Industrial Technology
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Marking the Major Project
This unit of work addresses aspects of the
following syllabus outcomes:
H3.2 selects and applies
appropriate research and problem-solving skills
H3.3 applies and justifies design principles effectively through the production of a Major Project
H4.1 demonstrates competence in
a range of practical skills appropriate to the Major Project
H5.2 examines and applies
appropriate documentation techniques to project management.
Extract from Industrial Technology Stage 6
Syllabus © Board of Studies NSW 2008.
Introduction
The major project is the principle means of examining the
outcomes of the HSC Industrial Technology course, including the content of the
candidates identified focus area.
The major project is marked by the Board of Studies in term
three of Year 12 for those students presenting for the HSC using the
examination criteria provided in the Industrial technology syllabus (page 47).
The Process
Experienced markers are sent to all marking centres that
have Industrial Technology candidates. At least two markers assess each major
project separately. Specialist markers are sent to centres to mark each of the
focus areas that are presented at any one centre.
Approximately twenty minutes is allocated to markers to assess
each project but there is allowance for more time to be spent if warranted.
The major project has a mark value of 60 and this is broken
down as follows:
·
20 marks for Design and
Management/Workplace Communication
·
40 marks for Production of the major project.
Both the folio and the project are marked in conjunction
with each other, to arrive at the final mark.
A marking checklist, based on the examination criteria, is
used by examiners to ensure that all components of the criteria are marked
for each candidate. An example of the marker check list used is shown in table
1.
Table 2 shows how a check list might appear for two student folios and projects from the one centre. The check list displays the following information:
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Marker number and group number marker information that is completed by the Board of Studies.
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Candidate number no names are used for privacy and security reasons.
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Brief description of the project to distinguish projects that are similar in nature.
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Focus area for the project.
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Mark range. A five mark range for each criteria of the project that is to be assessed.
The mark ranges are different for Design and Management/Workplace Communication and Production.
Markers assess the range that best reflects the quality of the work done for each particular examination criteria. This is done separately for Design and Management/Workplace Communication and the Production of the product.
For Design and Management/Workplace Communication a tick is placed in the relevant box. After the boxes have been filled in for all the relevant headings, a single mark out of 20 is placed in the mark box below. This mark is derived from a line of best fit from the ticks entered in the boxes above. For example, a mark of 10 for Design and Management would represent a balance of the 13 criteria with some mark values above 10 and some below 10.
The same process is used to obtain a mark out of 40 for the Production of the major project.
-
Marking Criteria These are taken directly from the Industrial Technology syllabus, under Major Project Examination Criteria on page 47.
Table 3: Marking criteria for Design and Management/ Workplace Communication
Table 3 displays guidelines that would give students an
indication of what is expected by the markers to gain marks in the range 1720.
The criteria in the left-hand column are the major project
examination criteria taken from the Board of Studies Industrial Technology
syllabus (p. 47). Statements in the right-hand column are presented to give
students some guidelines as to what is expected for students to gain marks in
the range 1720.
Click on this link to view a copy of the Industrial Technology Stage 6 Syllabus 
.
|
20 |
Design and Management
|
Description
|
|
Statement of intent |
Clarifies the intent of the major project by explaining clearly what
is to be achieved and why. |
|
|
Research |
Describes a wide range of research conducted, which is relevant to
the intent of the major project. |
|
|
Development of ideas |
Identifies components of the development and modification of major
project design ideas, documenting judgements as appropriate. |
|
|
Selection and justification of components, processes, and other
resources |
Justifies the selection of relevant materials, components, processes,
including industrial processes and equipment, and other resources in the
development of the major project. |
|
|
Timeline plan projected order of production and estimate of time
allocation |
Formulates a comprehensive and appropriate timeline. |
|
|
Finance plan projected cost of materials and services (if
applicable) |
Formulates a comprehensive and appropriate finance plan. |
|
|
Use of industrial processes and equipment |
Justifies the selection of appropriate materials, components,
processes, including industrial processes and equipment, and other resources
in the development of the major project. |
|
|
Evidence of safe working practices and OHS issues |
Shows the use of a wide range of appropriate safe working practices
through examples of photographic or written evidence. |
|
|
Workplace Communication Documentation of the major project
from conception to completion including: |
Description
|
|
|
Evidence of ongoing evaluation |
Makes an in-depth judgement of the major project in relation to the
statement of intent, during the planning and construction phases. |
|
|
Appropriateness of design &/ or design modification |
Assesses the relationship between the design, and modifications (if applicable),
materials, components, and processes used in the development of the major
project. |
|
|
Students evaluation of the major project and its relationship to the
statement of intent |
Makes an in depth judgement of the major project in relation to the statement
of intent, during the planning and construction phases. |
|
|
Evidence of a range of communication techniques |
Shows a wide range of communication techniques appropriate to the
development of the major project. |
|
|
Evidence of a range of computer applications, eg word processing,
spreadsheets, CAD, multimedia |
Shows a wide range of computer applications appropriate to the
development of the major project. |
Table 4: Marking criteria Production of the major
project
Table 4 displays guidelines that would give students an
indication of what is expected to gain marks in the range 3340.
The criteria in the left-hand column are the major project
examination criteria taken from the Board of Studies, Industrial
Technology Stage 6 Syllabus (p. 47) for production of the project.
Statements in the right-hand column are presented to give students some
guidelines as to what is expected for students to gain marks in the range
3340.
|
40 |
Production
|
Description
|
|
Quality of the product |
Demonstrates very high quality in all aspects of the major project
production. |
|
|
Evidence of a range of skills |
A highly demanding project, with evidence of high quality in the
application of a wide range of skills and techniques used in the planning and
production of the major project. |
|
|
Degree of difficulty |
A highly demanding project, with evidence of high quality in the
application of a wide range of skills and techniques to solving problems in
the planning and production of the major project. |
|
|
Links between planning and production |
Completed project relates closely to what was intended. Close links
between actual construction processes, management and thorough research and
planning are evident and clearly articulated. |
|
|
Evidence of industrial processes |
Shows and describes the use of a wide range of appropriate industrial
processes and materials in the production of the major project. |
|
|
Use of appropriate materials |
Shows and describes the use of a wide range of appropriate industrial
processes and materials in the production of the major project. |
|
|
Use of industrial technologies |
Uses and documents a range of appropriate industrial technologies in
the production of the major project. |
|
|
Evidence of solutions to problems in production |
Shows how solutions to problems in major project production were
addressed and accurately determines their value. |
Table 5: Major project folio
When preparing the major project folio, students need to document information that relates to the design, management and production of their major project. Table 5 displays some guidelines based on the examination criteria for the preparation of their major project folio.
|
20 |
Design and Management
|
Guideline
|
|
Statement of intent |
The statement of intent should be a clear explanation of what is to
be constructed as the major project. The explanation should name what is to
be made and the reasons why it is to be made. |
|
|
Research |
There should be a large range of research directly related to the
construction of the major project. Research can be in the form of: internet,
similar projects / ideas, books, brochures, etc. Literature that has no
direct reference to the major project does not gain the student any marks.
Where appropriate students need to research each different part of their
project. |
|
|
Development of Ideas |
Student ideas need to be put down on paper. In many projects the
development of ideas is very disjointed and does not flow in a logical
sequence. Markers look to see there is an appropriate sequence of ideas
relevant to the project. These ideas should explain how the major project is
to be thought out and constructed. |
|
|
Selection and justification of components, processes, and other
resources |
Where appropriate, for each different part of the project the student
needs to look at the options available and justify why they have chosen to
make their project the way they have, e.g. joints, type of material, size of
material, finishes. |
|
|
Timeline plan projected order of production and estimate of time
allocation |
A plan of what is to be finished by a certain date should be
completed before the major project is commenced. This is generally done in a
table either weekly, monthly or by school term. Another column in the table
should be used as an actual account of when the work was completed. This
column is therefore done progressively and compared to expected date of
completion. |
|
|
Finance plan projected cost of materials and services (if
applicable) |
Markers look for evidence of preplanning the costing of projects.
Students should investigate costs before they start the major project to see
if they can afford it. They should also list the individual item costs in a
table or similar format. As the components are purchased their accumulating
cost should be compared to the original projected cost. The date the
components are purchased should also be included. |
|
|
Use of industrial processes and equipment |
There is generally more than one way for students to produce
different parts of their project. Has the most appropriate industrial
processes and equipment been used by the student? Written documentation
should reinforce the reasoning for the industrial processes and equipment
used. |
|
|
Evidence of safe working practices and OHS issues |
Photographic evidence should highlight safe working practices such as
eye, hearing and breathing protection when working on their major project.
Photographic evidence showing unsafe practices should not be included.
Written evidence should also be included on any aspect relevant to their
major project, i.e. machines or tools used. |
|
|
Workplace Communication Documentation of the major project from conception to completion including: |
|
|
|
Evidence of ongoing evaluation |
The major project should be evaluated and recorded on a continual
basis during its construction. The evaluation should highlight both the good
points and the bad points. Markers do not penalise students for recording
negative comments about what they have constructed but students should
explain how they could have avoided or fixed problems. |
|
|
Appropriateness of design and/or design modification |
From the written documentation and the major project markers assess
whether the design is appropriate for the project. Does the project do what
the statement of intent says it will do? Very few projects are made without
modifications. As the project is continually assessed, it is logical to
assume modifications will be continually made during the manufacture of the
major project. These modifications need to be documented with valid reasons
as to why changes have been made. |
|
|
Students evaluation of the major project and its relationship to the
statement of intent |
Students should evaluate the finished major project against the
statement of intent. The evaluation should note any differences and explain
why. As well as if any part or parts of the construction process could be
improved or done differently. Markers do not penalise students for negative
comments. |
|
|
Evidence of a range of communication techniques |
Students should show as many different communication techniques as
possible during the construction of their major project. This could include
internet research, photos, word processing, spreadsheet, CAD drawing,
freehand pencil drawing, use of computer where appropriate (screen display),
video, set up to demonstrate project, display board. |
|
|
Evidence of a range of computer applications, e.g. word processing,
spreadsheets, CAD, multimedia |
Students should show as many computer applications as possible
appropriate to their major project. As a minimum, students should have
evidence of word processing, use of graphics, spreadsheets and CAD drawings. |
|