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Design dilemma

Teacher guide Design dilemma

TLF ID M025070

This series of lessons aims to develop awareness of the needs of diverse commuters on our public transport system. Students investigate the challenges involved in getting on and off public transport for users with additional needs, for example commuters in wheelchairs. They work collaboratively in teams to investigate possible design solutions for making it easier for users with additional needs to safely access and travel on public transport. They generate designs and prototypes and present their solutions. This resource focuses on train travel, but could be readily adapted to any form of public transport.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • This resource is valuable for the years 5 and 6 design and technologies content description about how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations in the design of products and services for current and future use. Students are engaged in designing accessible solutions for boarding and alighting trains, which considers the comfort and safety of travellers but focusses on a specific special needs group.
  • The resource is also extremely valuable for the Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills substrand in years 5 and 6 design technologies as it addresses a number of these content descriptions. As students work through the process of designing their safe and accessible solution for train boarding, they are challenged to critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools and equipment for their design; they also generate, develop, communicate and document their design ideas. As part of their self and peer evaluation they negotiate criteria for success that include consideration of social sustainability of their design ideas and solutions.
  • This resource is also valuable for supporting the Victorian Curriculum design and technologies in years 5 and 6 as it addresses the Technologies and Society strand and some of the content descriptions under the Creating Designed Solutions strand.
Year level

5; 6

Topics Technologies Occupations (Work) Tools Environmental sustainability Deductive reasoning Technical drawing Design Materials Public transport Planning Computer graphics Problem solving Sharing (Cooperation) Fibres (Materials) Scientific inquiry Design briefs Designers Procedures Self-evaluation Criteria for success Modelling
Learning area
  • Design and technologies
  • Technologies

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
  • Publisher
  • Name: Public Transport Victoria
  • Organization: Public Transport Victoria
  • Description: Publisher
  • URL: https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Unknown
Learning Resource Type
  • Online
Rights
  • © 2019 Education Services Australia Ltd, unless otherwise indicated. Resource developed by Education Services Australia for Public Transport Victoria.