The project UPDATE is funded by the European Community's Sixth Framework Programme. 

designed by Competence Center Technology-Diversity-Equal Chances

Best pedagogical practises

/ / Insight into materials, tools, techniques, mechanics and electricity – Technical Education in schools (WP2, WP3, WP4) / /

/ Deeper insight into technology and mechanics /

For example: black box – to dismantle, to analyse, to repair, to assemble, to develop / zerlegen, analysieren, reparieren, remontieren, neuentwickeln (7th, 8th grades – girls, boys)

The overall topic is: How do things work? Providing an insight into technical processes and into the construction of door locks.

Author: Rudolf Hörschinger, secondary academic school / Musisches Gymnasium Salzburg, Austria

Goals and background: How operates what? – that is the overall topic. Pupils get an insight into technical operations and the principles of constructing a case. They learn to disassemble, to reconstruct and to fix things and to discover correlations. They get to know new tools and interconnection technologies.

Description of the practice example • First pupils consider how the different devices operate, which functional parts, machinery and controlling procedures are necessary. • They make drawings that show how devices could operate. By comparing the different drawings, pupils notice that there is more than one possible solution. • By disassembling, pupils get insight into design and constructing principles of cases of different machines and devices. • They explore the functions and the interconnections between form and function of the „inner life“ with its enclosing „packaging“.• Light bulb moment with disassembling the devices. • The functional pieces are analysed, the operations comprehended, procedures and steering processed apprehended. • Malfunctions can be removed and devices be fixed.

Practice examples: door lock Possible functions of the door lock are drawn. The drawings are compared and discussed. The door locks are disassembled and the „inner life“ of the lock is compared with the drawings. With theassembled masters pupils can make an exact functional drawing. With the insight gained they can consider improvements and different solutions.

Applicability and limitations: Unfortunately this method gives an insight just mechanical pieces only but not into the electronics of a device – the external observation of processors, chips and printed circuit boards does not allow inferences on their operations.

Other examples:

Mechanical drive mechanism in plane flat gear figures / mechanisches Getriebespiel in der Fläche (6th-8th grades - girls, boys) Construction of mechanical toys with a crank gear – set up on a plane

Folding grille mechanics, transmission of motion / Scherengitter-mechanik, Bewegungsübertragung (5 th grade - girls, boys)The aim is to transfer motion with a simple gear in combination with the lever.

/ Deeper insight into machines, mechanics and electricity /

Lighthouse, photovoltaic (7 th, 8th grades - girls, boys) Construction of a lighthouse with a rotating reflector. Power sources to operate the motor: battery, photovoltaic cell; to develop a gear-construction

Energy without technology – technology without energy - conveyor belt with photovoltaic engine (7th grade - girls, boys)Construction of a model with photovoltaic engine, that converts a rotary motion into a linear motion.

/ Vehicles /

For example: a “2 litre” vehicle (6th grade -– girls, boys)

Development of a vehicle, that runs as far as possible on 2 litres of water

Author: Rudolf Hörschinger, secondary academic school / Musisches Gymnasium Salzburg, Austria

Goals and background: Develop a vehicle, that runs as far as possible with the 2 litres.Pupils learn about the technical basics of (water) -wheels, cable pulls or the principle of levers as vehicle engines.They learn to deal with the principles of gear and lever, torque, speed transformation, flow rate speed and pressure.They observe how wheels and dynamic frictionfunction and try to realise these principles by constructing vehicles in Technical Education. They can apply increased friction if necessary and decrease friction to slow down (to minimise rolling resistance).They learn to deal with measure (rolling- and friction) - resistance and speed.They observe how gravity influences rotation.Besides technical aspects, technological fields are also touched upon.

Description of the practice example• Pupils have to cope with the task of developing a vehicle, that goes as far as possible with the 2 litres.• Pupils learn about the pressure of liquids of different flow rate sections. (e.g. injections/syringe). They try to use that potential for a great variety of engines.• Pupils develop their ideas independently, draft simple vehicles and try to reduce these vehicles to the basics.• They draw in movements and consider how to realise them.• They observe lever action on their own bodies through practical examples. (e.g. through the wheel of their bikes)• Independent interaction with other natural scientific, bionic principles during education at the lab. • The drawing/concept as technical communication medium follows after the phase of reflection and improvement. • After the examination of several experimental trials realization follows

Applicability and limitations: It is interesting to observe transfer-applications of releasing energy of other applications. Experience shows that water has been applied for the engine of wheels for centuries.Problems occur with the modalities of water inflow, channels and line systems. The multiple shift usage of water is intended, e.g. by using the falling weight above a pulley as engine or increasing the efficiency of paddle-wheels.

Other examples:

„A corrugated cardboard racing car“Production of a stationary axle automobile1st/2ndgrades – girls and boys Making a „live axle vehicle“, elementary experience with vehicles

Vehicles with tappet drive / (5 th - 7th grades - girls, boys) Building a technical toy in the field: mechanics, rolls, driving, engine. By rolling the vessel is moved in a tappet motion.

Serial production vehicle and vehicle with steering (6th grade - girls, boys)vehicles with steering gear and wheels

Boat drive / power engine for boats / (5 th - 8th grade - girls, boys) Construction of a technical and functional toys with a power engine for boats

Waterrocket (6th, 7th grades - girls, boys)Construction of technical toys with a rocket drive, compression and the reaction thrust principle

Pädagogische Hochschule WienUniversity of Education Vienna

Josef Seiter