Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to your design and technology lesson.

I am Mrs. Mee and I am your design and technology teacher.

So if you remember, we are exploring the unit Reactions, Control In Design and Technology.

This is the final lesson of this unit, so we're on lesson 10 today.

And if you've joined me previously, you'll know that we've explored an awful lot about the use of control in design and technology.

So we've learned what an electrical system is.

We've learned about mechanical systems. We've learned how to connect electrical systems to product and other mechanical systems. And we've learned about the need for programming and control.

Do you remember what piece of software we've used to create an electrical system? That's right, we've used Micro:bit, haven't we? And the reason we use the Micro:bit is because you can actually simulate it online and you don't need a physical Micro:bit like Mrs. Mee's got here.

So we've learned how to programme the Micro:bit.

We've learned how to use traditional materials to make physical products.

So we've made a prototype of both the physical product and the electrical system.

So we've learned an awful lot about electrical systems but we've also used our traditional designing skills as well, haven't we? Do you remember, can you remind me what the design brief was, what were we asked to design? That's right, we were asked to design a smart device to help children recycle.

So behind me is all of the models that Mrs Mee has made and today we're going to test and evaluate those.

So hopefully you've got access to yours as well because today's lesson we are going to look at them and we're going to evaluate them and we're going to compare them to the list that we made.

Do you remember what that list was called? That's right, it was a design specification.

So come and join me and I'll talk you through what we're going to be learning about in today's lesson.

Okay, so now we're going to critically evaluate our end product, so let's remind ourselves of the rules.

So as we're evaluating today, we might be exploring and experimenting again and we might decide to make some further changes.

So make sure we're following the rules.

And in this lesson you are going to need some paper and a pencil, you're going to need access to your electrical system, so a computer, and access to the BBC Micro:bit website again and you are going to need access to your prototype.

So pause the video, when you've got all of these things, press review and we'll continue today's lesson.

And one of the things you are going to need is access to your design specification.

So go and find those things and when you're ready, come back to me and we'll start today's lesson.

Fantastic, so you've got everything you need.

You've got your paper and pencil, access to the Micro:bit website, you've got your prototype, Mrs. Mee's got hers behind her and you've got access to your specification.

Brilliant.

So, today's lesson you should have already done the intro quiz.

We're going to look at evaluating our product against our set of criteria.

We're going to gather feedback from users and then we're going to look at using both of that feedback and we're going to look at how we can suggest improvements.

And that's what designers do.

They always make sure that products undergo testing before they develop it further for it to be developed into a real product.

So we are going to use lots of keywords today.

We're going to test our products, this refers to using a product to check it works as intended.

We're going to evaluate it.

So we're going to look at the product, we're going to make judgements about its advantages and disadvantages.

We're going to look back at our specification.

If you remember, this refers to a list of points that we use to describe how the product will function, the purpose of it and who it's designed for.

We're going to be looking at the advantages.

So the advantages means the benefits of that product.

We're also then going to look at the disadvantages and this is the shortcomings, the things that are not working quite as well as we'd like.

So we're going to be using all of those key words.

So the first thing we're going to look at is evaluating our product against our set of criteria.

So make sure you've got your product, your physical one and your electrical system, make sure you've got your design criteria to hand.

Okay, so now that you've got your criteria, let's evaluate our end product.

So, we are going to look at evaluating our final prototype.

So what methods might we use to test and evaluate our final prototype? Make a note of some of the methods that you could use to test and evaluate your final prototype? What could you do? That's right, you could observe.

So you can look at it, so you can look at your physical model, look at the colours, the shapes.

You can actually look at the electrical system and see if it does what you intended for it to do.

You can give it to other people and say, "Could you test that product for me?" You can use it.

So this is a recycling bin, so how could I use it? I could put rubbish in and see if the rubbish goes in and can I get it out okay.

How do I remove the litter from the bin? I can compare it to my design specification, that's right.

So I can compare it to all the points that I intended and then I can check it works, so testing it.

So I could test my electrical system either on screen or physically, I can test to see if this works.

So those are the things that we're going to do today to test and evaluate our product works.

So when we evaluate something, what does it mean? Do we look at the products and make judgements on the advantages and disadvantages? Or does evaluate mean where we create ideas? Which option do you think evaluate is? What does evaluate mean? Well done if you got option one, it's where we're going to look at it, we're going to use it and we're going to make judgments on the advantages and disadvantages, well done.

And as part of this, we're also going to test our product.

So what do we mean by testing? Does testing refer to developing a set of criteria? Or does it refer to using a product to check it works as intended? What do we mean by test? Are we developing criteria or are we checking to see if the product works by using it? That's right, we are actually checking to see if it works by using it, well done.

So you now know what the word evaluate means, what test means and you know how we're going to test and evaluate your idea.

So we will need the prototype we created, both the physical model and the electrical system to do this.

And we're going to evaluate and test the product by identifying the advantages and disadvantages.

So let's test our product to check it works as intended.

How might we test the product to identify the advantages and disadvantages? We'll refer back to the criteria we created earlier.

So what we're going to do now is we're going to test your products and we're going to make notes.

But Mrs. Mee is going to show you how she's carried out her testing.

So what I've done first is I've looked at my design specification to remind myself what I intended to do.

So I intended to create a product that was programmed to interact with the user using LED display and sound.

I wanted it to be designed for 4 to 14 year olds.

I wanted children to be able to separate the recycled materials easily, and I wanted them to be able to recycle it without touching the dirty bin and I also wanted colours to indicate the different materials.

And I also wanted to use a material that was easy to clean.

So remember and lock in those specification points.

So read your specification, remind yourself what you intended.

So here is a blank table that you can use to make notes.

So what you might want to do is you might want to look and observe, use it, test it and make notes on this blank sheet.

So you can make notes to tell me whether it did what you intended to do.

So smart device, I am making notes to tell myself whether it does interact with the user as I intended.

Now remember, I wanted to use LED lights and sound to allow the user to interact.

So I am writing a sentence to say how it did that.

So you've also got another sheet that you can use to make a note of what the advantages and disadvantages are.

Try complete these tasks.

Here is my example of me testing.

Now, if you remember, my idea was to make sure that children didn't need to touch the bin.

So when they disposed of the litter, I wanted to include an incentive.

So I want, my idea was to create some points.

So each time they disposed of the litter, it increased the points.

So it was an incentive and I was linking it to gamification, so just have a look at the short animation, the short video, sorry, that shows you.

So the display's on zero and it's detecting movement.

So each time I put litter into the bin, what happens? Yay, it counts.

So it uses the LED display to actually count each time that I put litter into the bin.

Now, what I do need to develop further is actually how can I do that in case you've got two young children in a household, how could I monitor those? But that's something I need to develop but I've actually achieved my idea by using that system.

And if you remember, I actually use the accelerometer to detect movement and I actually use the variable to count.

So that's my electrical system for my first idea.

And then the electrical system for my other idea, if you remember, I wanted the user to be alerted when they came near the bins, I wanted to attract them to the bin.

So I wanted the eyes on the bin to light up when the user was nearby.

So if you remember back to when I made my system, it detects sound, so when a young child comes into the area, say the kitchen where the bin is, the eyes light up to attract the user to want to actually interact with it.

So let's see if it does that.

Now, because my Micro:bit is this shape, I would need two Micro:bits to test it.

So I didn't want to change my design, because remember this is a prototype.

So you're using the Micro:bit as a tool to actually have a go at building that system.

So here I've got one eye activated, I'd need another Micro:bit to activate two.

So when I make a sound like a clap or I talk, the eyes light up, and this is actually how it's remembered this last programme that I've saved on the Micro:bit.

So at the moment when I'm quite it's just a face, but if I talk, if I talk, the eyes flash.

If I talk, the eyes flash.

You see, so it's activated by voice recognition.

So here I've got two electrical systems, I've tested if they've worked.

And then the next way to test my product is to physically look at it, touch it, put litter inside and check it physically works.

So my next thing is to look at the physical product.

So I've tested this system, now you can test your system by playing it on screen using the simulator.

Then you need to look at the product and you need to compare them against each point.

And once you've compared them against each point, you can make your notes on those two tables.

So your task now is to evaluate your product against the criteria and test the product to identify what are the advantages about it and what are the disadvantages.

And once you've had a go, Mrs. Mee will show you her example.

So pause the video, evaluate your products by looking at them and using them.

Make a note in your, against each of your set of criteria and tell me what you think the advantages and disadvantages are.

Fantastic, have you had a go? Well done.

No Mrs. Mee is going to show you her evaluation.

So for the smart device, the product was programmed to interrupt the user by sensing when recycled materials were placed in the containers and the lights indicated to the children.

Young children, was it suitable for 4 to 14 year olds? The product has been designed to look playful using bright colours to attract children and I have linked gamification to the idea.

Recycle, they are clearly separate containers for each type of material.

So these are my sentences to compare against the criteria.

Function, the containers have been designed with open tops so there is no need to touch the lid.

So yeah, it does as intended.

Appearance, yes, I've used different colours for each of the containers.

And materials, they will be made from plastic to allow them to be wiped clean, but I couldn't make my prototypes out of plastic.

So here is my evaluation using that sheet that I showed you.

So that's what your evaluation might look like.

Then I need to, once I evaluated and compared, remember I need to judge what's the advantages and disadvantages, so I filled that in here.

Some of the advantages is the use of points, sensors to activate the LED display, use of coloured lids means that it's, that they may not be out of place in a home environment.

But my disadvantages, the open containers could incorporate a lid because actually, if you've got really stinky recycled materials in there, it might not smell very nice.

Using plastic to make end products is not good for the environment, it's not, is it? So maybe I could rethink about the materials.

Incorporate labels because it's not very clear, is it? Although I've got coloured lids.

Unless they know what those colours mean, it's not very clear that one is for glass, one is for plastic.

So those are my, that is my evaluation and those are my advantages and disadvantages.

I wonder how you got on? So not only do we need to look at and gather feedback based on our own opinions, we do need to think about giving our products to other people to test.

So what we're going to look at now is gathering feedback from a range of users.

When we evaluate, should we just rely on our own opinions? No, it's really important to gather feedback from others to fully test and evaluate a product.

What is the purpose of our evaluation? It's to identify the advantages and disadvantages, to be able to identify improvements.

So we need to get feedback from our self and others to identify improvements.

Now, if we were to give our users this sheet, do you think it would help them to be able to evaluate and give you feedback? No, so what I'd like you to do, I'd like you to develop a question for each of your specification points to ask your users to test and evaluate your end product against that set of criteria.

So you're going to pause the video and you're going to develop a question that helps test against each of those points.

So what would your questions look like? Pause the video and have a little think.

Have you had a think? Have you developed some questions that might test your end outcome against each of your specification points? Now here's some examples that Mrs. Mee has created.

So, to test against the smart device, I might ask the following question, does the product allow for interaction with the end user using light and sound? That is a question I'd ask.

Well, actually does it? My users might say not.

It does use lights when I talk, it flashes when I make a noise it flashes, but there is no sound, is there? Maybe Mrs. Mee forgot about that part.

So that's something I need to think about, isn't it? So here are the questions that you can give to your end users.

You can also give them this sheet here so they can tell you what they think is good and not so good about your end product.

So gather feedback from other potential users.

You could show them how your product works and you could ask them the questions and make notes.

How you gather that feedback is up to you.

I've given you some ideas, so if you haven't already done that, give your questions to your end users and gather the feedback.

Pause the video.

When you've completed that, press resume and we'll continue today's lesson.

Fantastic, so have you got feedback now from all of your users? Brilliant.

So Mrs. Mee has also done the same.

So here is some of the feedback from my end users.

So my first user said they liked the use of points.

Second user says, kind of, the use of sound wasn't included, this could be improved.

My second feedback was yes, they felt it was suitable and yes, they really like it, so really good feedback on the design of it and how it suits young children.

Recycle, my first user said they're not really sure where to put the material.

My second user said yes.

For function, does it have a closing mechanism that prevents user touching with hands? User said, first user said no.

And my second you said no, you just place the waste in a hole, so it doesn't have any mechanisms. That's a really good point, there's no mechanism of opening and closing, it's just an open hole.

So in terms of appearance, yes, they liked the coloured lids, good feedback and they actually like the choice of material, which quite surprised me, because Mrs. Mee was going to change that.

So once you've got feedback from your users, we can then think about suggesting improvements.

So you've had a chance now to test and evaluate your product yourself, you compared it to the criteria, you've used it, you've identified advantages and disadvantages, now we need to think about improvements.

So before we start thinking about improvements, we need to reflect on the feedback that we've gathered before we begin to make suggestions.

So you need to look at your own evaluation, you need to remind yourself and look at what you said were the advantages and disadvantages.

You need to then look at the feedback from your end users, their opinion that compared against the specification points, remind yourself, have a little read over and remind yourselves what did the user say with the advantages and disadvantages? Lots and lots of feedback.

So once you've got feedback from all of your users and you've evaluated it yourself, what you need to do now is have a think and reflect.

So now that you've reminded yourself of those things, identify what the key improvements are.

Now you could take a picture of your final prototype and you could annotate it to show those improvements.

You could even make some of those improvements if you wanted.

So pause the video now, reflect back on your own feedback and the feedback from users and think about what you could do to improve your end product should you be able to make changes now or should you be able to make it again.

Pause the video and when you've done, press resume.

Fantastic, so now you have thought about some of those improvements.

Shall I show you what I've done? So Mrs. Mee took a picture of her final prototype, okay, and she made notes around the outside to suggest what she could do to improve.

Now, what I could have included on that picture is a screenshot of my electrical system, couldn't I? But I've just taken a picture of my end product and I've written notes.

So my first suggested improvement is to add lids to the containers, so that actually that's not open, because if we've got stinky materials in there, it might make my kitchen smell a little bit stinky.

So lids for the containers.

The other thing I'm suggesting is I could make them slightly larger.

Now, I know they're a prototype, but I'm all about the proportion because that was something that one of my users suggested.

Incorporating sound would be a really good one.

So when the user walks into the kitchen, not only does it flash, it could make a sound as well.

That's a really good suggested improvement.

And then my final suggestion is make it clearer what materials to place where.

So I could do that by using symbols, couldn't I? Or writing on the front of them, glass, plastic, card and metal.

So those are Mrs. Mee suggested improvements.

I hope you've got some really good ideas for your improvements as well.

So that is the final task for this unit.

So we've learned so much during this unit.

Today you've completed the intro quiz, we've looked at evaluating our product against our criteria, haven't we? We've gathered feedback from other people and we've looked at suggested improvements.

Now I really hope you've enjoyed this unit.

The only thing for you to do now is your exit quiz.

And I hope you've enjoyed this unit.

And I hope that you've really enjoyed learning about electrical systems and control in design and technology.

If you've got anything you'd like to share, any really cool ideas you'd like to share, please ask an adult to take pictures of your work and share them on Twitter at Oak National, using the #LearnwithOak.

I've really enjoyed working with you during this unit exploring and experimenting and I look forward to seeing you sometime in the future.

Thank you ever so much.

Goodbye.