The DATA Lecture - The Current and Future Role of Modelling in Design and Technology

Abstract

When I was invited to give the DATA lecture at the National Exhibition Centre I was given the option of proposing the topic. Although being a great supporter of the importance of both electronics and information technology as vital areas of children's education, I decided to use this opportunity to raise the debate and promote the importance of modelling in design and technology. In particular, this lecture will cover those methods of modelling that children and adults use when they are designing. I support the idea that modelling is at the heart of the subject and, as Bruce Archer proposed way back in the 1970s, that modelling is the language of designing. ew ways of modelling continue to be developed as a result of the IT revolution and three, namely CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping and virtual reality, will be reviewed. Evaluation is required to determine how effective those IT mod