Criterion A: Inquiring & Analysing

This criterion assesses your ability to ...

A1: Explain & Justify

i. explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience

A2: Identify & Prioritize Research

ii. identify and prioritize the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem

A3: Analyse Existing Products

iii. analyse a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem

A4: Develop a Design Brief

iv. develop a detailed design brief which summarizes the analysis of relevant research.

Year 1 Rubrics & Exemplars

(Level 1)

At the end of year 1, students should be able to:

i. explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem

ii. state and prioritize the main points of research needed to develop a solution to the problem

iii. describe the main features of one existing product that inspires a solution to the problem

iv. present the main findings of relevant research.

The following exemplars were all marked as a 7 or an 8:

7 - 8

i. explains and justifies the need for a solution to a problem
ii. states and prioritizes the main points of research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with minimal guidance
iii. describes the main features of an existing product that inspires a solution to the problem
iv. presents the main findings of relevant research.

5 - 6

i. explains the need for a solution to a problem
ii. states and prioritizes the main points of research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with some guidance
iii. outlines the main features of an existing product that inspires a solution to the problem
iv. outlines the main findings of relevant research.

3 - 4

i. outlines the need for a solution to a problem
ii. states some points of research needed to develop a solution, with some guidance
iii. states the main features of an existing product that inspires a solution to the problem
iv. outlines some of the main findings of research.

1 - 2

i. states the need for a solution to a problem
ii. states the findings of research.
Bold words are MYP Command Terms

A1 Digital Exemplars

A2 Digital Exemplars

A3 Digital Exemplars

A4 Digital Exemplars

A1 Product Exemplars

Qs Research_Analysis_ Statements for Specifications

A2 Product Exemplars

A3 Product Exemplars

A4 Product Exemplars

Year 3 Rubrics & Exemplars

(Level 2)

At the end of year 3, students should be able to:

i. explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem

ii. construct a research plan, which states and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem

iii. analyse a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem

iv. develop a design brief, which presents the analysis of relevant research.

7 - 8

i. explains and justifies the need for a solution to a problem
ii. constructs a research plan, which states and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem independently
iii. analyses a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem
iv. develops a design brief, which presents the analysis of relevant research.

5 - 6

i. explains the need for a solution to a problem
ii. constructs a research plan, which states and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with some guidance
iii. describes a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem
iv. develops a design brief, which outlines the findings of relevant research.

3 - 4

i. outlines the need for a solution to a problem
ii. states the research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with some guidance
iii. outlines one existing product that inspires a solution to the problem
iv. develops a basic design brief, which outlines some of the findings of relevant research.

1 - 2

i. states the need for a solution to a problem
ii. states some of the main findings of relevant research.
Bold words are MYP Command Terms
Problem statement definition/example

A1 Digital Exemplars

A2 Digital Exemplars

A3 Digital Exemplars

A4 Digital Exemplars

A1 Product Exemplars

A1.2 Exemplar Jewelry box.docx

A2 Product Exemplars

A3 Product Exemplars

A4 Product Exemplars

Year 5 Rubrics & Exemplars

(Level 3)

At the end of year 5, students should be able to:

i. explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience

ii. identify and prioritize primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem

iii. analyse a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem

iv. develop a detailed design brief, which summarizes the analysis of relevant research.

7 - 8

i. explains and justifies the need for a solution to a problem for a client/ target audience
ii. constructs a detailed research plan, which identifies and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem independently
iii. analyses a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem in detail
iv. develops a detailed design brief, which summarizes the analysis of relevant research.

5 - 6

i. explains the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience
ii. constructs a research plan, which identifies and prioritizes primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with some guidance
iii. analyses a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem
iv. develops a design brief, which explains the analysis of relevant research.

3 - 4

i. outlines the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience
ii. outlines a research plan, which identifies primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with some guidance
iii. analyses one existing product that inspires a solution to the problem
iv. develops a design brief, which outlines the analysis of relevant research.

1 - 2

i. states the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience
ii. develops a basic design brief, which states the findings of relevant research.
Bold words are MYP Command Terms
Problem statement definition/example

A1 Digital Exemplars

A2 Digital Exemplars

A3 Digital Exemplars

A4 Digital Exemplars

A1 Product Exemplars

A1.2 Exemplar Jewelry box.docx

A2 Product Exemplars

A3 Product Exemplars

A4 Product Exemplars

Approaches to Learning

Empathize with your target audience

MYP.ATL.Social-Collaboration: Practice empathy

Watch this little video to help illustrate what empathy is and why it's important to develop. Empathy is a major aspect of Design Thinking. Successful designers are those who can approach a problem from the perspective of both the client and target audience.

Another great video on Empathy...

Brainstorming

MYP.ATL.Thinking-Creativity and innovation: Use brainstorming and mind mapping to generate new ideas and inquiries

Brainstorming ideas is a great way to think about how to solve a problem that your target audience might have. A mind map is one of the most effective tools to use, but feel free to try some other creative ways to brainstorm if you find yourself stuck.

Here are two websites that provide design challenges to encourage divergent thinking!

Interviewing & Note Taking

MYP.ATL.Research-Information literacy: Collect, record and verify data

Interviewing someone takes guts, but there are ways you can take a lot of the pressure off of yourself and the interviewee. Here are some strategies:

  1. Email or contact them in person to discuss the types of questions you are going to ask them. If possible, send them a list so they can prepare their answers.

  2. Set up a time that is good for both of you and won't be rushed.

  3. Take notes! When they answer one of your questions, be sure to jot down the main points of their answers.

Effective Research

MYP.ATL.Research-Demonstrate information literacy: Collect, record and verify data

Knowing what questions to ask and how to ask them is one of the biggest obstacles to effective research. Check out the video to see some tips and tricks on how to use Google effectively. Dividing these questions up into content and skills research can sometimes help when constructing a research plan...

What content will you need to investigate before creating your solution? Here are some example content research questions...

  • What does my target audience want?

  • What will I need to research to find out more about my target audience?

  • What experts do I have around me that can help?

What skills will you need to know to create a successful solution? Here are some example skills research questions...

  • What tutorials will teach me _______ skills?

  • What experts around me can help me learn _______ skills?”

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

MYP.ATL.Communication-Demonstrate communication through language: Identify primary and secondary sources

Identify where the answers to the above questions will come from. Can you interview a primary source such as a local expert in the field you are researching? Do you need to consult a reliable website as a secondary source?

The difference between primary and secondary research often comes down to availability of experts. If there are knowledgeable people who can help you with information about what type of product you are going to create, the discussions with them would be considered Primary. If however, nobody is available to interview and you are reliant on outside sources of information, those would be considered Secondary.

Identify & Prioritize

MYP.ATL.Research-Demonstrate information literacy: Collect and analyse data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions

What's the most important content and skills research you need to learn to create your solution?

Prioritize these questions into the areas that are most important to focus on first.

Citation

MYP.ATL.Communication-Demonstrate communication through language: Create references and citations, use footnotes/endnotes and construct a bibliography according to recognized conventions
MYP.ATL.Research-Demonstrate information literacy: Collect, record and verify data

When citing your sources, it's important to know which format is accepted at your school. MLA is what we use and the following tools can help you keep track of your sources.

NoodleTools.com

Credibility


MYP.ATL.Research-Demonstrate information literacy: Collect, record and verify data

Ensuring that your sources are credible is another aspect of research that is often overlooked. Use the CRAAP test to evaluate your sources.

CRAAP TEST

Currency: To determine if the date of publication of the information is suitable for your speech.

What is the copyright, publication, or posting date?

Does the date matter? Is the information outdated?

Relevance: To determine how applicable the information is for the purpose of your speech.

For what audience or level is the information written (general public, experts/scholars, etc.)?

Explain why you would or would not quote/reference the information from this source in your speech.

Authority: To determine if the source author, creator, or publisher of the information is the most knowledgeable.

Who is the author, creator, or publisher of the source or what organization is responsible for the source?

How do you know if the author is an expert on the topic (e.g examine the author’s credentials and/or organizational affiliation)?

Accuracy: To determine the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.

What indications do you see that the information is or is not well researched or provides sufficient evidence?

What kind of language, imagery and/or tone is used (e.g. emotional, objective, professional, etc.)?

Purpose: To determine the reason why the information exists.

Why was this source written (e.g.to inform, teach, entertain, persuade)?

How might the author's affiliation affect the point of view, slant, or potential bias of the source?

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: positive aspects about the product

Weaknesses: negative aspects of a product

Opportunities: ways to improve the product to make it more relevant to your target audience

Threats: things you don't control that could limit the success of your product

Design Elements

Analyzing

MYP.ATL.Research-Demonstrate information literacy: Locate, organize, analyse, evaluate, synthesize and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media

What is SWOT Analysis? Analyze a range (4 - 5) existing products while consider these design elements:

  • Function

  • Aesthetic (color, shape, form texture)

  • Environment (Impact)

  • Target Market

  • Construction techniques

Still looking for questions that would help you analyze products? Here are some questions that might help...

  1. Is the design safe?

  2. What materials have been used? What materials will be the most suitable? What is the overall size?

  3. How would the product be mass-produced? On a production line? What will the cost of ‘labor’ be?

  4. Is this the best shape for the solution?

  5. Are the color schemes most appropriate?

  6. Are the functions of the product going to solve the problem?

  7. What special features are needed or used in this design?

  8. What ‘Ergonomic’ factors need to be taken into account?

  9. What equipment, machinery and/or software will be needed for manufacture?

Design Brief

When developing the design brief, you should concisely summarize only the useful and relevant information you have found through your research. Present this information in your own words. Do not copy and paste information from sources without analysis and/or indicating relevance.

How does a Design Brief look?

  • present key information concisely

  • explain how and why the information is relevant to solving the problem

  • evaluate the validity of the data

What a Design Brief does NOT look like

  • write large paragraphs of text

  • include statements that do not relate to solving the problem

  • make statements without evidence from expert opinion or data

  • include all of their research within the body of the project.

Note: This template is optional. If you prefer to present information in video format, please ensure you post to YouTube as unlisted and ensure that it is not private. Also consider using Prezi or other similar tools to create a multimedia presentation with text and supporting images / videos that will help your audience to understand your research.

How to Summarize

What's out there already? How can it be improved to appeal to your target audience?