A pedagogy for capability

Designing and making products is a central part of design & technology education in school. If the product is going to work, then pupils need to learn technical knowledge and understanding. If it is to look good, then pupils need to learn aesthetic appreciation. If it is to be made, then pupils need to learn making or manufacturing skills. If it is to be designed, as opposed to copied, then pupils need to learn design strategies.

To achieve this learning, Nuffield Design & Technology has developed a specific type of learning activity called a Resource Task. In the National Curriculum they are called focused practical tasks and disassembly activities.

Of course a second type of learning activity is necessary – the longer, more open tasks requiring designing, making and evaluating. In Nuffield Design & Technology these are called CapabilityTasks. Sometimes these are called projects; in the National Curriculum they are called designing and making assignments (DMAs).

Nuffield Design & Technology has developed suites of both Resource and CapabilityTasks that are manageable in the classroom and provide exciting opportunities for pupils. To find out more, click on the menu in the left-hand margin.