Engineering · Year 11

Active learning ideas

Ethics in Engineering Design

Innovative solution development is the 'capstone' of the Year 11 course. Students take everything they have learned, problem analysis, algorithms, programming, and UI design, and apply it to a self-determined project. This topic focuses on the process of innovation, encouraging students to find creative ways to solve real-world problems. They also learn to use Agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, to manage their time, scope, and resources effectively.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• EA11-1
• EA11-2

• 20–40 min
• Small Groups
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 20 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The 10-Minute Sprint

To practice Agile, give students a simple physical task (like building the tallest tower from paper). They must work in 2-minute 'sprints', followed by a 1-minute 'retrospective' to discuss what worked and what to change for the next sprint, mimicking the software development cycle.

What ethical obligations do engineers have to society?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Kanban Board Setup

Groups use a physical or digital Kanban board (To Do, Doing, Done) to map out their entire project. They must break their 'big idea' into small, manageable 'user stories' and assign them to team members, ensuring no one is overloaded.

How have historical engineering disasters shaped modern safety standards?

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Peer Teaching
• 30 min · Small Groups

Peer Teaching: The 'Pitch and Pivot'

Students pitch their project idea to a small group. The group must provide one 'critical constraint' (e.g., 'What if the user has no internet?'). The student must then 'pivot' their idea on the spot to address that constraint, fostering innovative thinking.

Why are professional codes of ethics essential?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Innovation means inventing something completely new that has never existed.

  Students often get stuck trying to be 'the next Steve Jobs.' Active brainstorming sessions help them see that innovation is often just taking an existing solution and making it better, faster, or more accessible for a new audience.

• Project management is just a list of things to do at the end.

  Many students ignore their Kanban boards once the coding starts. Regular 'stand-up' meetings where they must report progress against their board help them see project management as a living tool that prevents 'scope creep'.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Peer Teaching