Unit 4: Sample approach to developing an assessment task

• List the key knowledge and key skills. The VCE Product Design and Technology study design (pdf - 253.82kb) provides details of the key knowledge and key skills related to Unit 4 Outcome 1 and the Area of Study, Product analysis and comparison, on page 27.
• For Unit 4, Outcome 1, students should be able to compare, analyse and evaluate similar commercial products, taking into account a range of factors and using appropriate techniques.
• Identify the key knowledge and key skills that you are looking for in a student response and design the criteria and a marking scheme.
• The performance descriptors for each outcome identify the key knowledge and key skills that need to be identified in a student response.
• Identify the nature and sequence of teaching and learning activities.
• In this example, students are required to demonstrate knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluating products, the environmental, social and economic issues associated with products, how designers, manufactures and end-user/s place value on product attributes during the product's life cycle and key factors and aspects that determine a quality product.
• Teachers select a commercial product, for example, a piece of furniture or a garment. Ideally the commercial product is not one the students would be producing as part of the subject. By not using a product students are producing, students can clearly demonstrate their understanding of the key knowledge being assessed. The selection of a product should be carefully considered so that the student is familiar with, and able to demonstrate, the criteria for assessment.
• The teacher provides the students with three examples of the product. This may involve the physical items but more likely images or video of the products with detailed manufacturer specifications. Students need to have clear information about the attributes of each product.
• For the assessment task, the teacher develops a number of structured short answer questions. The questions must relate to the outcome and key knowledge. Examples could be:
• Name a value that could be placed on this type of product and what attributes it relates to?
• Give two examples for both of qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluating products?
• Decide the most appropriate time to set the task. For the example above, students are given 60 minutes to answer a number of structured short answer questions under exam conditions.
• Students are assessed according to the criteria on the marking scheme.
• Feedback is provided to the student by the teacher about their performance according to the criteria for assessment.