Create Stage: Business Quest Unit

You will start creating the product/ IT solution by following your Plan and taking into consideration the chosen design. The Created product should show
-Thorough competence in the use of IT tools
- Fully justified any modifications to the original design in Journal
- Original and outstanding solution with many IT techniques applied.

The process journal should be used frequently to document progress in this stage. This should be done at the end of each class and any time you have done some work at home or at school. Ideas in the journal could include:

Appropriate quality: Ensure that the best possible product / solution is produced, taking into account the resources available, the skills and techniques used. Also, show how the product/solution addresses the identified need.

Assessment Criteria

Levels	Task Specific Descriptor
0	The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.
1-2	The student considers the plan and creates at least part of a product/solution.
3-4	The student uses appropriate techniques and equipment. The student follows the plan and mentions any modifications made, resulting in a product/solution of good quality.
5-6	The student competently uses appropriate techniques and equipment. The student follows the plan and justifies any modifications made, resulting in a product/solution of appropriate quality using the resources available.

Business Quest : Plan Stage

In this stage you will develop a detailed Plan that shows:

• A logical sequence of work that describes how each of the skills and techniques will be applied; describes the duration of time for each sequence and resources to be used
• logical steps to take that leads you to creating your chosen product 
• An evaluation of the plan in terms of how realistic, logical, achievable the plan is. This should include any justification of any modifications to the design

Your plan should have;

1. Basic plan
2. Process / Production Plan: Should give details of what skills/techniques will be used, what resources will be used and for what purpose, when they will be used and some evaluation of their use.
   
3. Gantt chart (which is optional):The Gantt chart should be realistic, simple and very neat and in one page.
4. Evaluation of the plan 

Note: Feedback on Plan stage from Moderation report

             The plans were essentially well documented and provided a link between the final proposed design and 
             the realization of the final product/solution. Most plans included logical sequential steps and timings.
             Students should be encouraged not only to list resources but also say how they may be used.

The evaluation of the plan is necessary for students to reach the higher-level descriptors. It is required to determine whether the plan is feasible or realistic, could be followed by others and has undergone any modifications since the design stage.   

Resources
-Other moderation reports on Plan stage
https://sites.google.com/site/stevensonstechnologyclassroom/design-cycle/criterion-c-create/tech-report-2010-plan

-Grade the following students plan; What was lacking in this work?
Tucktop Website plan stage

Another student's Plan sample: Evaluate it
  http://iss.schoolwires.com/cms/lib4/NC01000579/Centricity/Domain/1993/Sample04_Plan_en.pdf


Assessment Criteria

Levels	Task Specific Descriptor
0	The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.
1-2	The student produces a plan that contains some details of the steps and/or the resources required.
3-4	The student produces a plan that contains a number of logical steps that include resources and time. The student makes some attempt to evaluate the plan.
5-6	The student produces a plan that contains a number of detailed, logical steps that describe the use of resources and time. The student critically evaluates the plan and justifies any modifications to the design.

 

MYP Year 9 Technology Course outline

Unit 1: Sports Technology

Sports have evolved greatly over time, and technology has enabled new form of sporting activities, both competitive and recreational. With these, come challenges like goal-line technology, marketing, and games for the handicapped e.t.c.  Students will use either resistant materials or software to develop solutions related to sports.

Unit 2: Going green

Development is not only desired, but a must in the present time. However, humans have made significant negative impacts on the environment, both built and virtual. Our task is to model environments that have the least impact on the environment, real or virtual. This could be by way of designing green buildings, parks, digital gaming or videos that create awareness about the environment e.t.c.

Unit 3: Business quest

Businesses the world over are undergoing challenges in both reaching, then meeting the demands of the market. Students will pick on a particular business, do a needs assessment, then develop a solution that will eliminate the challenges faced by the business. Technology has helped in many ways by advertising, automating for mass production, transportation e.t.c.

Assessment

Every technology project will start with a problem/situation. The aim of the project is always to find a solution/product.You will do a number of things at each stage of the Design Cycle. You will write up what you do in a Design Folder. There will be five parts to the Design Folder (Investigate, Design, Plan, Create and Evaluate).

You must hand in your final product, your Design Folder and your Process Journal.

The following assessment criteria have been established by the IBO for technology in the MYP and have been adopted by The Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.

Criterion A	Investigate	Maximum 6
Criterion B	Design	Maximum 6
Criterion C	Plan	Maximum 6
Criterion D	Create	Maximum 6
Criterion E	Measure	Maximum 6
Criterion F	Attitudes in Technology	Maximum 6

Business Quest Unit: Design Stage

In this stage you will generate several feasible designs for your product that meet the design specification and then evaluate each design against the design specification. 

Once the good quality designs have been generated, one design should be selected, justified and evaluated against the design specification.

NB: At the design stage, students are encouraged to develop their initial drawings with clips or screen shots from sources that may visually enhance their ideas/solutions. 
 

Note below the feedback extract from the moderation report on Design Stage

The comparatively good students produced very clear and well-annotated design proposals. However, overall students did not show a wide range of ideas, which is necessary to reach the higher band levels. Again, ideas were mostly pencil drawings and may have been improved by including samples from various sources that could be used as part of their product/solution. 

Resources for referencing
https://sites.google.com/site/stevensonstechnologyclassroom/design-cycle/criterion-b-design

Website Tuck Design Sample

https://sites.google.com/a/westlakeacademy.org/teachers/Home/spanish-tech-g7/finishingdesignstage

http://iss.schoolwires.com/cms/lib4/NC01000579/Centricity/Domain/1993/Sample04_Design_en.pdf

Levels

	Task Specific Descriptor
0	The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.
1-2	The student generates one design, and makes some attempt to justify this against the design specification.
3-4	The student generates a few designs, justifying the choice of one design and fully evaluating this against the design specification.
5-6	The student generates a range of feasible designs, each evaluated against the design specification. The student justifies the chosen design and evaluates it fully and critically against the design specification.

Business Quest: Investigate Stage

Challenge

Many businesses have problems that can be solved easily by introducing information technology solutions. The solutions can make the products sell faster or enhance the organization and the documentation of the business operations. 

Your task is to identify a business related problem that can be solved using an IT solution. The problem should be clearly described and the client's current way of addressing the situation described. The problem description should include the current limitations the client is facing and detailed explanation of why you think an IT solution will be the best. Ensure that the key components of investigate stage are included in your investigate.

Use the investigate feedback extract below from MYP moderation report to improve your investigate work.

·       Allow students more control over the style and content of their investigation.

·       Encourage students to include more visual details in their research.

·       Encourage students to analyse and reflect on the information collected which leads to formulating an appropriate design specification.

·       Encourage students to explore and evaluate software and resources that could become part of their IT solutions.

 Assessment Criteria.

Levels	Task Specific Descriptor
0	The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. descriptors given below
1-2	The student states the problem. The student investigates the problem, collecting information from sources. The student lists some specifications.
3-4	The student describes the problem, mentioning its relevance. The student investigates the problem, selecting and analyzing information from some acknowledged sources. The student describes a test to evaluate the product/solution against the design specification.
5-6	The student explains the problem, discussing its relevance. The student critically investigates the problem, evaluating information from a broad range of appropriate, acknowledged sources. The student describes detailed methods for appropriate testing to evaluate the product/solution against the design specification.

Business Quest : Proposal

After examining the different business IT solutions, Your task will now to preapre a proposal for a project that you may undertake.

Prepare a one page document with the following information

a) Describe three types of business that my require information technology solutions.

b) In each of the above businesses described, name one client for each.

c) For each of the businesses stated above, describe  two suitable IT solutions for each of them.


Note: It is from this that I will determine the kind of project you will undertake.

Business Quest Unit Details

Background Information

The unit is designed to allow you to explore the different computer technology solutions in business. We will identify different IT solutions and examine the impact of using the IT solutions in business. Investigating a local business and developing a suitable product that will help the identified stakeholder (a client) will be key to the unit. In order to achieve this, we will investigated and study different IT solutions in businesses; including websites, videos for business, commercials, music, Databases, and other IT solutions.

Unit Details

Unit Question: What are the impacts of information technology systems on businesses?

AOI: Human Ingenuity: What are the consequences of what we create in businesses?

Significant Concept: All businesses use or can use IT for launching, analyzing, storing and marketing of their services and products

AK Focus: Global Economics: Trade and Development

The study of how individuals and societies exchange goods and services.

Summative Assessment

You will investigate a local business and develop a suitable product that will help the identified client. Some of the options available a website,  a video for the business, a commercial or advert, produce a commercial song/advert, develop a database, etc. The product can address any specific themes in the business; marketing and advertising, Training, data analysis and storage.