Planning for Practice: Indicators of progression

Students will outline a general plan to support the development of an outcome, identifying appropriate steps and resources. 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 1 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• provide a detailed plan of what they will be doing during their technological practice.  

This could be presented and explained as a design process the teacher has developed, with key stages that need to happen clearly identified within it.

• Provide a range of appropriate resources for students to select those suitable for their use.  

Teachers should ensure all resources provided are appropriate for use, and students should only be responsible for selecting particular materials, components, and/or software from these resources. 

Students can: 

• identify what they will do next 
• identify the particular materials, components, and/or software they might use. 

Indicators 

Identify what they will do next. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Take photos of key stages of a familiar process, such as making toast, and ask students to organise them in order. 

Have students order the photos so that the key stages are in the sequence in which they were undertaken, either for their own practice or an observed practice of someone else. 

Have students order photos or digital images so that the resources are in the sequence in which the process or practice took place. 

Have students describe or draw pictures to explain the practice they undertook and the resources they used in this practice. 

Create a flow chart template with broad categories of the steps to go through to produce a technological outcome. 

Have students complete a flow chart template, describing and drawing each step of the practice that could be undertaken. 

Extension: Have some steps missing in the practice and ask students to identify which step is missing and what needs to occur here within the practice. 

Think-Pair-Share activity to describe the parts of the process they might go through to develop a technological outcome. 

Think individually about the steps in the process. Moving around the class/group, have each student give an idea and receive one back from someone else in the class or group. 

Give-One-Get-One activity to describe the "next" key stage in the process they need to go through to develop an outcome. 

Students take turns providing the next key stage in the process they need to go through to develop an outcome. 

Indicators 

Identify the particular materials, components, and/or software they might use. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Photos of the resources (materials, components, software) and samples of the resources students could possibly use to develop an outcome. 

Students to: 

• select the resources in the order they would use them to develop their outcome 
• explain why they have selected them for use in this order. 

Flow chart template with the steps identified to produce a technological outcome. 
Students complete the template by describing and drawing the resources required to complete each step. 
Extension: Have some steps missing in the practice and ask students to identify the missing steps and the resources required to complete the practice. 

Identify the resources that are the "odd ones out" for developing a technological outcome. 
Provide students with a technological outcome and a range of resources. Ask them to describe which resources are the odd ones out, that is, those that are not appropriate or not needed to develop the technological outcome. 

Resource Grouping. 
Using pictures of resources, students group them according to the key stages they would follow to undertake their practice and develop an outcome. 

Students will develop a plan that identifies the key stages and the resources available. 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 2 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• provide: 
  • an overview of the stages they will be working through during their technological practice. This could be presented and explained as a design process the teacher has developed, and it could be used to support students in identifying what the key stages are 
  • a range of appropriate resources and guide students to decide which particular materials, components, and/or software will be required for each key stage. Teachers should ensure all resources provided are appropriate for use. 

Students can: 

• identify key stages required to produce an outcome 
• identify the particular materials, components, and/or software required for each key stage. 

Indicators 

Identify key stages required to produce an outcome. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Game Play: "What comes next?" 

First, give students a set of photographs of a sequence of steps undertaken to develop a technological outcome, with steps missing at the end. 
Then, ask students to suggest either the next possible step or what the finished outcome would/could be. 
After that, repeat the activity, this time with a key step missing in the middle of the sequence. Have students determine what the missing key step is. 

Record answers on a template and peer critique using a bank of guided questions. 
Use a range of known and unknown technological products so that students can explain them: 

• from their experience interacting with them 
• through "predicting" what they are used for, where they are used, and who uses them 
• through the steps undertaken to make them, and so on. 

Use a template with stems for students to complete, such as the following.
Outcomes are: 

• used to ... and this will ... 
• used by ... to ... 
• made by ... using ...
• made using the following steps ... 

Buddy chat. 
In pairs, students describe what they have done to date and what needs to be done next. 
Encourage students to listen and ask questions, such as the following:

• Why did you do this? 
• How did it help you? 
• What will you do next? 
• What resources will you need? 

Indicators 

Identify the particular materials, components, and/or software required for each key stage.

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Students complete a template to record from a bank of resources (pictures and/or actual resources) those that they think they will need for each key stage to produce a technological outcome that meets the required attributes. 
Provide a range of pictures and/or actual resources for students to see and interact with. Have them determine the resources they will need at each key stage. 

Flow chart template with the key stages identified to produce a technological outcome. 
Students complete the template by describing and drawing the resources required to complete each key stage. 
Extension: Have some key stages missing in the practice and ask students to identify what the stage is that is missing and the resources that are required to complete it. 

Students will: 

• undertake planning to identify the key stages and resources required to develop an outcome 
• revisit planning to include reviews of progress and identify implications for subsequent decision making. 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 3 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• provide: 
  • an overview of what they will need to do during their technological practice and guide students to identify key stages and place these on a timeline of some sort 
  • resources, including a range of appropriate materials, components, software, hardware, equipment, and tools for students to select from, and guide students to select those that will be suitable for their outcome 
• guide students to reflect on progress in order to make informed decisions regarding next steps. 

Students can: 

• identify key stages, and resources required, and record when each stage will need to be completed to make sure an outcome is completed 
• explain progress to date in terms of meeting key stages and use of resources, and discuss implications for what they need to do next. 

Indicators 

Identify key stages and resources required.

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Identify key stages in someone else’s technological practice. 

Provide students with a description (video, photos, and/or incomplete flow chart) of the key stages of technological practice used to develop a technological outcome.  

Students to: 

• identify the key stages and sequence that occurred (video) 
• order these into the sequence that would enable the technological outcome to be developed (photos) 
• identify the next key stages to complete the technological outcome (incomplete flow chart). 

Students explain the consequences if a particular key stage was not undertaken within the practice used to develop the technological outcome and/or if a resource was not used. 

Buddy chat. Students talk/discuss in pairs. 

Students create a flowchart of the key stages and the resources required at each stage of their own technological practice or that of someone else. 

The teacher creates the initial flowchart, identifying some of the key stages and resources required, leaving space for students to add further stages and resources as they plan to undertake their own technological practice and/or enable someone else’s practice to be completed. 

Review photos of other student’s previous technological practice and identify the key stages they followed. 

Identify the resources that were used and record these on blank cards beside the appropriate photos. Sequence the photos and resources in the order that they would have occurred within technological practice. Note: This can be used as a class planning tool that is placed on the wall to inform students in their own undertaking of technological practice.

Indicators 

Record when each stage will need to be completed to make sure an outcome is completed. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Students complete a "key stages" timeline for the technological practice they undertook to develop a previous technological outcome. 

Alongside this timeline, record the practice they intend to follow to develop their next technological outcome. 

In pairs, students use dice with questions to identify what they need to consider. 

Use teacher-created dice with questions that are specific to the teaching programme or ask students to create their own questions for each other. 

Possible questions follow:

• What key stages have I completed so far? 
• What key stages do I still need to complete? 
• How have my key stages changed? 
• How can I manage my time better? 
• What changes have I made to my outcome/planning? 
• What resources have I used so far? 
• What resources will I need next? 
• How can I manage my resources better? 
• People resources: Who can help me? 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 4 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• provide: 
  • resources, including a range of appropriate stakeholders, materials, components, software, hardware, equipment, and/or tools for students to select from, and support students to select those that will be suitable for their outcome 
  • planning tools and support students to use these to record key stages and resources needed, including when they will need to access stakeholder feedback. Note: Records only need to capture what students plan to do and what they need to do to guide their practice and allow them to review it regularly 
• support students to identify regular review points and to review their progress at these points 
• guide students to manage their time and organise their selected resources based on regular reviews of progress. 

Students can: 

• use planning tools to manage time, identify and record key stages, associated resources, and actions to be undertaken, with progress review points clearly indicated 
• review progress at set review points and revise time management as appropriate to ensure completion of an outcome. 

Indicators 

Use planning tools to manage time, identify and record key stages, associated resources, and actions to be undertaken, with progress review points clearly indicated. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

In groups, students revisit a previous planning tool they have used and discuss the usefulness of this tool as a means of recording and informing the practice that was undertaken. 

Encourage students to reflect on such things as the actual time it took to complete each key stage of the practice, how useful the planning was in informing the next stage of practice, and so on. 

Look at a selection of planning tools used by others (senior students) to see the similarities and differences between them. 
Students to identify: 

• the similarities and differences between the planning tools used 
• where within the practice they were used 
• how the planning tools were used to inform the practice undertaken. 

Then hold a class discussion on the most appropriate planning tools for different aspects of current practice. 
Focus the discussion on identifying those tools most suitable for: 

• initial planning of the intended key stages 
• planning for resource management and activities within identified key stages 
• planning for outcome testing, evaluation, and others.

Strategies for gaining quality stakeholder feedback. 
Review the practice of others (senior students and/or practising technologists) to identify the planning strategies/tools that were used to obtain stakeholder feedback. Analyse these to identify if they allowed quality feedback to be received. 

Indicators 

Review progress at set review points, 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Use planning tools to plan overall practice and structure key stages; base this planning on knowledge gained from undertaking previous planning actions. 
Students are encouraged to reflect on the tools that worked well and those that did not in their previous planning practice. Students use the understandings gained to inform the selection of planning tools for the next practice. 

Analyse the practice of others to identify how they planned ahead, including how they managed time and documented their practice. 
Use case studies of previous students practise and/or the practices of practising technologists. 

The teacher questions students/groups about the list of resources they have identified as needing in order to undertake technological practice to develop a technological outcome, the next set of key stages, and how time will be managed. 
Question students or groups about their identified resources in terms of: 

• when (at which stage of their practice) they will require the resource/s
• whether they have the appropriate level of knowledge and skill to use the resource and, if not, how they will access it 
• whether the resource identified is the most appropriate to complete this key stage of their practice 
• what will happen to the resources once the key stage is finished  
• how much time is required to complete a stage 
• implications of the time taken to complete a stage in the overall management of the time allowed to develop the technological outcome. 

Indicators 

Revise time management as appropriate to ensure completion of an outcome. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Group discussion to consider and agree on the best strategies for obtaining stakeholder feedback and the most appropriate tool(s) for analysing this feedback. 
Students present to the group/class the strategies they are considering using to obtain stakeholder feedback. 
Discussion should focus on the merits of the strategy, identifying likely responses, and, therefore, the appropriate tool for analysing the feedback. 

Students sequence photos of someone else’s (senior students and/or practising technologists) technological practice that was undertaken to develop a technological outcome. 
Note: Each photo represents a key stage in the development of the technological outcome. 

Beside each photo, students identify the:

• resources that were necessary to enable the stage to be completed 
• aspects that needed management, such as safety, storage, resources requiring handling in a specific way, disposal of waste, and other 
• likely time required to complete each stage 
• likely overall time taken to complete the technological outcome. 

Students will: 

• analyse their own and others’ planning practices to inform the selection and use of planning tools 
• use these to support and justify planning decisions (including those relating to the management of resources) that will see the development of an outcome through to completion. 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 5 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• provide a range of planning tools and support students in analysing them to inform their selection of the tools they will use to manage and efficiently record their planning 
• support students to: 
  • review and evaluate progress to inform their ongoing planning decisions 
  • manage time and resources, including stakeholders interactions. 
• guide students to ensure appropriate resources are available (stakeholders, materials, components, software, equipment, tools, and/or hardware) suitable for their outcome. 

Students can: 

• analyse their own and others’ use of planning tools to inform the selection of tools best suited for their use to plan and monitor progress, and record key decisions 
• use planning tools to identify and record key stages and manage time and resources (including stakeholder interactions) to ensure the completion of an outcome 
• use planning tools to record key planning decisions regarding the management of time, resources, and stakeholder interactions. 

Indicators 

Analyse their own and others’ use of planning tools to inform the selection of tools best suited for their use.

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Revisit a previous planning tool students have used and discuss the usefulness of this tool to record the practice undertaken. 
Students reflect on such things as the actual time taken to complete each key stage of the practice, how useful the planning was in informing the next stage, and so on. 

Look at a professional technologists’ practice to identify the planning tools they used or may have used. 
Using an existing product and known technologists’ practice, where available, explain or predict the following:

• What planning tools were used? 
• What were their key stages? 
• What actions did they undertake at each of the key stages? 
• How did they review their progress? 
• What informed changes to their planning? 
• How did they identify their resources and then manage them? Fun examples, follow. 
  • David Trubridge | Artisan 
  • Huffer  
  • Threadless  
  • Gadget Nation  
  • Loyal Loot  
  • Farm Designs  
  • Dinosaur Designs  
  • Ariki Creative 
  • Projects - Maui Studios Aotearoa 

Analyse a selection of planning tools used by others (senior students and/ or practising technologists) to see the consistencies and differences between them. 
Students to identify: 

• similarities and differences between the planning tools used 
• where within the practice they were used 
• how the tools were used to inform the practice undertaken. 

Indicators 

To plan and monitor progress and record key decisions. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

In pairs or groups, using a new and unrelated brief, each pair/group has a different planning tool. 
Discuss and justify, within the context of the specific brief. 

• Will the planning tool allow the brief to be addressed (issue resolved)? 
• Why / why not? 
• What modifications could be made to the planning tool to enable the brief to be addressed? 

When complete, ask the rest of the class to critique their justifications. 

Progress review points / managing resources trials. 
Split class into groups. All groups create an outcome – such as origami – using technological practice within one lesson.  

Some groups have insufficient resources, time, people, etc. 
Group A has only one final review point. Group B has maybe two progress review points. Group C has several progress review points. Some progress review points that they have are, however, purposefully placed in the wrong places. 
​​​​​​​Students discuss and reflect on the outcomes achieved by each group and what assisted or hindered the attaining a quality outcome. 

Indicators 

Use planning tools to identify and record key stages... 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Discussion on the most appropriate planning tool for different aspects of practice. 
The class discusses the most appropriate planning tools for different aspects of practice. For example, what planning tools are most suitable for: 

• initially planning intended key stages 
• planning for resource management 
• planning for activities within an identified key stage  
• materials flow. 

Teacher-led example of how to use planning tools to plan overall practice, structure key stages, and manage time and resources. 

Base this planning on knowledge gained from undertaking previous planning actions. 
Encourage students to reflect on and discuss what worked well and what did not for their previous planning practice. Encourage students to use linking words in their discussions, such as because, therefore. 
Use understandings developed from this activity to inform the next planning step. 

Indicators

 ... and manage time and resources (including stakeholder interactions) to ensure completion of an outcome 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Oral justification. 
Students explain to the rest of the class why they are using the planning tools they are – suggest one student per session. 
Explain such things as: 

• why they selected the planning tool(s) 
• advantages and disadvantages they have found in using them 
• how the planning tool assists them in justifying the decisions they made 
• how the planning tool enabled them to manage time and resources effectively and efficiently. 

Encourage other students to question the presenting student in order to find out about different tools used. 

Photos of different stages of the development of a technological outcome compared to available planning tools. 
Provide students with a selection of photos of different stages of the development of a technological outcome. For example, stages could be mixing and blending of ingredients for a muffin or identifying type and style of garment suitable to be worn at an identified special event. Also supply them with a range of planning tools. 
Have students match the outcome/stage onto an appropriate planning tool and justify their choice. Teacher questioning will ensure deeper thinking through using the Three Storey Intellect or Bloom's Taxonomy. 

Create dice with focus questions. 
Students create the questions that will focus them and others to ensure their justifications are appropriate by referring to statements like these: 

• Planning decisions made …  
• Planning tools selected include ... 
• Planning tools dismissed were ... 
• Time taken to complete was ... 
• Resources used to complete are ... 
• Altered practice chosen is ... 
• Modifications to the outcome were ... 

The dice can then be used when planning to encourage students to reflect on their planning decisions. 

Indicators 

Use planning tools to record key planning decisions regarding the management of time, resources, and stakeholder interactions. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

The teacher questions students about the list of resources they will need to organise in order to undertake technological practice to develop an outcome and the time it will take to complete each key stage. 
Question students about such things as the following: 

• What are the key stages required to develop their outcome? 
• The appropriateness of the identified resources for each key stage. 
• How will they manage the resources during their practice to maximise the efficiency of practice and achieve the desired outcome? 
• When will they need to access the resource(s) for each stage? 
• What will happen to the resource(s) once the key stage is finished? 
• What time has been allowed for each key stage? 

Photos of different stages of the development of a technological outcome. 

Provide students with a selection of photos of different stages of the development of a technological outcome. For example, stages could be mixing and blending of ingredients for a muffin, identifying type/style of garment suitable to be worn at an identified special event. 
Also supply them with a range of planning tools. 
Have students match the outcome/stage onto an appropriate planning tool and record time allowed, resources, and stakeholder interactions that would need to occur to complete each stage. 

Students will: 

• critically analyse their own and others’ past and current planning practices in order to make an informed selection and effective use of planning tools 
• use these to support and justify ongoing planning that will see the development of an outcome through to completion. 

To support students to undertake planning for practice at level 6 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• support students to:  
  • critically analyse a range of planning tools that have been used in past practice 
  • select planning tools that will provide appropriate support for their practice and efficient recording of why key planning decisions were made 
  • ensure appropriate resources are available (stakeholder/s, materials, components, software, equipment, tools, and/or hardware) suitable for their outcome 
  • use selected tools to manage resources to ensure the completion of an outcome. 

Students can: 

• critically analyse their own and others’ use of planning tools to inform the selection of planning tools best suited for their use to plan and monitor progress and record reasons for planning decisions 
• use planning tools to establish and review key stages, identify and manage all resources, and determine and guide actions to ensure completion of an outcome 
• use planning tools to record initial plans and ongoing revisions in ways that provide reasons for planning decisions made. 

Indicators 

Students develop questions that enable them to critically evaluate a technological outcome (or a photo of an outcome) in regard to a specific function or attribute, such as ergonomics or fitness for purpose. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Focus students on creating "fertile" questions that allow a critical analysis to be undertaken. 

Now move on to a critical analysis of planning practices and model this with a case study of someone else's practice, including their use of planning tools. Start with a past/present student's work or a Technology Online student showcase. What planning/practices might they have used? Use these points as a class to create focused questions with which to approach the critical analysis of a case study. 

• What overall planning and project management tools were used? 
• How did these tools ensure fitness for purpose for their own outcomes? 
• What strategies were used to gain access to stakeholder feedback? 
• What resource management techniques were used, and how are they planned for? 

Students are to add to this list of focus questions; ideally, the above activity is to be done first. 

Indicators 

Students critically evaluate their own practise, focusing on things like: 

• their overall planning and project management 
• how they ensured their outcome would be fit for purpose 
• strategies they used to gain access to stakeholder feedback 
• resource management techniques and how this was planned for. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Students are encouraged to use a range of different physical and/or virtual planning tools. 
Students discuss the pros and cons of each and determine their effectiveness in informing ongoing practice. 

• What issues were identified with their use? 
• How can these risks be minimised or reduced to ensure the successful completion of their outcome? 
• Were there better tools that could have been used at different stages of the practice? 
• Focus on answering questions. 
• What is the planning tool, and how is it best used? 
• What is the likely information the planning tool will elicit when used in practice? 
• What key stage within the practice is this planning tool most suited to in terms of providing informed projections? 
• What impact is the information gained through this tool likely to have on future practice? 
• How much iteration is necessary between the planning tool and the ongoing development of the technological outcome to ensure the outcome that is developed is fit for purpose? 

Provide students with a variety of scenarios (contexts) which they can critically evaluate to identify issues that provide opportunities for the undertaking of technological practice. Students undertake feasibility studies on these issues and determine the likely technological practice and key stages required to develop an outcome that addresses the issue. 

Encourage students to use linking language when justifying aspects of their planning practice; such words could include "as a result of", "because", and "therefore". 

Students are to formulate "model" justifications (explanations) that draw on each student's previous planning decisions.  
Evaluation tools could include: 

• PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) 
• CAMPER (Consequence, Actions, Minify/Modify/Magnify, Put into another use, Eliminate, Reverse) 
• SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) 
• SWOB (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Barriers) 
• "What if" questions 
• Ryan's Thinker's Keys a range of questions presented as keys to unlock analytical, critical, and creative thinking abilities) 
• Evaluating dice – with key questions 
• Question box – with key questions (colour coded, see Bloom's Taxonomy). 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of these tools? 
When would you use each tool? 

Students to critically evaluate: 

• the practice of others to determine how well they managed resources within the physical and environmental location in which they were used 
• their own past practices to determine how well they managed resources within the physical and environmental locations in which they were used. 

Students will critically analyse their own and others’ past and current planning and management practices in order to develop and employ project management practices that will ensure the effective development of an outcome to completion. 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 7 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• support students to:  
  • critically analyse a range of planning tools and project management practices that have been used in past technological practice 
  • select and use planning tools to make effective planning decisions and establish and manage all resources, including time, money, stakeholder(s), materials, components, software, equipment, tools, and/or hardware. Effective planning decisions enable the outcome produced to successfully meet the brief
  • select and use planning tools that will allow for the efficient recording of justifications for key planning decisions made 
  • ensure appropriate resources are available (stakeholders, materials, components, software, equipment, tools, and/or hardware) suitable for their outcome. 

Students will: 

• critically analyse existing planning tools and project management practices to inform the selection of planning tools appropriate for the technological practice to be undertaken and for recording evidence to support any revisions to planning 
• use planning tools to:  
  • set achievable goals, manage all resources, plan critical review points, and revise goals and resources as necessary to ensure the effective completion of an outcome 
  • provide evidence for any revisions made at critical review points and justify the appropriateness of the planning tools used. 

Indicators 

Critically analyse existing planning tools and project management practices to inform the selection of planning tools appropriate for the technological practice to be undertaken and for recording evidence to support any revisions to planning. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Critically analyse project management practices of others (practising technologists and/or other students) through the evaluation of case studies and/or their actual practice as observed or presented. 
Critically evaluate the practice of others focusing on such things as:  

• the planning and project management tools they used 
• the planning they undertook to enable the fitness for purpose of the outcome developed to be verified 
• the management practices they used to ensure valid stakeholder feedback was accessed 
• the planning tools they used to manage the efficient use of resources. 

Include in this critical analysis a comparison with the student’s own practice. 

Flowchart a practising technologist’s or other student’s past planning practice and critically analyse it to inform their own planning practice. 
Flowchart showing: 

• what the analysis of a technologist’s planning practice told them 
• Implications / findings / what I learnt 
• how I will or did use the understandings gained from this analysis to inform my own planning practice. 

Develop planning practices 
Use roles in group situations – either the real project or a simulated one-off. 
Each student has a different role, such as project manager, resource manager, timekeeper, researcher, or construction manager. 
Answer questions such as these:

• What personal qualities does each role require? 
• How successful was each student in fulfilling their role? 
• What part does each role play in the overall success of the technological practice undertaken? 

Have students reflect on how these roles are accounted for/undertaken in their own planning practice when developing technological outcomes? 

Indicators 

Use planning tools to set achievable goals, manage all resources, plan critical review points, and revise goals and resources as necessary to ensure the effective completion of an outcome. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Look at the use of planning tools and determine the likely accuracy and validity of projections made based on findings obtained from them. 

Focus on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each planning tool in terms of allowing accurate and valid projections of future practices to be made. 

Use of physical and virtual planning tools, and project management practices. 

Focus on encouraging students to project and substantiate their judgements about the success or otherwise of the expected outcomes when they are placed in their intended physical and social environment using physical or virtual planning tools.

Indicators 

Use planning tools to provide evidence for any revisions made at critical review points and justify the appropriateness of the planning tools used. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Explore the use of a range of evaluative tools. Evaluation tools could include: 

• PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) 
• CAMPER (Consequence, Actions, Minify/Modify/Magnify, Put into another use, Eliminate, Reverse) 
• SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) 
• SWOB (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Barriers) 
• "What if" questions 
• Ryan's Thinker's Keys a range of questions presented as keys to unlock analytical, critical, and creative thinking abilities) 
• Evaluating dice – with key questions 
• Question box – with key questions (colour coded, see Bloom's Taxonomy). 

Literacy development, using linking words to provide justifications. 
Encourage students to use linking language such as "as a result of", "because", or "therefore". 

Justifying the management of resources in terms of the physical and social environment in which they are used. 

Students critically evaluate: 

• the practice of others (case study and/or observation of a practising technologist’s practice) to determine how well they managed resources within the physical and environmental location in which they were used and if their management practices made an impact on the sustainability of the resources used and the outcome itself 
• their own past practice to determine how well they managed the resources within the physical and environmental location in which they used.

Students will critically analyse their own and others’ past and current planning and management practices in order to develop and employ project management practices that will ensure the efficient development of an outcome to completion. 

To support students in undertaking planning for practice at level 8 teachers could: 

• ensure that there is a brief against which planning to develop an outcome can occur 
• support students to: 
  • critically analyse a range of project management practices and explore how project scheduling is used to manage technological practice 
  • establish and implement a coherent project schedule that allows for the coordination and management of the regular review of goals, planning tools, all resources required (time, money, stakeholder(s), materials, components, software, equipment, tools, and/or hardware), and review points 
• support students to provide evidence of effective and efficient planning decisions. Effective and efficient planning decisions ensure that the use of resources is optimised during the development and production of an outcome produced to successfully meet the brief. 

Students can: 

• establish a coherent project schedule suitable for the physical and social environment where the outcome is to be developed and implemented, informed by a critical analysis of existing project management 
• implement project schedule, undertaking reflection at critical review points to revise or confirm the schedule to ensure the effective and efficient completion of an outcome 
• manage the project to provide evidence of the coordination of goals, planning tools, resources, and progress review points and justify planning decisions. 

Indicators 

Establish a coherent project schedule suitable for the physical and social environment where the outcome is to be developed and implemented, informed by a critical analysis of existing project management. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Project schedules are suitable for determining a suitable context and issue and establishing the practice to be undertaken to develop the resulting technological outcome. 

Explore the potential project schedule using: 

• mind mapping tools 
• graphic organisers 
• compare and contrast. 

Focus on answering questions such as these: 

• Is the project schedule likely to enable a technological outcome to be developed that is fit for purpose for the physical and social environment in which it will be placed? 
• What constraints (political, social, moral, ethical, and economic) will likely impact the technological practice undertaken to develop a technological outcome, and the outcomes themselves? 
• Is the project schedule informed by a critical analysis of existing project management? 

Explore unsuccessful products and the project management practices used to develop them. 
Focus on identifying the planning practices that were missing. Determine what project management practices were incomplete. 

• Risk management
• Planning tools chosen
• Review points: When? How? 
• When could they have identified that the outcome was becoming unfit for purpose? 
• What constraints were identified or not identified? 
• How could constraints have been considered? 
• Bad Designs – Scrapbook of bad human factors design examples

Indicators 

Implement a project schedule, undertaking reflection at critical review points to revise or confirm the schedule to ensure the effective and efficient completion of an outcome. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

What is meant by efficient and effective? 

Define efficient and effective. 

What do efficiency and effectiveness look like in technology? 

How does the need for these two things (efficiency and effectiveness) affect project management? 

Evaluate efficiency and effectiveness in a practising technologist’s practice—compare and contrast the fitness for purpose of the technological outcome(s) they produced with the resources, including time, waste, and the use of stakeholder feedback. 

• Efficiency Competition to model what efficiency is. 

With students in groups, each group has the same resources, time, instructions, and so on to create a one-off product. Students plan before the task what they could do to ensure efficiency, for example, using minimum resources, mock-ups, and patterns to ensure efficient use of materials. 

Evaluate the success of planning practice against the quality of the one-off product they create (its fitness for purpose). 

• Effective Competition to model what effectiveness is. 

Students are aware of the integrative nature of planning for practice and project management. 

Students are encouraged to critically evaluate their planning practices to determine their effectiveness in informing the next steps. 

This evaluation should focus on answering questions like: 

• Are the planning and management tools supporting informed projections as to where to next? 
• What information is missing to allow informed projections? 
• Is there a better means or tool for planning and managing that would allow more efficient use of resources and better projections to occur? 

Indicators 

Manage the project to provide evidence of the coordination of goals, planning tools, resources, and progress review points and justify planning decisions. 

Teaching strategy and explanation 

Strategies for future projection: use of creative thinking strategies; examples include: 

• "what if" questions 
• inquiry learning strategies 
• organisations of think tanks 
• Secondary Futures resource 
• Six Thinking Hats: a thinking process that helps people be focused, mindful, and productive, and allows users to think and understand from different perspectives. 

Critically evaluate others’ (practising technologists) project management practices through analysis of case studies and/or their actual practice as observed and presented. 

Critically evaluate the practice of others, focusing on such things as: 

• the management tools used 
• the opportunities created and/or constraints that resulted due to specific practices having been undertaken 
• management of resources and how or if this was undertaken in an ongoing manner throughout the technological practice that was undertaken 
• justifications were provided for the planning and management practices adopted in terms of the physical and social environment in which the practice took place 
• how they ensured that their technological practice was always focused on addressing the context and issue.