Glossary
This glossary explains the terminology that has been developed as part of the two research projects, Learning in Technology Education (LITE) and Technology Education Assessment in Lower Secondary (TEALS).
The purpose of the glossary is to clarify teachers' understanding of the terms and secondly to allow the user to refer to them within context, by providing a reference to the related research material.
For additional terms refer to the glossary in Technology in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 85.
| Assessment criteria | Specific criteria used to make a judgment regarding the student's achievement in terms of the learning outcome. TEALS |
| Assessment strategies | Ways to interact with students to enhance their learning. LITE Different ways of interacting with students in order to establish their progress towards meeting the criteria for specific learning outcomes. This information is used primarily for enhancing learning, but may also be useful for reporting achievment. TEALS |
| Component of practice | Technological practice undertaken by students can be thought of as comprising smaller inter-linking practices which are referred to as "components of practice". Examples of components of practice include such things as "brief development", "planning for practice" and "outcome development and evaluation". Like technological practice, these components rely on the integration of all three strands of the curriculum and are generic across technological contexts. TEALS |
| Feedback | Feedback is a key component of formative interactions. It is information that gives the learner opportunities to see how well they have done, are doing, where they might go next and how they might get there. LITE |
| Formative interactions | Day-to-day focused, consultative, and detailed interactions centred on learning intentions and where teachers and students work together to enhance learning. LITE Interactions between teacher/student (or student/other) where the focus is on enhancing the learning of the student. Relies on formative assessment and results in actions to further support learning. TEALS |
| Gateways | Management tools to enhance planning and teaching of technology units. TEALS |
| Holistic judgment | An encapsulation of the wholeness of students' learning – considering how students brought together technological knowledge, capability, and societal aspects when they undertook a technological problem. LITE |
| Intended learning outcomes | Learning goals the teachers have planned for their students. LITE |
| Learning outcomes | These describe the learning goals for students in the unit as supported by the learning experiences. TEALS |
| Negotiated learning outcomes | Those learning outcomes negotiated during the unit. Based on key knowledge, skill, or components of practice established as critical for the success of individual, group and/or class technological practice. TEALS |
| Overall statement | A focused statement about student's technological progress. It includes an holistic judgment as well as information about the strengths and weaknesses of particular aspects of the student's technological learning. The statement may cover a range of technological experiences, for example, over a year of learning. LITE |
| Predetermined learning outcomes | Those learning outcomes planned prior to the unit. Based on key knowledge, skill, or components of practice determined by the teacher as key to all students in order to successfully undertake technological practice within the unit. TEALS |
| Self assessment | Students monitoring their own progress, evaluating their own strengths and weaknesses, and devising strategies for improving their learning. LITE |
| Summative assessment | The summing up of student progress to date which may occur during the unit and at the conclusion of a unit. It may include making decisions about next learning steps. LITE |
| Summative judgments | Judgments made at the end of a unit in terms of the achievement of all learning outcomes. TEALS |
| Technological practice | Ways students bring together technological knowledge, capability, and societal aspects when undertaking and solving technological problems. Conceptual aspects – knowledge and understanding of relevant technological concepts and procedures. Procedural aspects – strategic application of procedures and processes; knowing how to do something, what to do and when to do it. Societal aspects – aspects related to the interrelationship between technology, groups of people and the environment. Technical aspects – skills related to manual/practical techniques and tool use. Generic aspects – aspects common to more than one technological area. Specific aspects – aspects particular to one technological area. LITE An overall descriptor for the thoughts, actions and interactions that occur as part of any technological endeavour. Represented in the technology curriculum by the interaction of all three strands. TEALS |
| Unexpected learning | Significant learning that is evidenced outside of learning outcomes. TEALS |
