Design and Technology Competition 2014/15
A massive thank you to both Regents School and Bangkok Patana School for their video entries to theKS5 FOBISIA DT Challenge 2014-15.This challenge was aimed specifically as the KS5 students and therefore was meant to be a difficult challenge. I was totally amazed at the quality of the videos submitted and the innovative ways that the coke cans were transported from one location to another.
The winning entry showed all of the characteristics that I believe are at the core of Design and Technology, the creative problem solving through the application of knowledge and skills, teamwork and plenty of perseverance.
I therefore wish to congratulate The Regent’s School for their winning application: Please view their entry here, it is amazing!
I would also like to congratulate Bangkok Patana School for their Second Place Finish for their excellent and innovate video of their solution. I will try and get the video uploaded onto YouTube as it is currently only shared via GoogleDocs.
Thank you everyone for the time and effort that everyone has put into this competition so far. I really would like to see this competition grow and become more of an event across all of our school calendars. Therefore any feedback or comments that can help improve how this type of competition can be run please do let me know.
The next competition is aimed at KS4 students and will begin on the 19thNovember until the 3rdDecember 2014. This challenge will once again involve a CAD File drawing.
Thank you all again and a big well done to The Regent’s School for their amazing solution.
ByMr James Chandler,IB Coordinator and Teacher of Design and Technology,British International School, Ho Chi Minh City
Email:
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Dear Fellow FOBISIA Design and Technology Colleagues,
Thank you for all the support and guidance over the course of last year, in which was the first year of the FOBISA Design and Technology Competition. I would very much like to see the competition grow and become a regular event in the FOBISIA and schools calendars, enabling us to raise the awareness and importance of our subject in today’s rapidly changing world.
The “Creating Solutions” Design and Technology FOBISIA Challenge competition will be running again this year and I hope that as many of you will once again take part as well as having new schools taking part.
The competition will change slightly from last year in that there will only be 3 challenges throughout the year, instead of the 4 as last year. The challenges will be as follows: Challenge 1 – For KS5 students ONLY – 1stOctober 2014 to 15thOctober 2014
Challenge 2 – For KS4 students ONLY – 19thNovember 2014 to 3rdDecember 2014
Challenge 3 – For KS3 students ONLY – 6thMay 2015 to 20thMay 2015
Each challenge will now last for 2weeks/336hours, instead of the one week/168hours as last year. This will hopefully give students and supervising teachers more flexibility and time outside of their regular classes and extra curriculum routines to complete the challenges.
The challenges will be different from last year, however, the aim of the challenges will be the same; To design, make and test a solution to a given problem. The problem will be released at the beginning of the 2weeks and students will have to upload their solutions via YouTube before the 336hours are up. Student videos must contain their whole DESIGN PROCESS from their initial planning and designing, through their making to finally their testing. The videos must not be longer than 5minutes. These videos will then be viewed by a judging panel that will judge the videos on the criteria that were released along with the problem. The judges will then decide upon a winner.
As of writing this email (05/08/2014) the challenges have not yet been set and I am therefore asking if any of you have any suggestions and ideas as to what the types of challenges could be. I have in the past always tried to create design challenges that can be undertaken regardless of the facilities, resources and locations of the participating schools. This in theory allowed students to undertake the challenges outside of their Design and Technology workshops and even potentially allowing students from schools without Design and Technology facilities to take part.
I am though considering changing this idea for some the KS4 challenge to reflect the technological advancements made in industry, specifically the laser cutter. If each school has access to a laser cutter, it should be possible to share files and therefore replicate standard components.
The idea would be to email out a standard design that could be laser cut by each school. Students will have a choice to either:
1)manipulate the drawing before laser cutting out the design (features can be added to the standard design, BUT the size and shape has to stay the same)
Or
2)laser cut out the standard design first before using materials and resources available to them to manually solve the same problem.
If possible most schools will be able to manipulate the standard CAD files, so that at the end of the competition it will be possible for participating schools to share their CAD files of their solutions to other schools, enabling other schools to laser cut and assemble all the participating school designs. The standard design template (if shape and size not altered by individual schools) will enable all the different school entries to fit together to make one complete structure. An example of today’s manufacturing process.
In order for this process to work, it would be necessary to find out the following information:
1)Does every school have access to a laser cutter? (either in their own school, a friendly neighbouring school or a local company)
2)Which CAD file format would suit the majority of schools? (Techsoft 2D Design?)
3)What standard materials do schools have access to? (I am assuming most school will have access to 3mm MDF and 3mm Acrylic (including Clear Acrylic)
Your thoughts and answers to the above would be greatly appreciated. I understand that many of you will be on your summer breaks and the last thing on your minds will be in thinking about this competition or even reading my very long email (sorry). However, with my new role of IB Coordinator starting in August, I will have less time to plan and prepare once my school starts back. Therefore any feedback from last year or ideas on challenges and improvements please do let me know.
Thank you all again,
Mr James Chandler
IB Coordinator and Teacher of Design and Technology,British International School, Ho Chi Minh City
Email: