Coursework
Guidance for each Focus Area below:
Food Technology
Students must produce marketable food products and a design portfolio to support their work. This assignment tests students on their knowledge and understanding of all of the following:
- Material Characteristics
- Processing and Manufacture
- Packaging and Marketing.
Material Characteristics
Students must show that they:
- have a basic understanding of the physical properties of food and the effect of heat on food materials;
- know how food materials are selected for a product in relation to sensory qualities, for example flavour, aroma, mouth feel and visual qualities;
- are able to identify nutrients present in food and recognise their basic function in the body; and
- be aware of how processing (including freezing and heating) affects food materials and their nutrient content.
Processing and Manufacture
Students must:
- know how at least one food commodity is processed from its raw state to the finished product;
- know how food is processed by mixing/heating/cutting/shaping to improve taste and nutrition;
- be aware of the importance of the proportion of different ingredients in food products;
- be able to select an appropriate finish to enhance the appearance of food products;
- be aware of the main control systems throughout the processing and distribution of a food product;
- be able to use appropriate tools and equipment efficiently and safely to achieve a quality finish;
- be aware of scaled up formulae for large-scale processing; and
- follow the rules of food hygiene and safety control including Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
Packaging and Marketing
Students must:
- be aware of the types, properties and function of packaging materials;
- have a basic knowledge of the legal requirements of labelling food;
- be aware of the use of CAD/CAM in food packaging manufacture; and
- understand the importance of market research and knowledge of consumer preferences in developing food products and their packaging.
Graphic Products
Students must design and produce graphic designs and a supporting portfolio in response to a problem set by the centre. The problem must focus on one of the following areas:
- Engineering Design
- Environmental Design
- Industrial Design
- Information Design.
Students must use suitable drawing systems to illustrate their design. In particular, students must be able to produce:
- correctly dimensioned simple orthographic drawings;
- a variety of pictorial views that may include sketches and accurate drawings in oblique, isometric, perspective and/or planometric style;
- a variety of presentation techniques such as pencil, felt-tip and coloured-pencil rendering, colour wash and/or air-brush;
- flow charts, graphs, logos, simple circuit diagrams and pop-up illustrations; and
- computer graphics.
Students must also produce a model of their design solution. The model can be two or three dimensional. It can be constructed from any suitable material(s), for example card, foam board, polystyrene or clay. Students must be careful to choose and apply appropriate joining, construction and printing techniques and finishes.
Resistant Materials Technology
In this assignment, students must use their knowledge and understanding of the characteristics, physical properties, cost and availability of different design materials to help them design their final product.
Students are marked on how well their project demonstrates knowledge and understanding of all of the following materials:
- Wood
- Metal
- Plastics.
Wood
Students must:
- have a basic understanding of the properties of popular hardwoods and softwoods together with man-made timbers products, for example chipboard, hardboard, plywood and MDF;
- know how to shape and join in a variety of sections;
- know about a range of adhesives to suit different conditions; and
- know how to use the correct tools safely and how to obtain appropriate surface finishes.
Metals
Students must:
- have a basic understanding of the properties of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys;
- know how to use a lathe and drilling machine for basic machining;
- understand how heat-treating metals changes their properties;
- know how to shape and join metals in a variety of sections; and
- know how to use the correct tools safely and how to obtain appropriate surface finishes.
Plastics
Students must:
- have a basic understanding of the properties of thermo-plastics and thermo-setting plastics;
- know how to shape and join a range of plastics;
- understand common processes used in the production of plastic products, for example heat bending, vacuum forming, blow-moulding and injection moulding; and
- know how to use the correct tools safely and how to obtain appropriate surface finishes.
Systems and Control Technology
In this coursework task, students must design and make a working instrument that involves systems and control technology. The final product must either solve a problem or produce a specified output from a given input, depending on the task the centre sets.
Students can use construction kits such as Lego Technic, Meccano, Fisher Technic or Loktronics to demonstrate their designs. However, they must also show evidence of practical making skills by building some part of the product using appropriate materials.
Students must also produce a portfolio with information to support their design.
This coursework assignment assesses students on their ability to:
- design and build mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and electronic systems;
- appreciate how and why we need to recycle materials such as paper, glass and metals;
- design and make simple structures that withstand forces including compression, tension, torsion and bending;
- design and make simple mechanisms that involve levers, belts and pulleys, cams, crank and sliders and linkages and gears; and
- design simple systems using energy, for example heat, light, sound, wind, mechanical, chemical and electrical energies.
Textiles Technology
The final project focuses on one of the following areas of the Textiles Technology area of study:
- Interior Design
- Theatrical Design
- Fashion Ideas
- Commercial Design.
Students must be able to use their knowledge and understanding to design and make a practical solution to a textiles-related problem set by the centre. They must support their practical work by producing a portfolio of design and written work.
Students are marked on their ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all the following topics:
- Materials
- Creative Processes and Techniques
- Manufacturing
- The Fashion Scene.
Materials
Students must:
- know the classification of fibres;
- have a basic understanding of the properties of natural and man-made fibres;
- have a basic understanding of the structure of fabrics;
- be aware of the special finishes applied to improve the appearance and function of fabrics; and
- know how fibres and fabrics can be mixed, blended or bonded to create new and innovative fabrics with more useful properties.
Creative Processes and Techniques
Students must be able to:
- introduce or apply colour to fabrics; and
- introduce surface decoration.
Manufacturing
Students must:
- be able to estimate the quality and cost of materials and components;
- prepare material for laying out and cutting out;
- be able to lay patterns and templates on fabric using the most economical layout;
- mark material for construction processes;
- select and use specific construction processes in relation to type of fabric and the intended purpose of the product;
- be able to identify style details for specific products, for example styles of seams, sleeves, collars and pockets;
- be able to use equipment and components safely in order to make a quality outcome within their capability;
- understand how production systems are set up for clothing and textile manufacture; and
- understand the role of computers to aid large-scale quality control.
The Fashion Scene
Students must have an appreciation of:
- fashion influences including cultural, economic and historical;
- the fashion cycle and changing trends, including ready-to-wear clothes and accessories; and
- the fashion industry, including mass production and quality control.