Technological Knowledge
Technological Knowledge tests how modelling and technical understanding support technological development and implementation. Level 2 questions focus on the purpose of different models, the evidence they produce, and how that evidence informs decisions.
Functional modelling and prototyping
Functional modelling tests specific ideas or variables: material samples, joints, circuits, CAD simulations, scale mock-ups. Prototyping represents the whole outcome and tests fitness for purpose in the intended context. Both have fidelity - how closely they represent the final outcome - and both have limits. Modelling is done to reduce risk and cost before committing to production.
Products and systems
Technological products are explained through materials, components, assembly, and performance properties. Technological systems are explained through input, process, output, feedback, and transformation, with a boundary and subsystems. Use the language that matches the outcome: a lunchbox is a product; a school recycling collection is a system.
Worked example
A student develops an insulated lunchbox. Functional models: a foam box with a thermometer tests heat retention; a hinge rig opens and closes 500 times. Prototype: the full lunchbox is used by a student for a week. Evidence: temperature stays below 8°C for four hours; no leaks; latch opens one-handed. The hinge rig shows wear after 300 cycles, so the latch is redesigned. Reasoning: the functional model isolates the variable; the prototype tests integration and context. The redesign is justified by evidence, not opinion.
Traps
- Describing modelling as “making a model” without naming its purpose or evidence.
- Claiming a functional model proves fitness for purpose; only a prototype in context can do that.
- Ignoring fidelity limits, such as a scale model not matching full-size forces.
- Mixing product and system terms, or ignoring implementation issues such as manufacture, maintenance, and disposal.