Technological Design Lesson 5

What you will learn- Technology is the use of scientific ideas to solve problems and make people’s lives easier. In this lesson, you will learn about the basic steps of technological design.

Technological design is a four-step process Problem identification Solution design Implementation Evaluation

How It goes-Solution Design Once a problem is identified, engineers begin their work of designing a solution to the problem. An engineer is someone who designs, constructs, and operates new forms of technology. As solution designs are proposed, they should be compared. For example, new kind of plane might be faster or faster but smaller or bigger but more cost-efficient.

Drawings, models, or sketches may be made to illustrate the proposals. Materials and costs must be considered. Designs may be modified or discarded after the potential risks or benefits are considered. So, to get the ball rolling, engineers figure out how the technology will work. Then, they explain the technology using models. They identify the materials, development time, and costs. They list the benefits and the risks.

implementation Once a design has been studied and accepted, it is time for implementation. During this stage, a prototype may be built. A prototype is a working model of a technology that is being developed. Performance testing also occurs. Performance testing is evaluating products in real-world conditions. For example, a plane would be flown in various conditions to see if it meets expectations. If not, it may be redesigned. The testing may be in actual conditions or computer simulation.

Evaluation A completed design must be evaluated to decide if it meets the goals. This step is similar to the process of analyzing experimental data to decide if a hypothesis is supported. Questions asked may be- Does the design work as planned? How can the success be measured? Have risks been minimized? How can the design be improved?

Risks and benefits The process of design never ends. Improvements are constantly being made. Thank goodness! Unintended consequences can cause a design to be re-evaluated.

Discussion Question A research team develops a camera that is small enough to be swallowed. The camera can take images of internal organs. What questions might have been asked during the development of this camera? What should be asked once it is in use? How could it possibly be a risk or have an unintended consequence?

Let’s Try it-the marble ramp lab-a group lab The challenge-using the technological design process, you will construct a ramp that will cause a marble to hit a target. You must document all the steps in your process- Problem identification Solution design Implementation Evaluation You need one lead engineer in your group.

The Marble Ramp Lab The catches-the ramp must have at least one turn. Your marble may not fall off the ramp but may exit at the end. The target will be five inches wide and ten feet away from your starting point. If your marble hits the target within three tries, you make a 100. If not, you make a 90. Your materials: One half sheet of newspaper only One marble Ten inches of masking tape only One blue classroom chair-everyone will use the same one