Purpose
Achievement Criteria
Explanatory Note 1
Design a digital technologies outcome involves:
- describing a need or opportunity, potential user(s), and requirements
- generating design ideas for the proposed digital technologies outcome
- describing how the selected design addresses the need or opportunity and meets the identified requirements.
Refine a design for a digital technologies outcome involves:
- using feedback to make improvements to the design throughout the design process
- explaining how design decisions made during the design process improve the quality of the proposed digital technologies outcome.
Evaluate a design for a digital technologies outcome involves:
- justifying how decisions made during the design process contribute to the selected design’s fitness for purpose.
Explanatory Note 2
As part of the evidence provided, students must include discussion of manaakitanga or kaitiakitanga in relation to the design outcome or the design process.
Explanatory Note 3
The design communicates how the completed outcome would look and/or function. The design may be communicated using a range of methods, for example: sketches, mock-ups, models, annotations, descriptions, diagrams, schemas.
Design ideas can relate to aspects of the design, either independently, or in relation to other design ideas. Examples could include visual elements such as colour schemes or layout, functional elements such as interactivity, or technical elements such as data attributes, code structure, or component configuration.
Design decisions are deliberate choices made in relation to an aspect of the design. Decisions can be based on a range of inputs, for example: feedback, research, consideration of manaakitanga or kaitiakitanga, or consideration of design principles or usability principles.
Explanatory Note 4
In Digital Technologies, a design demonstrating fitness for purpose is one that addresses the requirements and specifications and considers the potential users and context.
Shared Explanatory Note
Refer to the NCEA glossary for Māori, Pacific, and further subject-specific terms and concepts.
This achievement standard is derived from the Technology Learning Area at Level 6 of The New Zealand Curriculum: Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007.
External Assessment Specifications
The External Assessment Specifications are published by NZQA and can be found on their website using this link:
NZQA Digital Technologies
Useful Pages
Unpacking the Standard
Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.
We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.
Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.
We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.
The intent of the Standard
This Standard explores digital technologies design processes. Ākonga will be encouraged to research an existing issue or context and create design ideas to meet the needs of the end user(s). As part of the process ākonga should have the opportunity to engage in talanoa, mahi tahi or collaboration, and whakawhiti kōrero or feedback, to improve their designs.
Ākonga will be required to create a completed design incorporating a selection of their generated design ideas. This design is considered to be the best fit for the digital technologies outcome. In selecting design ideas for their completed design, ākonga are not required to produce multiple finished designs, but they should make sure that there are clear links from the generation of ideas through to the completed design that they submit.
Through this Standard, ākonga are required to discuss manaakitanga or kaitiakitanga as they create their design, drawing on several pieces of significant learning. In other words, ākonga may:
- evaluate the fitness for purpose of digital technologies outcomes by considering manaakitanga or kaitiakitanga, and the outcomes’ social and physical environments
- understand how digital technologies impact on end users by considering the following mātāpono Māori: kotahitanga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, wairuatanga, kaitiakitanga, and tikanga
- understand that digital technologies and the concepts that underpin them are influenced by the people that create them and the contexts in which they are developed
- recognise that through kotahitanga and creative and critical thinking they can develop new and innovative solutions to existing problems.
Digital outcomes do not exist in isolation from the context in which they are situated, and the consideration of manaakitanga (the process of showing respect and care to others) or kaitiakitanga (guardianship, stewardship for living things and resources) should be central to a design and development process.
In discussing manaakitanga, ākonga will show respect and care for others, specifically the users of an outcome or those that may be impacted by its use. As they go through the design process, ākonga may ask themselves:
- How will my design uphold the mana of a user?
- How can I design the outcome to be as easy to use as possible?
- How will the thing I’m designing improve peoples’ lives?
- How will my design remove barriers to access for a range of users?
- How can I respectfully involve the potential users in decisions about my design?
- How might other people be impacted by the outcome I’m designing?
In discussing kaitiakitanga, ākonga will show respect and stewardship for living things and resources. As they go through the design process, ākonga may ask themselves:
- What are the resources my outcome would require and what is the environmental impact of those?
- Are there choices that I can make with my design that would be more or less harmful to the environment and living things?
- How can the outcome I design support or promote conservation or protection for the environment and living things?
- How can the outcome I design support kaitiaki in their role?
- How can the outcome I design reduce the excess consumption of resources?
Ākonga will demonstrate the application of feedback in the development of their design and explain how their design decisions improved the fitness of purpose of the design.
Justifications of how decisions made during the design process contribute to the design’s fitness for purpose may consider:
- requirements
- potential users
- usability principles
- design principles.
Making reliable judgements
There are many different ways that ākonga might have carried out a design process. Ākonga must have created a portfolio of evidence supporting the fact that they have carried out the process culminating in the production of a completed design.
At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will have shown how they have responded to feedback from the end user(s) to refine their design and will be able to justify decisions they have made.
Collecting evidence
Ākonga are not required to create a digital technologies outcome for this Standard. Evidence for this Standard will be drawn from a collection of artefacts curated as part of the technological process ākonga have followed to develop their design. A completed design will also be part of the evidence.
Possible contexts
Design contexts should be authentic and allow for ākonga to follow a design process to address a need or opportunity. Ākonga could apply mātauranga Māori, for example in exploring kaitiakitanga in designing an outcome with an environmental focus. The design may refer to a local context or a context of significance to individual ākonga. The digital technologies outcome that ākonga design does not need to be developed, though they may use their design as the starting point for the development of their outcome to meet the requirements of a different assessment.
The intent of the Standard
This Standard explores digital technologies design processes. Ākonga will be encouraged to research an existing issue or context and create design ideas to meet the needs of the end user(s). As part of the process ākonga should have the opportunity to engage in talanoa, mahi tahi or collaboration, and whakawhiti kōrero or feedback, to improve their designs.
Ākonga will be required to create a completed design incorporating a selection of their generated design ideas. This design is considered to be the best fit for the digital technologies outcome. In selecting design ideas for their completed design, ākonga are not required to produce multiple finished designs, but they should make sure that there are clear links from the generation of ideas through to the completed design that they submit.
Through this Standard, ākonga are required to discuss manaakitanga or kaitiakitanga as they create their design, drawing on several pieces of significant learning. In other words, ākonga may:
- evaluate the fitness for purpose of digital technologies outcomes by considering manaakitanga or kaitiakitanga, and the outcomes’ social and physical environments
- understand how digital technologies impact on end users by considering the following mātāpono Māori: kotahitanga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, wairuatanga, kaitiakitanga, and tikanga
- understand that digital technologies and the concepts that underpin them are influenced by the people that create them and the contexts in which they are developed
- recognise that through kotahitanga and creative and critical thinking they can develop new and innovative solutions to existing problems.
Digital outcomes do not exist in isolation from the context in which they are situated, and the consideration of manaakitanga (the process of showing respect and care to others) or kaitiakitanga (guardianship, stewardship for living things and resources) should be central to a design and development process.
In discussing manaakitanga, ākonga will show respect and care for others, specifically the users of an outcome or those that may be impacted by its use. As they go through the design process, ākonga may ask themselves:
- How will my design uphold the mana of a user?
- How can I design the outcome to be as easy to use as possible?
- How will the thing I’m designing improve peoples’ lives?
- How will my design remove barriers to access for a range of users?
- How can I respectfully involve the potential users in decisions about my design?
- How might other people be impacted by the outcome I’m designing?
In discussing kaitiakitanga, ākonga will show respect and stewardship for living things and resources. As they go through the design process, ākonga may ask themselves:
- What are the resources my outcome would require and what is the environmental impact of those?
- Are there choices that I can make with my design that would be more or less harmful to the environment and living things?
- How can the outcome I design support or promote conservation or protection for the environment and living things?
- How can the outcome I design support kaitiaki in their role?
- How can the outcome I design reduce the excess consumption of resources?
Ākonga will demonstrate the application of feedback in the development of their design and explain how their design decisions improved the fitness of purpose of the design.
Justifications of how decisions made during the design process contribute to the design’s fitness for purpose may consider:
- requirements
- potential users
- usability principles
- design principles.
Making reliable judgements
There are many different ways that ākonga might have carried out a design process. Ākonga must have created a portfolio of evidence supporting the fact that they have carried out the process culminating in the production of a completed design.
At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will have shown how they have responded to feedback from the end user(s) to refine their design and will be able to justify decisions they have made.
Collecting evidence
Ākonga are not required to create a digital technologies outcome for this Standard. Evidence for this Standard will be drawn from a collection of artefacts curated as part of the technological process ākonga have followed to develop their design. A completed design will also be part of the evidence.
Possible contexts
Design contexts should be authentic and allow for ākonga to follow a design process to address a need or opportunity. Ākonga could apply mātauranga Māori, for example in exploring kaitiakitanga in designing an outcome with an environmental focus. The design may refer to a local context or a context of significance to individual ākonga. The digital technologies outcome that ākonga design does not need to be developed, though they may use their design as the starting point for the development of their outcome to meet the requirements of a different assessment.
Standard Exclusions
This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.
Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.
Standard Exclusions
This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.
Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.