Innovation – the key to success

Industry research has shown that the companies that grow are the companies that innovate. Opportunities to teach the principles of innovation in education, and schooling in particular, have rarely been explored in any serious way. No doubt there has been substantial growth in this area in the last decade. The paper discusses the need for instruction in innovation in schools and overviews projects in a number of countries, and the relative success of each. The majority of these projects were conducted outside what we have considered for centuries as ‘the traditional classroom’. This raises questions about the adequacy of the speed at which education is changing and to challenge educators to remove their rather ‘blinkered approach’ to ‘incrementalist creep’ as the basis of developing future possibilities for education and schooling. Observers would say that education is not keeping pace with societal changes and is in line for a good dose of innovation itself. Research to discover the students’ perceptions of current education, support this observation. The paper concludes with suggestions for a more innovative approach to education and the role of technology educators as catalysts for change

In Search of a Sustainable Future: An International Overview of the Contribution from Design and Technology Education

In 1987 the World Commission on Environment and Development developed a definition of sustainability that was included in its report Our Common Future. This report stated that sustainable development ‘meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’ (Brundtland, 1987, p. 40). Five years later, in 1992, the UN General Assembly asked for a report on progress and convened the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, 1992). The Rio Earth Summit declared that the right to development must be fulfilled in order to meet equitably developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the extent to which design and technology education curricula in eight countries are teaching students to take into account, when designing and making products and services, the needs of the present generation without compromising a sustainable future. Do curricula emphasise sustainability? How effectively is sustainability addressed in schools within design and technology education? The main body of the paper consists of contributions from the eight authors, who describe design and technology in their own country (or region) in terms of:• its organisation;• its core aims;• the extent to which it encourages students to think about meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising a sustainable future;• an example of good practice that relates design and technology education and sustainability and that could be adapted for use in other counties.The reality is that internationally design and technology is diverse in all these aspects but, whether they have the backing of curriculum frameworks or not, design and technology educators in many countries are making significant efforts to help young people consider issues of sustainability when making decisions in the process of designing and making

Abstracts

The following publications are abstracts by the mentionned authors;A Preliminary Study of an attempt to Introduce PGCE D&T Students to Designing and the Teaching of Designing in the Secondary School - Abstract by David Barlex and Marion RutlandRemembering the C in D&T: Gendered Perceptions of Creativity and Design & Technology - Abstract by David SpendloveInnovation in Design and Technology: the Polymer Acoustic Guitar and the Case for Relegation of 'The Design Process' - Abstract by Dr Eddie NormanThe Introduction of Practical Craft Skills into the Scottish Technology Curriculum: A New Beginning or the Beginning of the End - Abstract by John DakersMaking Progress? A Discussion of the Concept of Progress in Relation to Design and Technology Education - Abstract by Steve KeirlGlobalisation of the Go: Implications for Design and Technology Education @ 2003 - Abstract by Steve KeirlThe Wow Factor - Textiles gets a Boost with CAD in the UK and Australia - Abstract by Rose Sinclair and Louise DuvernetInteraction, Dialogue and a Creative Spirit of Inquiry - Abstract by J. W. HamiltonTechnology Students' Views of Intelligence and the Implications for Classroom Practice - Abstract by Wendy J. DowIs there a Core of D&T Knowledge? - Abstract by Tim LewisDeyond Pro/DESKTOP Computer Aided Design (CAD): the Transfer of CAD-based Design Modelling Skills from Schools to Higher Education - Abstract by Tony Hodgson and Clare Allsop'It aint what you do it's the way that you do it' - Abstract by Tony Lawler and Martin HowlettThe Presentation of Systems Thinking in Support Materials for Secondary Design & Technology Pupils: A Review - Abstract by Torben SteegValuing Progression in Design and Technology Education - Abstract by Mike MartinElectronic Portfolios for Design and Technology. What if...? - Abstract by Andy MitchellGifted and Talented Pupils in Design and Technology at Key Stage Three - Abstract by Christine Arthingto

Sodium levels in Australian processed foods

Masters Research - Master of Philosophy (MPhil)Salt in food is a result of long term conditioning dating back to the day of salt-dried meat. Cultures with diets high in salt have a higher incidence of hypertension. Studies have shown that hypertension can be reduced by a reduction of salt in the diet Manufacturers of processed foods have developed salt reduced and low salt products in response to the Australian Dietary guideline to reduce salt, yet many of these products are not well supported in the market place. Coles, Woolworths, Franklins and Jewels in the Wyong area were surveyed to determine the availability of such products. A survey of consumers in Woolworths indicated that the majority of consumers know that salt is not good for health and yet their preference for regular salted processed food remains strong. As it takes several weeks for a high salt palate to adapt to the flavour of reduced salt foods before they taste acceptable, the consumer needs to be educated in the value of persevering with the apparently less palatable foods for long term benefits. Some consumers who are making an effort to reduce the salt content of the diet are often misguided in their choice of foods, and are easily convinced to purchase products that display a red tick of any sought in the belief that it is the 'healthy heart' symbol. This indicates a need for education in effective product selection. Processed foods tested in 1982 were assessed again to determine the extent to which the food manufacturers have responded to the dietary guidelines apart from the preparation of special products. Indications are that the majority of foods have had their salt level slightly reduced and their potassium level increased to produce foods of a more beneficial electrolyte balance. Processed meats on the other hand were found to have increased their salt level. In the light of food poisoning scares in the processed meat industry in 1995. this result is understandable

Innovation: The key to success

Industry research has shown that the companies that grow are the companies that innovate. Opportunities to teach the principles of innovation in education, and schooling in particular, have rarely been explored in any serious way. No doubt there has been substantial growth in this area in the last decade. The paper discusses the need for instruction in innovation in schools and overviews projects in a number of countries, and the relative success of each. The majority of these projects were conducted outside what we have considered for centuries as ‘the traditional classroom’. This raises questions about the adequacy of the speed at which education is changing and to challenge educators to remove their rather ‘blinkered approach’ to ‘incrementalist creep’ as the basis of developing future possibilities for education and schooling. Observers would say that education is not keeping pace with societal changes and is in line for a good dose of innovation itself. Research to discover the students’ perceptions of current education, support this observation. The paper concludes with suggestions for a more innovative approach to education and the role of technology educators as catalysts for change

The wow factor : textiles get a boost with CAD in the UK and Australia : PowerPoint abstracts

The wow factor : textiles get a boost with CAD in the UK and Australia : PowerPoint abstract