Examining GCSE Design and Technology - Insights from the Nuffield Design and Technology Project

This article looks critically at the ways in wh i ch design and technology is currently e x amined at GCSE level . It identifies two key elements , technology for citizenship and designer maker capability , and explores how these might be assessed . It d i scusses the issue of group work in examined projects and questions the place of written examinations in assessing deigner maker capabil i ty . It presents a preliminary analysis of 1998 higher tier examination papers in terms of eight question types discussed in the Nuffield D and T KS4 Teachers ' Guides. Finally , the article makes a plea for an assessment scheme that matches the requirements of teaching designer maker capability and technology for cit i zenship .