Digital Technology Integration into Design Challenge - Design Challenge Overview

Students engage and volunteer in community activities and was excited when the local retirement village Director asked if students would
be interested in designing a sustainable living communal garden for the elderly residents in their retirement village.

Curriculum Alignment
The Principal has allocated this project to Year 5 & 6 students.
The following learning outcomes have been identified in the Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies strands of the Australian
Curriculum: Technologies.

Design
Challeng
e Phase
Investigat
e

Curriculum Alignment
Design & Technologies
Strand: Investigate how
and why food and fibre
are produced in managed
environments
(ACTDEK021)

Teaching Context / Learning

Challenges

Investigating and experimenting with

methods of preparing soil and the effect on
soil quality.
1.1 Students investigate soil types
required for the garden to ensure
suitability in the managed environment.
Exploring and comparing the efficiency of
different irrigation methods in plant
production systems for use in the
sustainable living garden.
1.2 Students explore and compare a range
of irrigation systems for the communal
garden.

Digital technologies that support

learning (enhance thinking,
collaboration, multiple literacies
& problem-solving capabilities)

Associated Pedagogy
to support learning
challenges

Introduction to collaboration format

(with another school) using
Wikispaces, Blogger and Voki
within the wiki.

Teacher led instruction

engaging students in
collaboration and
information sharing.

Using Skype, students communicate

with a local Soil Scientist
(Agronomist), supporting
collaboration and problem-solving
skills (develop and evaluate
questions).

Learner directed
developing and
evaluating questions
supporting problem
solving.

Conduct online research using

Search Engines.
Categorise irrigation systems
information into similarities and

Participatory and
engaging. Student
directed learning
through research and
comparing data.

differences using a Venn diagram.

Investigat
e

Investigat
e

Plan

Design & Technologies

Strand: Investigate
characteristics and
properties of a range of
materials, systems,
components, tools and
equipment and evaluate
the impact of their use
(ACTDEK023)

Examine the materials and systems used

in a public use system that affects the way
people live.
1.3 Students examine the materials,
drainage, irrigation, garden design and
waste generation of the communal
garden and evaluate their impact on
the entire retirement village
community.

Design & Technologies

Strand: Critique needs
or opportunities for
designing, and
investigate materials,
components, tools,
equipment and processes
to achieve intended
designed solutions
(ACTDEP024)

Investigating how to minimise material use

and manage waste by critiquing the
environmental and social impacts of
materials, components, tools and
equipment.
1.4 Students explore opportunities for
managing waste with regards to
materials planned for the construction
of the communal garden.

Design & Technologies

Strand: Generate,
develop, communicate
and document design
ideas and processes for
audiences using
appropriate technical
terms and graphical
representation
techniques (ACTDEP025)

Generating a range of design ideas for

products, services or environments using
prior knowledge, skills and research.
2.1 Students generate a survey requesting
design criteria from key stakeholders
(retirement village end users).
2.2 Students utilise prior knowledge and
research existing garden designs
through global collaboration and
internet research.
Developing alternative design ideas and
considering implications for the future to
broaden the appeal and acceptance of
design ideas.
2.3 Students document design ideas and

Conduct online research using

Search Engines.
Collaboratively communicate
findings on Wiki.

Conduct online research using

Search Engines.

Guided learning,
questioning,
participatory, learner
directed through
collaboration and
problem solving.

Participatory and learner

directed through
collaboration and
problem solving.

Collaboratively communicate
findings on Wiki.

Idea generation using Mind maps,

Bubbl.us.
Develop suitable questions for
creating an online survey using
Word or Survey Monkey.
Online collaborate with school in
another country?
Research garden designs using
Google maps.
Compare design ideas within a PMI
chart.

Guided learning through

problem solving in a
collaborative
environment.
Questioning, learner
directed supporting
problem solving.
Participatory and
engaging learning
enhancing multiple
literacies.
Guided learning,
questioning,

develop three garden designs based on

criteria and research while considering
future needs for the end users.
Representing and communicating design
ideas using modelling and drawing
standards including the use of digital
technologies, for example scale; symbols
and codes in diagrams; pictorial maps and
aerial views using web mapping service
applications.
2.4 Students utilise graphical
representations using digital
technologies to communicate their
three garden designs.
Create

Create

Create

Collaboratively communicate
findings on Wiki.

collaboration.
Exploration,
participatory and
engaging, problem
solving using multiple
literacies.

Use Garden design simulation

programs to illustrate the designs.
http://www.yates.com.au/gardenclub/virtual-garden
Communicate solutions using an
interactive presentation, Prezi.

Digital Technologies
Strand: Design, modify
and follow simple
algorithms represented
diagrammatically and in
English involving
sequences of steps,
branching, and iteration
(repetition) (ACTDIP019)

Using different design tools to record ways

in which digital solutions will be developed,
for example creating storyboards or
flowcharts to record relationships or
instructions about content or processes.
3.1 Students explore digital technologies to
communicate their designs in various
forms including flow charts, mind
maps, autocad drawings.

Learner directed,
questioning, exploration.

Digital Technologies
Strand: Manage the
creation and
communication of ideas
and information including
online collaborative
projects, applying agreed
ethical, social and
technical protocols
(ACTDIP022)

Using a range of communication tools to

share ideas and information, for example
participating in collaborative online
environments.
3.2 Students engage in online collaboration
to research existing garden designs.

Collaboratively communicate
findings on Wiki.

Design & Technologies

Strand: Develop project

Outlining the planning and production

steps needed to produce a product, service

Project plan idea generation using

Mind maps.

Collaboratively communicate
findings on Wiki.

Collaboratively communicate with

schools using Skype.

Learner directed,
participatory and
engaging learning
through online
collaboration.

Learner directed,
participatory,

Evaluate

plans that include

consideration of
resources when making
designed solutions
individually and
collaboratively
(ACTDEP028)

or environment using digital technologies.

3.3 Students develop project plans
outlining the design specifications
including the resources and production
steps to design the garden.

Design & Technologies

Strand: Negotiate
criteria for success that
include consideration of
sustainability to evaluate
design ideas, processes
and solutions
(ACTDEP027)

Reflecting on how well their designed

solutions ensure safety and wellbeing of
users and consumers and meet the needs
of communities and different cultures.
4.1 Students identify and document the
success criteria taking into account the
consumers needs, safety and
wellbeing.
4.2 Using the criteria, students complete a
decision matrix for each of the garden
designs to determine their suitability,
with the aim of identifying the winning
garden design.

Excel tables for managing resources

and project timing.
Word for design specifications.
Collaboratively communicate
findings on Wiki.

Collaboratively communicate
findings in a Powerpoint
presentation.
Design challenge Decision Matrix
using Excel.

questioning through
thinking, problem
solving and
collaboration.
Collaboration using
multiple literacies.
Learner directed,
questioning to problem
solve and collaboratively
communicate using
multiple literacies.