Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Testing for functionality

20 minutes

Find Out: Negotiating design criteria

25 minutes

Take Action: Onto the next iteration

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

review their assistive devices against a set of criteria.

Success criteria

Students can:

test and review the product they have created
develop the new iteration of their design based on feedback.

Tune In: Testing for functionality

Step 1

In the previous lessons, students designed and prototyped their assistive devices. Now, it’s time to see if the devices meet the design challenge. Ask your students, ‘Why do we test devices before using them?’

Students' answers may include:

to make sure they are safe
to discover any design flaws before the user relies on the device
to identify areas for improvement

Remind students that the test-and-iterate stage of the design thinking process is integral to human-centred design.

Find Out: Negotiating design criteria

Step 1

Ask students to revisit the tests they designed in Lesson 3: Dextrous Designs. Remind students that their design prototype must meet the following criteria:

Functionality: Does the design effectively cater to the user’s needs? Does it allow them to perform the task independently?
Usability: Is the device easy to use for the intended user? Does it do what it needs to do?
Accessibility: Does the design suit the environment where it will be used? Does it meet the user’s physical abilities?
Durability and safety: Is the device durable and built to withstand daily use? Does it have any sharp edges or other parts that could cause harm? How could the device fail? What would be the result if the device failed?
Aesthetics and comfort: Does the design look good? Can the user customise it? Is it comfortable for the user to wear or use?

Step 2

Explain that students will now test their devices based on these criteria. In pairs or small groups, students will gather their prototypes and ensure they have everything needed to conduct the tests (such as a testing space, materials, or a helper for demonstration). Make sure students have identified measures of success so they can determine whether the device has passed or failed the test.

If a failed test will result in the device being destroyed, ask students to complete those tests last! It is hard to test a device that is destroyed.

Ask students to test their designs in real-life scenarios or simulated activities that mirror how the user would interact with the device. Make sure they record their results.

Step 3

After testing, ask students to reflect on the results and identify the strengths and weaknesses of their designs. Encourage them to focus on specific aspects of the test and to think critically about why their device passed or failed. Have students record their observations on the Student Worksheet, noting down:

what worked well
what didn’t work well
what caused the device to pass or fail certain criteria.

Take Action: Onto the next iteration

Step 1

Explain to students that they are now moving on to the next iteration of their design, following the design thinking loop. Now that students have reviewed their initial designs and identified areas for improvement, they will create the next iteration of their assistive device. This involves making adjustments to the design based on the feedback and testing results.

For this task, students will:

redesign parts of their device as needed
annotate their new design to explain the changes made, and why these adjustments will improve the device
reflect on how the design loop helps improve the device with each iteration
identify how they will test the device in the next round of testing.

Step 2

Remind students that design thinking is an ongoing process in which designs are tested, evaluated, and improved through multiple iterations. This cycle of testing, reflecting, and improving helps create the best solutions.

Encourage students to view this cycle as a valuable means to refine their ideas and approach an optimal solution for the user. Design thinking is never ‘finished’ – there is always room for improvement.

Learning support: Encourage students who find the iterative process challenging to focus on small, manageable changes they can make, rather than trying to fix everything at once.

Learning opportunity: This is an excellent opportunity for students to practice problem-solving and critical thinking by seeing how even small changes can impact the effectiveness of their design.

Reflection

Initiate a class discussion with students on the following prompt:

When does the design process end?
Is there such a thing as a perfect design?

Are You Up to the Challenge?

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson