Victorian Curriculum: Introduction and overview

Focus on Design and Technologies

Why curriculum matters The curriculum is a statement of the purpose of schooling. It is a public commitment to the learning valued by the

community It defines what it is that all students have the opportunity to

learn as a result of their schooling, set out as a series of learning progressions (according to Marzano, the provision of a ‘guaranteed and viable curriculum’ is one of the factors that has most impact on student learning).

Enabling and monitoring every students’ progress along these learning continua is the fundamental role of teachers and schools and the endpoint and purpose of all reform efforts.

Victorian Curriculum F-10 The current F-10 curriculum for

Victorian schools, AusVELS, is based on the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS). The content of the English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography curricula were adjusted in 2013 to incorporate the development of the Australian Curriculum in these areas.

Work has since been undertaken in all other learning areas to incorporate the full Australian Curriculum. The English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography curricula have also been revised following the review of the Australian Curriculum in 2014.

Victorian Curriculum F-10

This final version is titled the Victorian Curriculum F-10

The Victorian Curriculum now provides a stable foundation for whole schooling curriculum and assessment planning

The Victorian Curriculum incorporates the Australian Curriculum and reflects Victorian standards and priorities.

Victorian Curriculum F-10 – by 2017Learning Areas Capabilities• The Arts

o Danceo Dramao Media Artso Musico Visual Communication Design (7-10)o Visual Arts

• English• Humanities

o Civics and Citizenshipo Economics and Businesso Geographyo History

• Languages• Health and Physical Education• Mathematics• Science• Technology

o Design and Technologieso Digital Technologies

• Critical and creative thinking• Intercultural • Ethical • Personal and social

Timelines

Implementation of the new Victorian Curriculum can commence in individual schools as soon as they choose, with all schools required to implement the new curriculum from the start of 2017. In other words, schools will have the remainder of 2015 and all of 2016 to prepare for full implementation in 2017.

2015-16 From 2015

• AusVELS curriculum available

• AusVELS website archived December 2016

• Victorian Curriculum available

• Full implementation from 2017

Locating information Curriculum Resources and Support

Terminology AusVELS - VELS component Victorian Curriculum

Domains Curriculum areas

Dimensions Strands and sub-strands

------- Content descriptions

Learning focus -------

Standards Achievement standards

ComponentsIntroduction CurriculumRationale and aims Level / band description

Structure- strands / sub-strands- placement of standards

Content descriptions (+ elaborations )

Learning in .. Achievement standards

Scope and sequence

Glossary

Structure of VC:D&TContent DescriptionsSpecifies the knowledge, understandings and skills students are expected to learn.

Content Elaborations• Illustrations or examples of Content Descriptions.

Achievement StandardsDescribe what students are typically able to understand and able to do. They describe expected achievement and emphasise the depth of conceptual understanding and the sophistication of skills.

Examples

Technologies

Design and Technologies

Technologies and Socie

ty

Technologies Contexts

Creating

Designed

Solutions

Digital Technologies

One learning area

Two domains (curriculum areas)

Three strands in Design and Technologies

What is Design and Technologies?

Technologies ContextsFocuses on the characteristics

and properties of four technologies contexts

Design and Technologies involves students creating quality designed

solutions across a range of technologies contexts

Technologies and SocietyFocuses on how people

use and develop technologies

Creating Designed SolutionsBased on design thinking,

design processes and production processes’

typically addressed through a design brief

Taking into account the ethical, legal, aesthetic and

functional factors that inform the design processes

What does Design and Technologies involve?

Creating quality designed solutions across a range of

technologies contexts

Considering the economic,

environmental and social impacts

of technological change

and

how the choice and

use of technologies may contribute

to a sustainable future

Organisation of the VC:D&T

Creating Designed Solutions

Investigating

involves critiquing, explore and

investigating needs and opportunities

Generating

 developing and communicating ideas

for a range of audiences

Producing

applying a variety of skills and

techniques to make designed solutions

to meet specific purposes and user

needs

Evaluating

evaluating and making

judgements through a design process about the

quality and effectiveness of their designed solutions and

others

Planning and managing

learning to plan and manage time, along with other

resources, to effectively create design solutions

Computational thinkingProblem-solving used

e.g. calculating costs, testing materials

Focus on

different types of thinking

Design thinkingUse of strategies for understanding

design needs and opportunities

Systems thinkingGeneration of ideas and

decisions made throughout the design processes;

recognition of the connectedness and interactions

Design and Technologies Contexts

Engineering principles and

systems

explores how forces can be used to create

light, sound, heat, movement, control or support in systems

Food and fibre production

focuses on food and fibre as human-

produced or harvested

resources,

and how food and fibre are produced in

managed environments such

as farms or plantations, or

harvested from wild stocks. 

Food specialisations

explores the application of

nutrition principles and the

characteristics and properties of food, food selection and preparation, and

contemporary food issues

Materials and technologies

explores a broad range of traditional, contemporary and emerging materials

that involve an extensive use of

technologies.

Engineering principles and systems

explores how forces can be used to create light, sound, heat, movement, control or support in systems

students develop an understanding of how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour and performance of designed engineering solutions

Food and fibre production

focuses on food and fibre as human-produced or harvested resources, and how food and fibre are produced in managed environments such as farms or plantations, or harvested from wild stocks.

develop an understanding of the challenges involved in managing these resources within sustainable agricultural systems.

develop their knowledge and understanding about the managed systems that produce food and fibre through creating designed

solutions.

Food specialisations

explores the application of nutrition principles and the characteristics and properties of food, food selection and preparation, and contemporary food issues.

come to understand the importance of a variety of foods, sound nutrition principles, food preparation skills and food safety

Materials and technologies

explores a broad range of traditional, contemporary and emerging materials, and specialist areas that involve an extensive use of technologies.

students learn to make ethical and sustainable decisions about designed solutions and processes by learning about and working with materials and production processes.

Structure of VC: D&TBand Descriptions

Provides an overview to the content descriptions and achievement standard within the band

Content Descriptions

Specifies the knowledge, understandings and skills students are expected to learn.

Content Elaborations• Illustrations or examples of Content Descriptions (not mandated).

Achievement Standards

Describe what students are typically able to understand and able to do. They describe expected achievement and emphasise the depth of conceptual understanding and the sophistication of skills.

Victorian Curriculum : Design and Technologies curriculum

Focus on sustainability

Sustainability easily explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5r4loXPyx8

Design awareness in schools

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/foundation10/curriculum/resources/designawareness/index.aspx

ActivitySelect one or more D&T contexts and list ideas for designed solutions that could be created for a

specified band.• For each designed solution, identify

• which context/s are being addressed• what skills are being developed and which

band are they appropriate for • what sustainability issues being addressed• what modifications, if any, could be made to

the design brief.

Contact DetailsVictorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)Leanne ComptonCurriculum Manager, Design and Technologies

compton.leanne.l@edumail.vic.gov.au phone: (03) 9032 1698