Design and Manufacture – National 5

Purpose and Aims of the Course:

This course, at both levels National 4 and National 5 offers learners opportunities to develop and extend a wide range of skills. In particular, it aims to enable learners to develop the ability to:

Identify factors that influence design and apply these in a design task.
Develop and communicate design concepts for a design task.
Evaluate an existing product.
Investigate materials for manufacturing tasks in a workshop context.
Prepare for manufacturing tasks in a workshop context.
Plan and implement a manufacturing sequence for a prototype.
Review manufacturing processes and a finished prototype.

Pupils will experience a range of teaching methods including class and group discussion, direct teaching, graphic skills demonstrations, tutorials in computer software and physical model building techniques in the workshop context.

The National 5 Course is made up of two units and a course assessment:

Design – The general aim of this Unit is to develop the learner’s skills and creativity in designing a product towards a manufacturing process. Learners will take a given design brief and develop it to a final concept, generating ideas by applying research, graphics and modelling techniques. Existing commercial products will be examined and evaluated. The Unit is also designed to enable the learner to develop an understanding of the impact of design and manufacturing technologies on our environment and society.

Materials and Manufacturing – The general aim of this Unit is to develop the learner’s skills and creativity in manufacturing a product or prototype based on a given a design concept. The aim includes developing an appreciation and application of the properties and uses of materials. Learners will manufacture models and prototypes, applying a range of practical skills. The Unit is designed to enable the learner to develop an understanding of the impact of materials and manufacturing on design and the environment.

Course Assessment – The course will be assessed by a combination of an assignment and an externally assessed question paper.

Homework

Homework will be issued regularly and deadlines are issued on Microsoft teams. Practice in past paper style questions are gradually introduced after time is spent on a series of formal homework exercises. Folio work needs to be taken seriously and true pupil expertise can only be developed through continual practice and refinement at home.

Pupils are urged to take an interest in all aspects of product and industrial design. This will involve trawling websites and developing insight into the subject by familiarising themselves with the content of many of the extensive collection of design books in the departmental library.