Formal Assessment Task Notification
Design and Technology – Stage 4
Core: Activity of Designers
Creating a Biomimicry Prototype

Context: This summative assessment task reflects the requirements for Stage 4 Design and Technology, Core unit: Activity of Designers and will aid students in developing a project ‘related to real-world contexts [providing] a rich setting for individuals and groups to develop holistic solutions and to discover underlying principles for quality design applications’ (NESA, 2019, p.10). This authentic task scaffolds on earlier learning and assessment in the unit, building on smaller projects based around an increased understanding of design thinking and the place of the designer in contemporary society.

Task number: 1

Weighting: 40%

Timing: Term 2, Week 10

Outcomes assessed

A student:

• DT5-5: evaluates designed solutions that consider preferred futures, the principles of appropriate technology and ethical and responsible design,

• DT5-6: develops and evaluates creative, innovative and enterprising design ideas and solutions.

Nature of the task

Students will work in groups of four to create a design and prototype for a biomimicry design invention. This invention has to either be original, or an original take on an existing invention. Each student will have specific and general roles in the group, depending on their skills and interests and work collaboratively with other team members.

Presentation of work

By the due date, each group will have produced a plan that follows the biomimicry design spiral, an annotated graphical representation of their proposed invention in SketchUp or another appropriate CAD program, and a working prototype at an approved scale. In the final lesson, students will be required to give a five minute presentation of their work to the class and answer two minutes of questions. Groups will also be required to fill out a peer feedback survey which may impact their final mark.

Marking criteria

A student:

1. demonstrates the ability to participate in, and add to, cooperative group research in biomimicry design,

2. shows technical competency by using appropriate tools, including workshop equipment and relevant CAD drafting software,

3. demonstrates the ability to creatively apply analogical thinking in transferring ideas from the natural world into designs,

4. engages fully according to the peer review completed by all members of the group at the completion of the project.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided as written comments on the marking guidelines that outline strengths and areas for improvement, through peer assessment and verbally after the ‘show-and-tell’ exercise in Week 10 (by the teacher and students).