Design and Technology Drawing into the Future

Year 7 Technology students first introductory experience is the opportunity to develop their drawing skills. This is the most effective and time efficient tool for design communication. Technology students are ‘immersed’ in a sequence of drawing activities to begin their year which seeks to promote their confidence and capacity to communicate graphically. This work is done with pencil and paper for its tactility, and students are encouraged to not erase lines, but rather see their improvement evolve with repeated practice. This is an important skill in the process of inquiry and applied persistence. Research studies identify the following benefits of graphically representing an idea: • The retention of knowledge and improved memory recall • Clarification of thinking through stages of iteration • Reduced subjectivity in the communication of ideas • Improved collaboration due to visual communication • Improved efficiency through interpreting new ideas The science of drawing reveals that students process information in multiple ways: visually, kinaesthetically, and semantically. Actively drawing engages students to grapple with what they are learning and reconstruct it in a way that makes sense to them - effectively encoding this information in memory. When we draw, we encode memory in very rich ways, layering together the visual memory of the image, the kinaesthetic memory of our hand drawing the image, and the semantic memory that is invoked by engaging in meaning making. This process effectively increases the likelihood that the concept being drawn will be retained for later recall. The benefits of drawing are independent of students’ artistic talent and it is equally effective for people who may not have any artistic inclination. Developing and promoting confident sketching experiences for Year 7 students opens up opportunity for learners to have the facility to move into what is termed ‘sketch noting,’ that is active notetaking using annotation, sketches and diagrammatic representations. This will powerfully enhance learning throughout their secondary years and perhaps most importantly across the Barker curriculum. Retaining the hands-on rigorous development of skills such as writing and drawing in combination with new digital tools such as the stylus and touch tablet devices, opens up the many opportunities presented to us through digital integration. The takeaway: Encourage students to draw. This promotes learning through improving recall and challenging students to explore an idea in different ways to consolidate meaning and understanding.

John Dennison Design & Technology Teacher

Last year, Ross Mackay achieved 9th place in Industrial Technology in the NSW HSC. This is an outstanding achievement and indicative of his consistent and persistent approach towards managing his time and applying his skills.

Ross produced an acoustic guitar using acoustic timbers of German spruce, Queensland maple and African Ebony. Ross’s guitar was detailed with headstock and binding/purfling mother of pearl inlays. We are extremely proud of his achievement and here are a few responses from Ross when asked about his experience in Industrial Technology.

Darren Woodrow Head of Design & Technology

How do you think your participation in the Industrial Technology course might benefit you in your future career? I found completing the Industrial Technology course provided me with a range of skills which I can apply to my future career. Aside from the obvious woodworking skills which I developed, the course prompted me to vastly improve my communication, time management, and project management skills. These soft skills from Industrial Technology could transfer to almost any future career, but specifically they will benefit me substantially in Biomedical Engineering at University of Sydney. How have you found the experience of participating and managing your time within this subject. I loved the Industrial Technology course - particularly because of the independence and autonomy I was provided to construct my own project. This involved substantial time management, which I found beneficial, as it forced me to plan for my other subjects and build positive habits which I will use long after I have left Barker. Participation in the Industrial Tech course is unique from other courses like Mathematics, and English, in that you have a major project, which requires a sustained effort in investigating and planning, and it demands a different skill set of creative problem solving which is developed throughout the realisation of the project. Although Industrial Technology did not end up counting toward my ATAR, even though I came 9th in the State, I would 100% do the course again if given the chance, due to the skill development across such a wide range of areas. What was the highlight and what was most difficult? The highlight of the Industrial Technology course for me was the moment I finished the project. The first strum on the guitar, having spent 12 months working tirelessly on it, was an incredible moment of relief and excitement. It all came together, my goal to produce a high-quality instrument, that had been only a concept a year before. That moment was pretty special, but there are so many special moments made with the teachers and classmates throughout the year, as you work as a team to support each other the whole way through. The most difficult part of the course is the beginning. It's hard to be motivated when planning your project and the initial construction phases, particularly if you can’t see where you are heading. As the project starts to form, it becomes its own motivation, as you want to finish to see the final product. This usually means the excitement, and enjoyment, of the course builds over time, until the completion of your major project.