Stuff and Nonsense...: Doing the Happy Dance... NCEA Results

Its external results time .... so I took a deep breath and logged on to the NCEA website to take a look at the Design and Visual Communications results.

As usual, a mixed bag but on the whole I am a very happy bunny.
I am extremely happy with the results form both the Level 1 and Level 3 groups.

Level 1 - this table is the feedback that I have completed for school for the Level 1 results for 2015.
The two externals are the last two on this table. I think that although everyone passed AS91063, this can be easily improved upon this year by concentrating on different sketching skills such as cut aways, exploded views etc. This will give the students access to the merit and excellence levels. The way that the course is set up with instructions, screen casts and rewindable learning gives lots of in class opportunities and time for me to go into more in depth sketching and drawing skills with the students. My video drawing board set up will also give me options to record myself doing the drawing skills for the students so they can look at these and practice in their own time.
AS91063 - the orthographic drawing was a success this year. I have offered this to students who are willing to put in extra time in the October holidays but this has changed this year and I have planned to put it in the general course so all the Level 1 students can have a go at it.

Level 1
AS91066 Use rendering techniques to communicate the form of design ideas. NA = 0% A= 100% M = 0% E = 0%		This standard did not have the second try that was planned as we ran out of time. The achieved results were from the chair project half way through the year. The students normally would get a second chance when doing the mobile phone project and this would be where the higher results would be achieved. With the project changes to the mobile phone project this year, and the time spent on the changes, we ran out of time for a second go at rendering.
AS91067 Use the work of an influential designer to inform design ideas. NA = 0% A = 33% M = 67% E = 0%		This work was based on what they did in AS91069. A lot of research is done in that standard and was broken down into steps a lot as this is the standard that I offered as a MOOC this year. I feel that the level of depth that they went into with AS91069 has paid off with the number of merits achieved in this standard.
AS91068 Undertake development of design ideas through graphics practice. NA = 0% A = 67% M = 33% E = 0%		The overall quality of work for this standard for the whole class was an improvement on last year. We spent a long time learning how to use and using Tinkercad in order to 3D print their final pieces of design work. I think this affected our ability to develop in the detail needed at times. This will be planned better for next year.
AS91069 Promote an organised body of design work to an audience using visual communication techniques. NA = 0% A = 83% M = 17% E = 0%		Even though this standard is the one that I offered as a MOOC, so the planning for it was much more broken down into easy to follow steps, this has not come through with higher levels of achievement. It is about the same as last year. To achieve at the higher levels, students need to apply the style of the designer more to their poster layouts. This will be more of a focus next year, as the research is all there and is coming through in AS91067, but needs to be applied more here.
AS91047 Undertake development to make a prototype to address a brief. NA = 17% A = 83% M = 0% E = 0%		This was a new standard this year and is attached to the same project as AS91068. The NA showing the results is because of 1 student not completing his final model due to his attendance.
AS91063 - External Produce freehand sketches that communicate design ideas NA = 0% A = 100% M = 0% E = 0%		It is good that the whole class passed this standard. This can be improved upon in 2016 by concentrating on the details of design work so different drawing styles can be used, like cut aways and exploded views.
AS91064 - External Produce instrumental, multi-view orthographic drawings that communicate technical features of design ideas NA = 0% A = 50% M = 50% E = 0%		This standard was offered to those who wanted to come in during the October holidays. The results were good so I am building this standard into the whole course for 2016 so it is available to the whole Level 1 class.

Level 3 - this table is the feedback that I have completed for school for the Level 3 results for 2015.
The external, AS91627, has been a problem for me since the standards changed a few years ago. After talking with our Technology contact from Team Solutions about my worries about this standard, she put me in contact with a teacher from another school. I had a great meeting and came away a lot clearer about what I had to do with my Level 3 students for AS91627.
My students were not happy with me when I came back from that meeting in March and told them to bin the work that they had started and we were starting over. I explained very honestly to them what we were doing, why and who I had been talking to about it. I made it clear to them that my problem was getting students to pass that standard and what we were doing was for their benefit. I give my Level 3 group a lot of complements here as they sucked it up and got on with it with very minimal muttering and wanting to kill me.
I also used the Level 3 Google Plus community a lot more this year so there was lots of communication and sharing.
It worked! I am delighted.

Level 3
AS91629 Resolve a spatial design through Graphics practice NA = 25% A = 75% M = 0% E = 0%		The NA were 2 students whose attendance was very poor over the year. 1 of these two also had a very laid back attitude when he was in, so produced no work at all. We started the external work for AS91627 again at the start of the year in response to my visit to another school for advice. This put back our starting AS91629 but our understanding of it was a lot clearer.
AS91610 Develop a conceptual design considering fitness for purpose in the broadest sense. NA = 25% A = 75% M = 0% E = 0%		The NA were 2 students whose attendance was very poor over the year. 1 of these two also had a very laid back attitude when he was in, so produced no work at all. This was a new standard introduced this year to cover the same project work as AS91629. Next year, this needs to be incorporated into the project breakdown and instructions in a much clearer way so the students know what to do to cover the requirements.
AS91627 - External Initiate design ideas through exploration NA = 37.5% A = 37.5% M = 25% E = 0%		2 of the 3 NA results are due to non attendance and not doing any work when they were in the class. The achieved and merit results are very pleasing and makes the visit to Mangere College that I did in March, to gain a greater understanding of the standard worthwhile.
The plan at the start of the year was to do AS91628 - Develop a visual presentation that exhibits a design outcome to an audience, as well the the two listed here. We ran out of time for this standard as the work rate from the students was far too slow and I made the decision to complete what they had started rather than start something else.

Level 2 - this table is the feedback that I have completed for school for the Level 2 results for 2015.
Well these external results are the thing that has wiped the smile of my face this year, but it has made it clear what my focus is going to be this year!!
I will fill in the feedback sections for these two externals when I get the students work back from NZQA and read the feedback sheets from them. I can plan then how to get these working better.

Level 2
AS91340 Use the characteristics of a design movement or era to inform own design ideas. NA = 10% A = 60% M = 30% E = 0%		The not achieved for this standard was 1 student who produced no work all year. One of the merits is from a student who did DVC L1 last year, but the other 2 are not. They are from students who have a high ability to work independently and produce work in their own time. The achieved results are from students who are in the trades academy. They missed time in DVC over the year due to their other course requirements but still managed to do all of the work to achieve this standard.
AS91342 Develop a product design through graphics practice NA = 10% A = 70% M = 20% E = 0%		The not achieved for this standard was 1 student who produced no work all year. The achieved results are from students who are in the trades academy. They missed time in DVC over the year due to their other course requirements but still managed to do all of the work to achieve this standard. The other achieved result is from a student who did not produce enough work to achieve with merit. He had a timetable that required him to work a lot more independently from me. This is a good focus point for me to break down the tasks more and design the course to be more MOOC style like at Level 1. One of the merits is from a student who did DVC L1 last year and can work very independently and understand what has to be done to complete a project.
AS91337 - External Use visual communication techniques to generate design ideas NA = 100% A = 0% M = 0% E = 0%
AS91338 - External Produce working drawings to communicate technical details of a design NA = 100% A = 0% M = 0% E = 0%
The plan at the start of the year was to do AS91341 - Develop a spatial design through graphics practice, as well the the two listed here. We ran out of time for this standard as the work rate from the students was far too slow and I made the decision to complete what they had started rather than start something else.