Assessment in D&T

Alison Hardy

Assessment is a crucial aspect of teaching and learning in Design and Technology (D&T) education in England. It serves as a follower, checker, validator, informer, and future director of where learning can be taken next.

Assessment in D&T is not only about measuring pupils' knowledge and skills but also about developing their design and technology capability. There are two things to assess in design and technology:

1. Whether pupils have learned knowledge, skills, and processes.

2. The extent of a pupil’s design and technology capability.

There has been more research done about the assessment of design and technology capability than there is about assessing pupils’ learning of specific aspects of knowledge, skills, and processes. However, the research does show that more than one form of assessment is needed to assess what pupils have learnt and their emerging design and technology capability (Hartell & Strimel 2019).

Assessment in D&T involves various methods, including formative assessment strategies (e.g., starter and plenary activities, question and answer sessions, observing pupils while they work, one-to-one dialogue, exit tickets, self-assessment, and peer assessment) and summative assessment (e.g., internal tests, examinations, and project work). Effective feedback is crucial in communicating assessments to pupils and should focus on what can be done to improve and develop further.

It is essential to assess both individual components of the curriculum and pupils' emerging design and technology capability using a combination of formative and summative assessment methods.

References and Suggested reading

Hartell, E., & Strimel, G. J. (2019) "What is it called and how does it work: examining content validity and item design of teacher-made tests." International Journal of Technology and Design Education, Volume 29, pages 781 to 802.

Moreland, J., Barlex, D., and Jones, A. (2008) "Design and Technology Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning", London: GL Assessment

Schut, A. (2022) Exploring the potential of feedback within the creative processes of a design and technology classroom. In Debates in Design and Technology Education, edited by A L Hardy (2nd edition), Routledge, pages 238 to 251

Schut, A., Klapwijk, R., Gielen, M., and de Vries, M. “Children’s Responses to Divergent and Convergent Design Feedback.” Design and Technology Education Volume 24, 2019, pages 67 to 89.

Wooff, D., Bell, D., and Owen-Jackson, G. (2013) "Assessment questions" in Owen-Jackson, G. (ed.) "Debates in Design and Technology Education", Abingdon: Routledge