Design and Technology: Guide
Alison Hardy, Jason Davies, Jeffrey Buckley, Adri du Toit, Scott Bartholomew, Suzanne Gomersall, Cathy Growney, Marion Rutland, Ulrika Sultan, Louise Davies, Trudi Barrow, Matt McLain, Sarah Davies, Helen Brink, Richard Brown, Silveira, V., Mburu, P. K. , Andrew Halliwell | View as single page | | Feedback/Impact.
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Context D&T curriculum Pedagogy Assessment Resources |
Technology education for gifted studentsHelen Brink Gifted students are a heterogenous group, Dai & Chen, (2013), and Gagné (2004; 2005) describes giftedness as developmental and malleable abilities which need catalysts to develop into talents. These catalysts can be, for example, derived from educational settings. Therefore, it is important that the technology education provides gifted students with opportunities aligning with their needs, so they can develop their abilities. Gifted students can have specific needs in technology education (D&T). These needs are described in the CAAS framework (Brink, 2023). The CAAS framework was developed through a research literature review and a thematic analysis and consists of four themes: Complexity, Autonomy, Authenticity and Support. The CAAS framework also illustrates how teaching can be organised to meet the needs of gifted students. Table 1 CAAS framework with examples of gifted students’ needs in technology education and teaching responding to the needs
Teachers can use the CAAS framework when designing technology education as a proactive response to the gifted students needs. Design and or technical activities and learning situations can include complexity, autonomy, authenticity and support in varying degrees and by that, gifted students are given a chance to develop their abilities. One example is design activities using CAD (computer aided design) where students can be doubly challenged, both in the design and in the software (Brink et al., 2022). It can be a challenge to teach gifted students in mixed-ability classroom settings, however, activities based on the CAAS framework can be argued to benefit all students, not only gifted students. References and further reading Brink, H., Kilbrink, N., & Gericke, N. (2022). Teach to use CAD or through using CAD: An interview study with technology teachers. International Journal of Technology and Design Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-022-09770-1 Brink, H. (2023). Gifted students’ needs in technology education. In S. Davies, M. McLain, A. Hardy & D. Morrison-Love (Eds.), The 40th International Pupils’ Attitudes Towards Technology Conference Proceedings 2023, 31 October-3 November, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/PATT40/article/view/1327 Dai, D. Y., & Chen, F. (2013). Three paradigms of gifted education: In search of conceptual clarity in research and practice. The Gifted Child Quarterly, 57, 151–168. Gagné, F. (2004) Transforming gifts into talents: the DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies, 15:2, 119-147. DOI: 10.1080/1359813042000314682 Gagné, F. (2005). From gifts to talents: the DMGT as a developmental model. I R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (pp. 98-119). Cambridge University Press. |
