Course Overview The IB Diploma Design Technology course allows students to gain an understanding of the link between innovation and creativity. Students will discover the limitations and possibilities of solutions through prototyping and experimentation, while focusing on the end user’s needs and wants. The course aims to develop internationally-minded people whose enhanced understanding of design and the technological world can facilitate our shared guardianship of the planet and create a better world.
Inquiry and problem-solving are at the heart of the subject. Students will use the design cycle as a tool, structuring their inquiry and analysis of problems, the development of feasible solutions, and the testing and evaluation of the solution. Working both independently and collaboratively, students will develop solutions in the form of models, prototypes and products. IB Design technology achieves a high level of design literacy by enabling students to develop critical-thinking and design skills, which they can apply in a practical context.
Course Structure The syllabus is split into theory and practical elements, with practical tasks often used as a way to reinforce the theory. During the course, students cover knowledge from the six core topics along with identifying a design problem to solve for their internal assessment component, the Design Project. This project is internally assessed and the marks submitted as part of their final IB grade. Higher Level students will study an additional four topics and be assessed on two extra criteria for the Design Project.
Assessment Assessment is broken into parts - Internal Assessment - The Design Project and External Examinations. For the Design Project, students are assessed internally against 4 assessment criteria for Standard Level and an additional 2 criteria for Higher Level. The marks awarded for this internal assessment make up 40% of the overall grade for the course. Standard Level students will sit two externally assessed exams on the 6 topics studied over the course while Higher Level students will sit an additional exam paper, assessing knowledge and understanding from the additional higher level topics studied. The marks awarded for this external assessment make up 60% of the overall grade for the course.
Who is this course for? The only requirement to start the course is that you have a genuine interest in the subject and a desire to learn. Any student with a proven interest and capability in designing and making is welcome on the Diploma programme.
This course is especially suited to those wishing to pursue design at university level and those wishing to have a career in the creative industries.Throughout the course students will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio of creative design work which will be valuable during the university application process.
Future Pathways IB Diploma Design and Technology enables students to follow careers in a variety of fields. The strength of the course is the combination of Science and Technology and this experimental approach is very much sought after in the commercial world. Career examples include: