of structures. Efforts and structural elements. 5.3. Triangulation and other

B5 STRUCTURES.

resistant techniques. 6.1. Machines and mechanisms. Basics. 6.2. Mechanisms of movement transmission and conversion. 6.3. Complex mechanical machines. 7.1. Electricity. Basics. B7 ELECTRICITY AND CONTROL. 7.2. Electric machines. 7.3. Electric control. 7.4. Electronics. Basics. B8 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Total estimated Time Selection from IT emphasis 25H. Selection from IT emphasis 35H. Selection from IT emphasis 40H.

B6 MECHANISMS.

Foundation Year

Subject Area: IT & TECHNOLOGIES

Study Emphasis: TECHNOLOGIES

RELEVANCE OF THE EMPHASIS
Technology can be seen as a product or as a process. As a product, we live in permanent contact with a great diversity of (technological) systems, products or ways of doing that facilitate every facet of our existence that happens in a high technology society. Like a process (or activity), technology is about systematic and effective problem solving that result in optimal goods that meet the human needs and problems that arise in such distant domains as work and individual and social life. This process involves product design under constraints, applying science that is relevant in the specific domain of the problem and applying techniques that support investigating, creating, making and evaluating. Finding optimal solutions imply knowing that technology can have effect on others related contexts and dimensions, too. In the Technologies emphasis students combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems that meet explicit or investigated human needs. They learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. They learn to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and members of a team, in the context of the classroom. Working in stimulating contexts that provide a range of opportunities and draw on the local, community and wider world, pupils have the chance to identify needs, problems and opportunities. They respond with ideas, products and systems, challenging expectations where appropriate. They combine practical and intellectual skills with an understanding of aesthetic, technical, cultural, health, social, emotional, economic, industrial and environmental issues. As they do so, they evaluate present and past design and technology, and its uses and effects. Through design and technology pupils understand and develop confidence in using practical skills. They apply their creative thinking and learn to innovate. They work collaboratively and discover the current productive context and professional profiles, where the former are key requirements. And, at the same time, they become discriminating users of products and more aware of technology events and of its benefits and effects.

 GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE EMPHASIS:

At the end of this study emphasis, the students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate a basic understanding of technology and design, justifying this activity under the light of meeting human needs. Identify and explain frameworks for designing that seek generating optimal solutions. 2. Respond creatively to design briefs, given o self-generated, through systematic need analysis, making relevant research, generating and developing solution ideas, planning and making and testing and evaluating prototype or model solutions. 3. Select, complete through research as needed and apply knowledge and skills belonging to a range of technological fields which are supportive of the solving process of the specific design problems and projects posed. 4. Apply more generic and transferable knowledge, skills and attitudes that support work design, including: communication, teamwork, working safe, self-management, basic problem solving and creativity techniques and use of (IT) technology. 5. Identify and discuss relationships between Technology, Science and Society and reflect critically about its consequences in selected, relevant and current social domains and dimensions.

DURATION OF THE STUDY EMPHASIS:

100 HOURS

CONTENTS
CONTENT BLOCK B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 NAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TECHNIQUES FOR GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT DESIGN ERGONOMICS AND AESTHETICS MATERIALS BASIC WORKING WITH MATERIALS MANUFACTURING TECHOLOGIES STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS MECHANICAL SYSTEMS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND BASIC CONTROL AUTOMATED AND PROGRAMMABLE SYSTEMS ENERGY SYSTEMS INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY GENERIC SKILLS

METHODOLOGY

The general objectives represent, all integrated, a fundamental, though wide, design competency acquired by the student as a result of the Technologies emphasis or course. To attain this learning outcome the student need to learn the supportive knowledge and skills comprised in the described contents blocks. To facilitate learning and building the competency goal, the best teaching approach is one integrative that lets the student a progressive acquisition of knowledge and a relevant and elaborative practice through a number of design problems posed. Such design projects and problems are chosen carefully to introduce contents of the blocks gradually. In addition, the projects are challenging and require application of the previous students learning and design experience. Notably, almost all general objectives are concerned at the same time while the student works in every design project planned. In this way, the students gradually extend, elaborate and strength their design competency to the standard desired. The successive design projects provide relevant integrative application practices to students, as well as basic organizational criteria for teaching the emphasis. Six classes of design projects configure a basic proposal for organizing the emphasis. Every project design class can be substantiated in specific design cases or briefs (one or more). They are: Design project class 1. BASIC PRODUCT DESIGN Design project class 2. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT DESIGN Design project class 3. ENGINEERING: STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS Design project class 4. ENGINEERING: MECHANICAL SYSTEMS Design project class 5. ENGINEERING: ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND BASIC CONTROL Design project class 6. ENGINEERING: AUTOMATED SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMMABLE CONTROL

Below, a brief description of each project category is included. Before, is important to note that these activities inform of the main divisions of content in a general sequence of learning units, or learning modules. In general, inside every learning unit a number of basic activities happen, according to the detailed teachers plans. They are: 1. The students are introduced to the unit plan and, notably, they are informed about specific learning objectives. The project class exemplifies well these objectives and the learning goals or outcomes. Eventually, previous knowledge and experience from past units are conveniently recalled. 2. The students learn supportive knowledge and skills that are coherent with specific objectives and project class requirements. These lessons are mainly conducted and managed by teacher. 3. The students are then organized and assigned to specific projects. And, they are informed about general conditions, resources and information available. They use this information to plan the design work. 4. The students can now start working in their assigned projects systematically and in self-directed manner, maybe parallel to the acquisition of more supportive content and other programmed and relevant content of the unit.

5. Eventually, the students have to extend or complete, by their own means (and with the teacher support and resources given), the knowledge and skills that are more specifically required to solve their particular problems. 6. Finally, the students complete their projects, make a closing reflection about the more important unit issues, and are evaluated in their attainments. The students evaluate the just finished learning experience; for the sake of improve teaching. Following, the organizing project types are characterized. Design project class 1. BASIC PRODUCT DESIGN This is the first project design in the emphasis. The students learn a fundamental, though representative, framework for designing and use it to respond creatively to a simple design brief posed aligned to a clear need. They have to imagine a product solution and make it selecting and transforming basic industrial materials, like woods or plastics with appropriate tools. They work in teams and have to evaluate their prototype solutions or models. And they have to go public, too. In this period, the students learn supportive contents, like graphics basics, materials or aesthetic principles, and reflect basically about technology and design. Examples of specific design projects under this class are: designing simple furniture or complements to meet needs in home, office or school contexts, designing a phone (or another electronic personal product) holder, designing a game, gift or toy for a specific segment of consumers, etc.

Design project class 2. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT DESIGN In the second project design the students discovers more thoroughly the life cycle of product and deep in design techniques and means, approaching better the industrial context. Types of manufacture (mass manufacture and others), marketing techniques and the relevance of product packaging, modeling solutions and rapid product prototyping are new scenarios where the students can have significant design practice opportunities. In this period, they learn other supportive contents, like CAD tools or advanced manufacturing machines, extend their frameworks for designing and generic skills, and discuss about the relation between technology and work. Examples of specific design projects under this class are: improve or complete a previous product (from design project 1), improve an existing product, design a package for a product, model and make a prototype or model from a product or part, manufacture a product or part using advanced tools (like CNC or CAD-CAM tools).

Design project class 3. ENGINEERING, STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS In this and the following design problems, the students face the generic engineering project typically related to technical systems design, like buildings, machines or complex products. Notably, these realizations integrate multiple technologies and require the application of technological principles from specific domains, like mechanics, electronics or computers. The developing of technical systems recommends the adaptation of frameworks for designing to meet better the requirements of specific technological domains. Many times,

the students projects need to be adapted to the available resources and knowledge, so the resulting technical systems are simple approaches to many more complex products. In this project, the emphasis is on structural systems which, in simple terms, let the things stand and resist. There are many types of structures that are useful in making more resistant buildings, bridges or towers, as well as other products or parts, like furniture, machine benches or even toy lids. The students can approach this kind of technical solutions creating, making and testing models that use the same structural principles from reality. Notably, the students will need to apply elementary physics principles, like forces, efforts and material properties. Interesting SCT issues can be discussed around structural systems, too, to enrich the problem context. Examples of specific design projects under this class are: model a bridge, tower, building or structural part of another kind of product using simple materials and elementary structures, test and evaluate it against a specification. The design teams can compete to make the more resistant structure or model in the class or in the school.

Design project class 4. ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS In this fourth project class, the emphasis is on mechanisms and basic mechanical systems or machines which, in simple terms, let the things act. A machine is a device that transforms one kind of energy in useful energy providing therefore some kind of advantage. For example, a lever is a simple machine that can provide a mechanical advantage to the user (lifting a weight with reduced effort, for example). Through different types of mechanisms, like levers, pulleys, cams or gears, is possible create, transmit and transform movements. Mechanical systems can be hand operated, like in a manual drill. Many other times, they are key subsystems in the energy chains that constitute complex machines. They are placed in the middle of this chain (transmission and conversion of mechanical energy) and in the end (acting in useful ways over some kind of matter). The input energy to the system is often electricity and the actuator is an electric motor. For example, in and electric drill mechanicals solutions need to be implemented, first, to reduce the high speeds of the electric motor and increase transmitted power and, second, to transmit rotary or more complex movements to the bit. Mechanical systems provide very relevant opportunities for students to design. Students can invent imaginative solutions that meet given or discovered needs using and combining mechanisms and, eventually, taking profit of structural systems and materials or integrating other technologies (like electricity o pneumatics). Notably, the students analyze existing mechanical solutions and learn physic and technical principles that let them understand and infer mechanical effects and create. Examples of specific design projects under this class are: design a mechanical toy, improve an existing product or part through some kind of mechanical solution, model a real mechanical or electromechanical product, like elevators, escalators, garage doors, cranes, and so on.

Design project class 5. ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND BASIC CONTROL In the following project, the emphasis is placed on electrical and electronics systems and control. Electricity is a basic type of energy that to be useful needs to be appropriately generated, converted and transmitted. With electricity and adequate electrical components many systems (like products and machines) become autonomous, liberating the man of being part of the energy chain (providing the input energy) and letting him only worry about control. Moreover, some dedicated electrical components and, above all, electronics systems can take gradually the control of the whole system. Electronics systems works in the realm of very low power and information. For example, with electronics systems we can make more smart many complex products, like cars, planes or manufacturing systems. Basic electrical and electronics systems, therefore, provide very relevant opportunities for students to design and besides, they integrate in logical manner with mechanical and structural systems. The students will need some knowledge about principles of electrical and electronic systems to investigate and analyze, as well as knowledge about manufacturing or prototyping electronics circuits, since this products have very other requirements than transforming traditional industrial materials or assembling mechanical parts. The main objective is taking profit of electricity to create, or improve, products and systems in many ways. Notably, through more complex functions and control. Another interesting domain is exploring new sources of energy, its conversion to electricity and its practical use. Examples of specific design projects under this class are: implement an electric drive to a preexisting mechanical system (like a hand operated car window system), design an electronic toy or appliance that is useful in a context (like a decorative light effects for a car), extend functions of an existing system (security, operation modes, better control, etc. For example a car alarm system), build an information chain that detects internal o external states of a system (detectors and sensors), etc.

Design project class 6. ENGINEERING, AUTOMATED SYSTEMS AND INFORMATIC CONTROL The final project class in Technologies emphasis is dedicated to the more advanced systems that are fully automated systems and programmable controlled systems, as well as some related technologies like pneumatic systems. The computer, a microcontroller or a PLC system are typical control devices used in industry and incorporated in many smart products. These advanced elements make the most important part in information chains that, with energy chains, constitute complex systems, like manufacturing systems, vehicles, appliances and many others. Other elements in information chains are sensors, transmitters and interface or dialogue elements. Automation provides a valuable experience for a student to learn working with complex technical systems. The student needs to analyze the situation and constraints, decide about the most appropriate energy chain (with mechanical and electrical parts) and about the information chain (control element and others). Following, the student needs to model the performance of the system,

generate a program with the specific language and programming tools of the control element and implement the whole system. Finally, they need to test the system and refine the control program. Parallel to this learning and application process, the students can reflect about the influence of automation technologies and smart technologies in economy, work and society. Examples of specific design projects under this class are: automate a given operative or actuating (electromechanical) part of a system, build and/or program a industrial robot (or model), improve a preexisting product or systems (from previous projects), model a new complex system like controlling traffic lights of an city avenue or the automatic storage system in a manufacturing plant.