An ‘An autoethnographic reflection on new educational technologies in the design and technology curricula from schools in Dubai and England’.

Abstract

To what extent does design and technology (D&T) equip children and young people with the technological skills they need for the future? This reflection discusses and critiques observations on international D&T curricula in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, exploring innovative practices such as virtual reality (VR) and other new educational technologies to support assessment and add depth to the curriculum. In this paper, I discuss educational perspectives from an autoethnographic standpoint and the extent to which contributing factors, such as culture, have impacted me as a D&T practitioner. My observations come from teaching and leading within a an oversubscribed and high-performing co-education international through-school in Dubai. From five years situated within this particular environment I participated in the teaching and learning of the subject across the primary and secondary phases, in an expatriate community of over two thousand students from over eighty different nationalities. In comparison to the second educational environment, being an oversubscribed state co-educational secondary school in the Greater Merseyside area in England. These two educational establishments have distinctly different demographics and methods of delivery in their approach to D&T. My reflections on some of the challenges and ‘quick wins’ are shared with the aim to offer insights and observations that any Key Words:  best practice, design and technology (D&T), curriculum, International, National, Virtual Reality