The following are the AQA set tasks for the GCSE Design and Technology:
Product Design specification (for submission in 2013 and 2014). One of these
tasks ...
GCSE Design & Technology: Product Design (4555)
Controlled Assessment Tasks and Guidance
FOR SUBMISSION IN SUMMER 2013 AND SUMMER 2014
The Controlled Assessment tasks that were for submission in summer 2011 and summer 2012 have now been reviewed. The following tasks are to be used for submission in summer 2013 and summer 2014. Please note that in the majority of cases the tasks that were previously available have changed slightly. You should ensure that dependant upon which year you are intending upon submitting controlled assessment work that you select from the correct list of tasks .
AQA GCSE Product Design Controlled Assessment Tasks The following are the AQA set tasks for the GCSE Design and Technology: Product Design specification (for submission in 2013 and 2014). One of these tasks should be chosen when doing the controlled assessment unit. In each case a context is provided.
Context: Hobby Kits The market for low-cost craft and hobby kits is rapidly expanding both in supermarkets and specialist retailers. This upturn in sales has been as a result of a big interest in getting a wide range of people interested in creative pastimes. A major hobbies supermarket chain is investigating a new line of products. They would like to produce a range of low priced craft and hobby kits.
Design Task 1 You are required to design and prototype one such kit. The kit will need to be appropriately packaged and contain everything the user will need to complete the task including detailed instructions The market research department has suggested the following range of kits from which you should make your choice. Textile crafts Electronics Cookery Scale models Greeting cards Candle making Construction Jewellery Gardening Decorative ceramics
Context: Cultural Influences Traditional products manufactured in places such as Africa, India, South America, China etc. provide endless inspiration for designers. The craft traditions, patterns and forms can be seen in many of our shops. Interest in Fair Trade is another reason we are becoming more used to seeing such products. A UK development agency has been working with a wide variety of traditional craftsmen from a range of emerging countries. Their intention is to introduce new manufacturing technologies but to maintain the ethnic influences
Design Task 2 You are required to design and make a new product which exploits the use of “new technologies” and which would be suitable for the UK market. The product will need to reflect the cultural identity of the country you have used for inspiration and be suitably packaged. Your product should be chosen from the following areas: Tableware Cook/chill food products based upon traditional recipes Candle holders Wall hangings Soft furnishings Seating Games Mobiles/wind chimes Fashion wear Jewellery
Context: Designer Influences The work of a specific artist/designer/chef or Art/Design Movement could be the source of ideas for a new range of products aimed at a design conscious consumer market. When completing the task you should ensure that the designs developed into prototypes are not copies of existing work but reflect the general influence of the chosen source and might be viewed as “in the style of…”.
Design Task 3 A mail order company wishes to offer a range of products based upon 20 th century design movements. You are required to choose one such movement and to design and make a product or range of products which reflect the essential features of the movement. You will need to investigate a specific target market who may wish to create themed rooms in their homes. Products such as the following might be considered:
Lighting Photo/mirror frames Soft furnishings Music players/radios Tableware Small scale storage units Clocks
Design Task 4 Investigate the work of a chef whose work is innovative. Based upon recreating some of their recipes you are required to design and make a “take home and cook” product which will be sold through selected supermarkets. The product may simply be a collection of ingredients or could be a complete meal which simply needs warming but should be based upon your own cooking experiences. Packaging will need to include preparation and serving information.
Context: Child Development Children‟s development in the first few years of life can have a dramatic impact on the later adult. Many companies specialise in this market area. A leading manufacturer wishes to extend the range of products they offer to parents and have asked for assistance in identifying a gap in the market.
Design Task 5 You are required to investigate child development in order to design and make a product which would help in the physical and/or intellectual development of children in a specific age range. The product should be suitably packaged in the same house style of the company you have investigated and should include parental guidance. Market research has suggested one of the following areas could be investigated but your own research may suggest others: Healthy snack foods Story time Dressing-up outfits Puppets Constructional toys Play mats Nursery toys Games
Context: Sustainable Design Designers have a responsibility to design products that address environmental issues. There is also a growing awareness that designing for materials recovery is essential. This means designing for disassembly and choosing materials that can be used again. Sustainability is a global concern and customers are increasingly seeking products which reflect this awareness.
Design Task 6 Corrugated cardboard is disposed of in large quantities. Investigate this as a material suitable for manufacturing new small scale products. You are asked to develop a self assembly product which can be manufactured from this material. The pre-cut parts would need suitable packaging and assembly instructions and might also include suggestions for finishing in a variety of ways. You should also consider what can be done with the materials at the end of the life of the product. You are asked to design and make at least one completed prototype.
Design Task 7 Discarded clothing is thrown away in vast numbers as fashions rapidly change. Investigate ways of reusing this material to manufacture environmentally friendly products. The prototype you design and make should be aimed at a specific consumer market and should be unique and individual. You should make suggestions for the features you would look for when sourcing the clothing to ensure that you could manufacture large numbers of similar but individually unique products. You should also consider what can be done with the materials at the end of the life of the product.
Design Task 8 A local manufacturer creates large amounts of waste material off-cuts which are currently thrown away. Investigate ways in which this valuable material can be utilized in the design of new products. The company plan to set up a small scale workshop on an adjoining piece of land and are looking for suggestions which would make good use of their current CAD/CAM skills. You are asked to design and make at least one sample product for their consideration. You should also consider what can be done with the materials at the end of the life of the product.
This task is suitable for working with:
Context: Holiday needs The increase in travel and holiday needs has opened up new markets. Many department stores have areas specifically targeting this consumer area and carry a range of products including travel games, food, bags, clothing, storage solutions etc.
Design Task 9 The growth in leisure activities has been reflected in the availability of products to help with outdoor living. Whether this is camping, sports or simply having a barbeque the range of products is enormous. Investigate a specific market and design and make a product suitable for the “Outdoor Living” section of a large department store.
Design Task 10 There have been some very clever solutions to the problems associated with the storage, cooking and serving of food to large numbers of people on aeroplanes, ferries and trains. Investigate this market and design and make a complete proposal for a meal of your choice. You should consider the existing corporate image of the company and take this into account with the presentation of your products.
Context: Celebrations Celebration parties are popular in all cultures and generate many opportunities for new and novel products. The market for off-the-shelf party products is booming. Whether this is for th seasonal events such as Halloween, special events such as 18 birthdays or weddings, a national sporting event or casual events such as a cocktail party there are specialist companies who manufacture products to save time and effort for the host. Design Task 11 You are asked to design and make a party product or range of products suitable for a target market of your choice. Your product(s) should exploit a variety of materials and show evidence of demanding manufacturing techniques. Packaging is likely to be a major part of the work. You will need to explain fully who your products are aimed at, including consideration to where and how the products will be sold. You should focus on one or more of the following: Confectionary/chocolate gifts Gifts Games Costumes/clothing Party stationery and decorations Masks/hats Costumes
Context: Self-assembly Products Products which are designed for self-assembly are popular for many reasons and help to keep costs as low as possible. An international furniture warehouse chain is constantly on the lookout for fresh ideas for their furniture and lighting sections. They are particularly interested in modular designs which allow the customer to assemble the products in a variety of ways.
Design Task 12 The furniture chain has provided a list of products (shown below) that they would be particularly interested in, although you may have ideas of your own. You are required to design and make one of these products. The product will need to be packaged and assembly instructions which do not rely upon language will be required. The use of commercial knock-down fittings and/or standard components might be a key feature of the product. Accuracy will be a vital requirement and manufacturing aids such as drilling jigs or the use of CAM should be regarded as essential. You should also consider what can be done with the materials at the end of the life of the product.
Low voltage lighting products: Table lamp Wall lamp Floor lamp Lamp shade Furniture: Low cost seating Occasional table Storage Display unit
Context: Natural Influences Nature is a rich source for new ideas in product design and the increase in tourist attractions, such as the Eden Project, has generated new markets. Decorative products such as clothing, jewellery and ceramics are commonly based upon patterns and structures found in nature and many other products, such as kites, toys etc. are based upon natural engineering principles. Increased awareness of the important role our wildlife plays in our ecosystem has meant a sharp rise in the availability of products to encourage and protect local wildlife. Design Task 13 Based on observational drawings from nature, design and make a new product or range of products for a specific market to be sold under the brand name of “Wild Things”. The product(s) should only use natural or 100% recyclable materials. Consider suitable packaging to reflect the theme. You are also asked to show how the product can be disassembled and what can be done with the product at the end of its life. Design Task 14 A visit to a garden centre or pet shop will identify a wide range of products available to encourage wildlife in our gardens or to encourage the keeping of pets. Design and make a new product which will add to the range of alternatives currently available and which uses only natural or 100% recyclable materials. You are asked to show how the product can be disassembled and what can be done with the product at the end of its life. Your design proposal should be capable of being made in quantity and should not be a copy of an existing solution.
Context: Fashion The world of fashion is a rapidly changing market offering a wide range of opportunities for designers to develop exciting clothing and or accessories. Markets are often driven by the influence of music, sport and pop culture. New materials and technologies including microelectronics, conductive threads and smart materials all provide additional opportunities to be creative.
Design Task 15 The fashion catwalks of the world are often the place to see outrageous designs. These are then often modified to make them suitable for volume production and sale on the High Street. Design and make an outrageous fashion garment or accessory which would be suitable for the next London Fashion Show. Your evaluation report must include modifications to the design which will make it suitable for the High Street. It will be important that your product is not a simplistic mock-up but demonstrates demanding making skills and is well finished. Design Task 16 A leading fashion magazine is running a special edition based upon a photo shoot showing fashion accessories such as bags, hats and jewellery. You have been asked to design and make a product or range of products suitable for the photo shoot. These products do not necessarily have to be purely functional and could, for example, incorporate electronics or exploit a wide range of materials (including smart materials) into them. You should present the proposal as a fully desk-top published magazine cover which clearly shows the product you have designed and made. It will be important that your product is not a simplistic mock-up but demonstrates demanding making skills and is well finished;
Context: Fundraisers Fundraising activities are a popular activity in schools and youth organisations and often serve two different purposes for charities or the organisation itself. These events help to create valuable revenue raise awareness of the organisation and its corporate image Your research investigations need to take account of these two issues.
Design Task 17 Design and make a product or range of products which can easily be manufactured to a high quality using school facilities and a student workforce. You may need to develop methods of manufacturing which ensure that you are able to provide large quantities at a consistent standard. If that is the case it is possible that the manufacturing aids will be a major part of the work. The following list of suggestions might be considered although you may have additional ideas of your own; Products to sell on a stall in large quantities Collection boxes which may be placed in a variety of locations Money – raising games for an event Mail order products Promotional clothing or accessories
Context: Innovative Products Developments in new and smart materials, microelectronics, prototyping techniques etc, might offer opportunities for new products. In many cases it will only be possible to produce nonfunctioning product models. In other cases a great deal of styling freedom is possible because of the reduction in size of electronics.
Design Task 18 Ever asked “why hasn‟t someone invented a product to….”? Newspaper supplements often advertise such clever products as devices for cleaning down the sides of fridges or solar powered key-hole lights. Investigate a problem which you can establish is shared by many people and design and make a prototype which could be manufactured in quantity. If the solution you come up with appears too simple then design suitable packaging and promotional material. You are also asked to show how the product can be disassembled and what can be done with the product at the end of its life.
Design Task 19 Products such as MP3 docking stations and radios allow endless styling possibilities as the electronic components are very small in comparison with the outer cases. As a result of detailed product analysis of a small range of similar products identify a specific target market and design and make a working prototype which is suitable for high volume manufacture. Battery access and the fastening of the circuit/components/casing will be key requirements. You are also asked to show how the product can be disassembled and what can be done with the product at the end of its life.
This task is suitable for working with:
Context: Healthy Lifestyles National and international sporting events are often used as a focus for raising interest in healthy living. Events, such as the Olympics or soccer World Cup are used as the basis for marketing a massive range of new products from exercise aids to dietary products. Design Task 20 You have been asked to investigate one of the areas listed below and to design and make a complete product, which might include packaging. You will need to aim your product at a specific target market as a result of your investigation. Cookery book/cards/calendar with healthy recipes Play equipment aimed at encouraging exercise in young children A board game aimed at raising awareness of nutrition and healthy living Sports training aid aimed at developing specific skills Sports clothing Sports bag/storage system Healthy food or drink products Gift packs for sports enthusiasts – golfers, runners, fishermen etc. Safety equipment for sports or outdoor activities
Guidance for GCSE Design and Technology Controlled Assessment Tasks Tasks for assessment in May 2013 and 2014 (submission dates) The Controlled Assessment unit in the new GCSE Design and Technology specifications is a form of internal assessment where the control levels for each stage of the assessment process (task setting, task taking and task marking) have been defined by Ofqual and are requirements for all awarding bodies. This guidance for teachers following the AQA specification is intended to enable you to interpret the controls that have been specified. Task setting Level of control: High These tasks will be published on the e-AQA secure website. The tasks will relate to the following academic years: 2012/13 (certification in 2013) 2013/14 (certification in 2014) The design and make activity completed by each candidate must be chosen from the list of Controlled Assessment tasks referred to above. Tasks included in this list can be submitted for assessment only in the academic year to which they relate and no other tasks can be submitted for assessment in the years given above. Centres are permitted to contextualise the task(s) to best suit their centre specific circumstances, which will enable centres to consider such factors as the availability and access to resources. In such circumstances centres should first contact their Controlled Assessment Adviser and provide details as to why it is felt the task needs to be contextualised. Advice on this matter from the Controlled Assessment Adviser should be obtained in writing and should be submitted together with candidates‟ work during the moderation period. The tasks will be reviewed every two years. The next review will take place in the autumn term of 2013, where a decision will be taken as to which tasks should be included on the list for the following two academic years, i.e. 2014/15 and 2015/16. AQA will look at each task and assess its suitability in terms of popularity, fitness for purpose, etc and decide which tasks, if any, should be withdrawn from the list, which should be amended and which new tasks should be added to the list.
Task taking Level of control: Medium Controls in relation to the taking of the task can be specified in a number of areas. Authentication It is essential that teachers are able to confirm that the work submitted by each candidate is their own unaided work. To ensure that this can be done, all work, with the exception of research, must be completed under informal supervision. Informal supervision means that teachers must ensure that, in cases of collaborative work, the contributions of individual candidates are recorded accurately that plagiarism does not take place that work can be authenticated as the candidate‟s own, and that sources used by candidates are clearly recorded and acknowledged.
In practice, what does this mean? Candidates do not need to be under the direct supervision of teaching staff at all times, but it is expected that the majority of work undertaken by the candidate and which is submitted for assessment will be carried out in the classroom/workshop. This is so that the teacher is able to state with confidence that the work that is being submitted by the candidate has not been plagiarised or downloaded from an internet site. It may be the case that the candidate needs to complete some work outside the classroom environment (for example, as part of a homework task). This is acceptable provided that the teacher has supervised the candidate in carrying out a significant proportion of this work in the classroom and is happy that the quality of work subsequently submitted is of an identical standard as that seen in the classroom. In short, it is the responsibility of the teacher to be able to authenticate that the work submitted is solely that of the candidate concerned. There may be instances where candidates wish to word process parts of their design folder but resources within the centre do not permit a whole class to do this. Provided that the teacher has supervised the candidate whilst they have drafted their work in class, it would be acceptable for this candidate to word process the work outside the classroom environment. The draft version would need to be submitted together with the word processed version and it would be the responsibility of the teacher to authenticate that the work submitted for assessment (word processed version) is in line with the work carried out in class.
It is expected that the majority of the making should be carried out within the classroom/workshop. On occasion, when making is carried out away from the classroom/workshop, this must be clearly documented by the teacher on the Candidate Record Form. There may be occasions when circumstances require that some of the making cannot be carried out in the classroom/workshop. For example, a candidate may run out of time in a lesson and wish to finish off some decorative work on a textile product. Provided that the teacher has supervised the majority of the work carried out in the classroom, it is permissible for the candidate to take this work home in order to complete the task. The teacher will then, of course, need to inspect the product to ensure that the quality of making carried out at home is consistent with the quality of making seen in the classroom. Clearly, it is not permissible for a candidate to carry out a significant part of the making activity outside of the classroom as this would not allow the teacher to authenticate this work. There may also be occasions when a candidate has not completed all aspects of making when producing a product; for example, where health and safety issues require that certain tasks are performed by a technician. Where this is the case or, indeed, in any instance where there has been some third party assistance in the manufacture of the product, this must be clearly documented on the Candidate Record Form and, of course, the candidate cannot be credited for work that they themselves have not done. If a teacher has any doubts about the authenticity of work that has been completed at home they may choose to ask the candidate to complete the same work again in the classroom or question the candidate about the content/nature of the work undertaken. Research, which may also include practical research, may be completed under limited supervision. This means that, whilst candidates can carry out research at home (using the internet, etc) any material collected or produced as a consequence will not contribute directly to assessable outcomes. The candidate could gather the necessary research material related to a particular project and then analyse this research under informal supervision conditions. It is this analysis and selection of suitable research material, completed under informal supervision, which will count towards the candidate‟s assessable outcome. For the new specification we are keen to ensure that candidates avoid the temptation to include significant amounts of unnecessary research material and, instead, seek to encourage them to be more focussed in their selection of relevant research.
Feedback to candidates Candidates are free to revise and redraft a piece of work before submitting the final piece. Teachers can review draft work and provide generic advice to ensure that the work is appropriately focussed and, whilst candidates may be guided as to the approach they may wish to adopt, the outcome must remain their own. The advice can be provided in either oral or written form and can be used to evaluate progress to date and propose suggested broad areas for improvement. It is not permissible to provide advice on specific improvements to meet the criteria, give detailed feedback on errors or omissions, or to indicate how specific improvements to presentation or content can be made. A clear distinction must be drawn between providing feedback to candidates as part of work in progress and reviewing work once it has been submitted by the candidate for final assessment. Once work is submitted for final assessment it may not be revised. Having reviewed a piece of work that has been submitted for final assessment, therefore, it is not acceptable for teachers to give, either to individual candidates or to groups, detailed advice and suggestions as to how the work may be improved in order to meet the assessment criteria.
Any support or feedback given to individual candidates which has not been provided to the class as a whole must be clearly recorded on the Candidate Record Forms. Time limits It is recommended that candidates should spend approximately 45 hours on their controlled assessment task. It is not expected that this time should be monitored or recorded by teachers but candidates should be encouraged not to exceed this approximate time allocation. Centres should be aware that Criterion 5 of the Controlled Assessment Criteria rewards those candidates that have produced a „focussed, concise and relevant‟ design folder and have demonstrated „an appropriate selection of material for inclusion‟. It is expected, therefore, that candidates will be selective in their choice of material to include in their design folder and will be mindful of the approximate time allocated to this design and make task and manage this time appropriately.
Working with others Whilst working with others should be encouraged wherever possible, it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the work of each individual candidate that may have worked as part of a group is their own unaided work and can be assessed as such. Use of resources Candidates are permitted to use those resources as provided by the centre. If there are any candidates that require the use of any special equipment the Examinations Officer should contact AQA‟s Exam‟s Office Support for guidance.
Task marking Level of control: Medium
Teachers should mark the Controlled Assessment using the assessment criteria provided in the AQA specification. AQA will carry out moderation of this work in accordance with Ofqual Code of Practice requirements. Exemplar material will be provided to centres as part of AQA‟s ongoing commitment to provide support in this area. Clearly, the longer the specification is in use, the greater will become the availability of additional exemplar material.
