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Download fileRe-designing the paper helicopter for disaster relief
journal contribution
posted on 2006-07-06, 14:04 authored by Howard G. DentonThis paper describes one way in which student teachers, at Loughborough University in the UK, are
encouraged to approach design and technological activity. The focus is to use a quickly made, simple
and reliable model, the paper ‘helicopter’ above, to iteratively explore and develop the design. This
approach maximises rapid initial positive feedback (I can do this!). Pupils learn to use brainstorming,
‘what happens if?’ questions and rapid 3D modelling to explore and develop the basic design. This
activity is then put into a real-world context: pupils explore whether these devices, once re-designed,
could act as parachutes to supply emergency aid to disaster areas anywhere in the world. Again
brainstorming and iterative modelling are used to develop ideas on appropriate performance, scale,
materials and re-cycling. Students explore ways in which this university-taught session could be
developed and applied in schools.
History
School
- Design
Pages
76599 bytesCitation
DENTON, H.G., 2001. Re-designing the paper helicopter for disaster relief. TIES, December 2001, pp 8-13Publisher
© College of New JerseyPublication date
2001Notes
This article was published in the professional journal, TIES [© College of New Jersey] and is also available at: http://www.tiesmagazine.org/.Language
- en