Every ‘smart’ product we use today contains electronics, usually in the form of microcontrollers. Robert Winter, Head of Design, Engineering & Technology at Wellington College, has enhanced GCSE DET projects by teaching pupils how to use block coding and AI-assisted coding to program them. One of several new Courses Within Courses aimed at Fourth and Fifth form pupils, these innovative sessions are equipping students with the skills they need to enhance their design skills by harnessing modern technology.
Currently there is little incentive from exam boards to use electronics within coursework but microcontrollers are widely used in a wide range of industries from consumer electronics and automotives to industrial automations. By using coding, pupils have been able to program microcontrollers to do amazing things quickly and they have learnt new skills that will be developed even further at A Level.
Robert Winter says, “Chat GPT is incredible at coding at this level. Traditionally the time-consuming nature of coding has been a barrier to completing this kind of electronics project but AI-assisted coding is saving us hours as teachers. The skill is in learning how to prompt it properly but once the pupils had mastered that they were hugely impressed by what AI can do”.
The Course Within Course included six lessons that taught pupils core skills around wiring circuits, different sensors, coding outputs using simulation and real life ‘breadboard’ models. These were delivered via instructional YouTube videos created by Robert and his team followed by a series of tiered design ‘challenges’ to test understanding. Pupils had five lessons in which to realise a solution to one of 30 varied challenges including making a cat toy, designing a plant pot moisture monitoring system, and creating an auto toilet seat.
Each pupil built a circuit, used AI to create code to program their microcontroller and then demonstrated it using a crude physical model. They each gave a sales pitch about their product at a market stall presentation and winners were selected in different categories including Best Programming, Best Built and Most Marketable. Pupils’ ingenious projects ranged from adjustable golf tees and bad posture indicators to automatic pet feeders and basketball score counters.
The standard of the pupils’ designs was extremely impressive and they grew in confidence as they realised that they were able to create such sophisticated products. Robert says, “Design and technology typically needs a lot of time so using AI to speed things up has allowed our GCSE pupils to create exciting products which has only boosted their enthusiasm for the subject matter. These tools are also reflective of the world of work that we are preparing young people to enter and thrive within”.
Find out more about Design, Engineering & Technology at Wellington College.
Courses Within Courses
Courses Within Courses prepares pupils fully for the demands of A Level or the IB Diploma, it is necessary to ‘over-teach’ the GCSE. Any curriculum to GCSE that comprises only the bare specification points risks failing to create a coherent narrative within the discipline. It will also leave pupils unprepared for the increased rigour of Sixth Form study.
At Wellington we treat basic specification as compliance, instead striving to craft a rich and engaging narrative within each subject. Each subject also includes a bespoke ‘course within a course’, delivered for three to six weeks (depending on subject) during the two years to GCSE. At any time, pupils will be studying at least one of these unique courses, aimed at providing colour to our teaching, links between various disciplines, stimulating intellectual curiosity, and promoting deeper understanding of the subject at hand.