Design Technology HL Course Outline?

[Echowave]

Hi,

I'm planning to change my subjects from Computer Science to Design Technology. I know nothing about Design Technology (Higher Level) and if anyone here takes it, can you please breifly outline what's challenging about the subject? Does the subject include any mathematical concepts? Please help me, this would help me choose my subjects better as I'm not sure weather to change subject or not. A through answer will help me a lot. Thanks.

[forlackofabettername]

Hey there. To be honest, there's nothing overly difficult about the Design Technology CORE. I think the most difficult part in DT are the internals; it's quite difficult to research everything and properly develop your products. Especially the personal project: that's when you have to design a product for someone you know or like, somewhere you've been.

Yes the subject does include some mathematical concepts but nothing you're not familiar with i'm sure.

The following is an extract from the DT syllabus, it details the mathematical reqs for the subject.

It is assumed that students will be competent in the techniques listed below. Students will not be expected

to remember any equations. All equations will be provided in the examination paper.

All Diploma Programme design technology students should be able to:

• perform basic arithmetic functions and understand/recognize basic geometric shapes

• make simple calculations and approximations within an appropriate context involving averages

(means), decimals, fractions, percentages, ratios, approximations, reciprocals and scaling

• take account of accuracy in calculations, handling them so that significant figures are neither lost

unnecessarily nor carried out beyond what is justified

• express fractions as percentages and vice versa

• recognize and use expressions in decimal and standard form notation

• use logarithms to base 10, powers, roots, reciprocals, direct proportion and inverse proportion

• solve simple algebraic equations, given the appropriate formula

• comprehend the meanings of, and use, common mathematical symbols and/or notations

• display and interpret frequency data in the form of bar charts, column graphs and histograms, and

interpret pie charts and nomograms

• select suitable scales and axes, plot and interpret graphs involving two variables that show linear and

non-linear relations

• plot and interpret scatter diagrams to identify a correlation between two variables, and appreciate

that the existence of a correlation does not establish a causal relationship

• select appropriate variables and scales for plotting a graph, especially to obtain a graph of the form

y = mx + c

• determine and interpret the slope and intercept of linear graphs, and extrapolate graphs

• use simple geometric drawings to measure lengths or angles.