Emerging Technology, Industry and Society
Evaluating how automation, digital manufacture, connected systems and other developments affect enterprise, production, people, culture and ethics.
How to prepare for the GCSE Design and Technology written exam
Move from requirement to evidence, technical principle, comparison and justified decision. Use current board materials separately for the NEA and for full timed-paper rehearsal.
Core concepts
Concept 1
New and emerging technologies can change customisation, scale, lead time, labour, skills, location, data use and relationships between producer and consumer.
Exam cue: Name the technological change, affected process and stakeholder consequence.
Concept 2
A technological benefit for one stakeholder may create cost, exclusion, privacy, employment, environmental or dependence risks for another.
Exam cue: Compare short- and long-term effects and identify who gains or bears risk.
Concept 3
Critical evaluation distinguishes demonstrated capability from prediction or marketing and uses dated evidence across more than one perspective.
Exam cue: Check the date, source, assumptions and scale of any contemporary claim.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Assuming new technology is automatically innovative or beneficial.
Guardrail: Do not substitute one board's specialist route or current product claim for the multi-board core, and do not turn written process knowledge into NEA or practical submission material.
Making deterministic claims that technology alone causes social change.
Guardrail: Do not substitute one board's specialist route or current product claim for the multi-board core, and do not turn written process knowledge into NEA or practical submission material.
Using a brand's promotional statement as neutral evidence.
Guardrail: Do not substitute one board's specialist route or current product claim for the multi-board core, and do not turn written process knowledge into NEA or practical submission material.
Memory anchors
Emerging technology
A developing technology whose adoption, effects or dominant form are not yet settled.
Automation
Using control systems to perform processes with reduced direct human intervention.
Enterprise
Organised activity that creates value by identifying and acting on opportunities.
Stakeholder impact
A benefit, harm, cost or change experienced by an affected group.
Critical evaluation
Judging evidence, assumptions, benefits and limitations before reaching a conclusion.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
Within modern manufacture, what does automation mean?
Why use a collaborative robot near workers?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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