GCSE Electronic Products
Examination Board: AQA
This is a design and make electronics course in which students are encouraged to produce both the electronic circuit and the appropriate packaging. The course provides opportunities in designing, making and evaluating, which focus on product design. Students will investigate electronic circuits and their components with the intention of combining circuits to create electronic solutions to design problems.
Students will use Computer Aided Design to model their circuit ideas and produce printed circuit boards of a professional quality.
The Coursework Project is an integrated design and make activity which should result in usable and useful electronic products. Materials other than wood, metal, plastics and textiles are permitted.
Teaching and learning styles:
Activities in the course will be of two types.
- Design and make assignments (DMAs) in which students or teachers will identify needs arising from real life situations including existing products, artefacts and systems.
- Focused practical tasks (FPTs) which will be skill and knowledge based and will be directly relevant and related to the DMA.
The course will be taught through modelling electronic circuits. Modelling is defined as an attempt to describe solutions to design problems in whichever medium is appropriate to the designer. ‘Thinking through’ a problem requires continuous communication with yourself and others and the course will be centred on the ability to communicate using a wide range of techniques. Students will be presented with what they perceive to be ‘real life’ design scenarios, which they will be encouraged to respond to, by combining electronic circuits as ‘building blocks’ to create a product.
- 60%. A design and make major project which starts in Year 10, which is set by the exam board, occupying approximately 40 hours of classroom time.
- Final Examination. 40%.
This subject includes a very significant Maths and Science element. Students taking the subject are required to be working at Level 7 or Level 8 in Mathematics.
Further information on the Electronic products course can be obtained from Mrs J Roberts, Head of Construction Materials.