General Certificate of Education Design and Technology: Product Design 3D PROD2 Report on the Examination 2550 June 2013 Version: 1.0
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Coursework Administration The majority of centres are now very familiar with the administration requirements for internal standardisation/external moderation. Most centres complied by supplying the essential documentation such as signed Candidate Record Forms and Centre Declaration Sheets, etc. In a relatively small number of cases, such documentation was either missing or completed incorrectly, resulting in delaying the moderation process unnecessarily. Unfortunately, there does seem to be an increase in the number of centres making errors on the centre mark sheets by entering totals that differ to the marks on candidate record forms, again delaying moderation. Where centre visits were required to moderate practical work, the visits were generally arranged easily and carried out efficiently. Most centres provide very good photographic records of modelling and making, including the process and the outcomes. The best examples show close up detail of construction, highlighting accuracy and finish. A small number of centres had inadequate photographic evidence which then required a visit to moderate practical work. Electronic portfolios were usually provided in an accessible format such as PowerPoint or PDF and complied with the file size requirements. Candidate Record Forms (please refer to section 6.5 & 6.9 of the specification) Candidate record forms are improving with more being annotated by candidates with page referencing and statements pointing to where and how the assessment criteria have been addressed. Many are simply signed and the remainder left blank. Teacher annotation on the back sheet of the CRF varies. The best examples explain how the candidate has addressed each of the assessment criteria and point to locations in the folder where evidence can be seen. Centre assessment is generally accurate with the majority of experienced centres rewarding their candidates accurately to the AQA standard for this unit. Most centres adopt either single or multiple project (2-3) approaches, with the latter providing candidates the potential to generate a range of ideas and work in a variety of material areas. Choice of task This is quite varied and in the majority of cases, the tasks chosen were appropriate for this unit. Centres often gave candidates a theme/context to work from, such as in the style of, a design period, designer or architect. Whilst providing a theme at this level is established practice, centres should take all steps to ensure that candidates adopt their own individual approach to the task, avoiding generic work and sharing research material which can often lead to a lack of differentiation between candidates. 3 of 5
Criteria for the award of marks Investigation and Clarification of Problems (8 marks) The best candidates conducted primary investigation through disassembly of products, testing materials, carrying out client interviews and measuring items or the space where outcomes are to be used. There are many candidates that simply print off generic material from websites with little relevance to the brief. The worst aspects of research are Gantt charts which have been simply coloured in with little feedback/comment to them later in the folder, and mood boards that are simply a folder filler or cut and paste exercise. Questionnaires are generally of limited relevance to the specifications produced, and much time is wasted presenting dubious results. Specifications are still quite general and lack criteria that can be used to evaluate ideas and the final outcome. The most popular projects are MP3 docking stations and lighting. The best candidates carry out relevant research into the components that may be used such as bulbs, low voltage power supplies, switches and connectors. Another popular research task is to test speakers with various materials and different sized mock up cases. A growing number of candidates are tackling projects holistically and develop assembly instructions, packaging and point of sale displays for their products. Development of the Design Proposal (24 marks) This continues to be a section that is over rewarded by many centres. Sadly, many candidates adopt a formulaic approach producing a set number of ideas which are often pre-conceived. This is often followed by a rather academic exercise of selecting an idea, simple re-drawing of the design, a modelling sheet, rudimentary working drawing and manufacturing plan. The best centres pay close attention to the assessment criteria for this section and only award high marks where there really is a comprehensive range of ideas, clear development where a range of materials, combination of materials and construction methods are tested. Modelling is used as a design tool, sometimes with models photographed and sketching over the photos to show development. Scale modelling sometimes leads to imaginative, well communicated, and in some cases very sophisticated final solutions. Maximum or very high marks should only be given for work which is exceptional and matches the descriptions stated for the top band (19-24) of the assessment criteria. Making and Modelling (24 marks) Moderators have seen evidence of some excellent making, with highly sophisticated and manufactured outcomes, these centres are to be congratulated. Unfortunately final outcomes are still in many cases being over rewarded; simple constructed outcomes often with poor finishes are given high marks. Centres are reminded that without clear photographic evidence of the final outcome or the work appears to have been over rewarded, a visit by the moderator will usually be required. When marks given are in the highest band the work should display both a varied range of different materials and a variety of processes of manufacture. 4 of 5
Where CAM is used, the best centres only use it to compliment traditional making techniques or they evidence hand making skills through model making and mock-ups in the development stages CAD/CAM is becoming more widely used but centres that use laser cutters, routers and prototypers must include evidence of the machine settings and downloads of the CAD work leading up to the product being produced, many still do not include this work. Evaluation and Testing (12 marks) Some candidates evaluate their research, analysing the most significant information and drawing points into the specification. Evaluation can also be found where design ideas are compared in some detail to the specification, and where potential users of the product are asked to critically comment. When teachers wish to credit such on-going evaluation, it must be referenced on the CRF with page numbers to indicate where the work can be found in the project. Final evaluations are often disappointing with candidates evaluating the process they went through and not commenting on the product in any real detail. The best evaluations show evidence of testing in the intended location. Products will be critically compared to the specification and objective comment will be sought from a potential client or product users. Modifications or improvements are suggested and the best examples show these in drawings and even 3D digital artist impressions. Communication and Presentation (12 marks) This section of the unit continues to be slightly over rewarded. To access the top mark band, candidates must use a range of communication methods to develop their designs, and written work will be of the highest standard with few, if any errors. Quality of sketching continues to be variable whilst CAD work seems to be gradually becoming more sophisticated. Development drawings are more effective when they are annotated with possible materials, construction method or evaluative comment explaining design decisions. Mark Ranges and Award of Grades Grade boundaries and cumulative percentage grades are available on the Results Statistics page of the AQA Website. Converting Marks into UMS marks Convert raw marks into Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) marks by using the link below. UMS conversion calculator www.aqa.org.uk/umsconversion 5 of 5