Exploring Mystery Products to Develop Design and Technology Skills: Case Studies from the Design Museum's Outreach Project

Abstract

This article presents three case studies that illustrate the value to teachers and learners of using handling collections in design and technology. It briefly outlines an initiative by the Design Museum to create an Outreach Project to support teachers in this aspect of design and technology and then provides examples of classroom practise from a primary teacher, secondary teacher and from two teachers in an MLD special school.

The article illustrates how the approach to using handling collections for product analysis activities promotes enthusiastic responses in both teachers and learners and not only develops understandings of how products work, what they are made from and so on, but also develops a broader range of skills such as problem solving, observation and colla