Design and Technology 2021 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they understand its intent and requirements
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in the response
• communicate ideas and information using relevant examples
• be prepared to perform some mathematical functions, interpret data/graphs/tables and assess information for accuracy, reliability and/or validity
• consider using graphical solutions if appropriate
• show full and clear working out for all questions involving calculations
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify relevant PPE used in a workplace (a)
• differentiate between a label (single word) and an annotation (explanatory text) (a)
• clearly draw an item of PPE and identifying (annotating) features (a)
• articulate a variety of modifications and features that related to the design brief (b)
• identify physical changes to PPE to reflect differences (b)
• consider a design process in their reflection of the PPE (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• accurately interpreting glossary language ‘PPE’ (a)
• using adjectives rather than nouns in annotations (a)
• understanding and applying  design processes in the response (b). 

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly identify a specific work practice to guide the response
• articulate the changes to work practice through positive and negative features
• consolidate their response through the use of relevant work practice examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing more than general features of work practices.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• support their response by providing relevant examples of products that have responded to a detailed societal need
• demonstrate their understanding through cause and effect statements and by successfully linking relevant products to establish a clear relationship between a new product and the societal need.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding general statements, such as ‘better’ or ‘cheaper’, without a clear link to a societal need
• providing details of a societal need, not simply listing a product that has been designed.

In better responses, students were able to:

• make clear reference to the stimulus provided
• clearly articulate at least two examples of the legal issues of both the drone and the driverless truck, such as privacy, intellectual property and responsibilities in the instance of accidents resulting in injury to a person or damage to property
• use specific examples, such as the breach of privacy resulting from cameras attached to drones, which may lead to the collection of footage without consent, leading to a greater number of formal complaints which place greater strain on law enforcement processes
• provide at least two examples of the economic issues of both the drone and the driverless truck, such as the loss of employment, the expense involved for companies who choose to use the systems, and maintenance
• use specific examples, such as the dependency on government payments due to loss of employment, hence having more widespread ongoing effects on other industries and aspects of society
• explore both short and long term implications, supported by clear cause and effect statements
• develop a relationship between the legal and economic implications while also considering both the advantages and disadvantages of both provided examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing all parts of the question and referencing all parts of the stimulus material, such as images and annotations
• providing clear examples to support statements in their written response
• drawing out any implications from the cause and effect statements
• developing a cohesive response by using connective terms and full sentences and paragraphs
• ensuring legal issues and economic issues are addressed for both the drone and driverless truck
• recognising that legal issues and economic issues can relate to the designer, manufacturer, business, operator and the consumer.