Engineering Design · SHS3 Engineering

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: 3.3.1.LI.1 - Analyse failures associated with prototypes and provide appropriate remedies.

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Identify and categorise common types of prototype failures (functional, material, structural, and user-related) using examples from their own prototype testing.
Analyse the root causes of a prototype failure by examining test data, observations, and user feedback from Week 11 testing activities.
Propose appropriate remedies for identified failures, justifying each remedy with reference to the specific failure mode.
Apply a structured failure analysis framework (e.g., the 5 Whys or failure mode analysis) to a tested prototype and document their findings.
Collaborate in teams to present a failure analysis report and recommended remedies for a prototype, incorporating feedback from peers.

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Curriculum details

Strand: Systems Design and Prototyping (Strand 3)
Sub-strand: Engineering Design (3.1)
Content standard: 3.3.1.CS.2 - Apply iteration to improve engineering designs. 3.3.1.LO.1 Evaluate a prototype and test it using all possible variable constraints. 3.3.1.LO.2 Use feedback and observations made from testing and evaluation to improve a solution or prototype.
Indicator: 3.3.1.LI.1 - Analyse failures associated with prototypes and provide appropriate remedies.
Suggested placement: Semester 2, Week 13 (Week 33 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Curriculum reference: NaCCA curriculum document, p. 132

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Hands-on experimentation: Have learners test prototypes under different conditions and analyse the results to identify any failures. Encourage learners to come up with potential solutions to these failures and test them through further experimentation.
Design Thinking: Use design thinking principles to guide learners through the process of failure testing and correction. This involves encouraging learners to empathize with users, define problems, ideate solutions, prototype, and test their prototypes.
Collaborative Learning: Learners work in teams to test and evaluate prototypes. This can involve dividing learners into small groups and having each group work on a different prototype or having learners work together to test and evaluate a single prototype.
Project-based Learning: Use a project-based learning approach to teach failure testing and correction of prototypes. This involves having learners work on a real-world design challenge, such as creating a new product or improving an existing one and using failure testing and correction as part of the design process.
Inquiry-based Learning: Posing questions or problems for learners to explore, encouraging them to come up with their own hypotheses and test them through experimentation, and helping them to analyse and interpret their results.

Assessment (3.3.1.AS.1). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 1 Recall; Level 2 Skills of conceptual understanding; Level 3 Strategic reasoning; Level 4 Extended critical thinking and reasoning.

Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Video documentaries
- Audio-visual equipment
- Laptops with MS Office installed