Solutions
Standard |
No Evidence |
Beginning |
Developing |
Proficient |
Excellent |
Mastering |
E-2. Solutions Construct and test solutions to problems |
No evidence of designing a solution |
You design a solution |
You design a solution that addresses the problem, criteria, and constraints |
You develop a solution, through iterative testing and application of accurate scientific knowledge, that solves a problem and meets the criteria and constraints |
Your work is proficient and your presentation is excellent. |
Your work is excellent and you explain how your design is valuable and practical |
A Good Solution
|
An Excellent Solution
|
Go Above & Beyondby explaining how your design is valuable and practical
|
Designing a solution to a problem is a process, not a single step. A good solution has gone through iterative testing.
Iterative Testing: repeatedly testing and making improvements to a design
Iterative Testing: repeatedly testing and making improvements to a design
You can test a product by using it and you can test an idea by sharing it with others and asking for feedback. You can also test ideas using the Pugh matrix.
Pugh Matrix
A Pugh ("pew") matrix is a tool for comparing different ideas or designs. It is useful when you are trying to choose the best idea during the Imagine step of the design process.
Step 1. List the criteria for success and constraints that apply to this idea as rows in a table (also consider listing constraints)
Step 2. List your ideas as columns
Step 3. Pick the best idea for each criteria and place a check in the box of the table
Step 4. Count up the checks for each idea, that is the best idea according to the criteria you defined.
Step 1. List the criteria for success and constraints that apply to this idea as rows in a table (also consider listing constraints)
Step 2. List your ideas as columns
Step 3. Pick the best idea for each criteria and place a check in the box of the table
Step 4. Count up the checks for each idea, that is the best idea according to the criteria you defined.
- If you disagree that this is the best, you should reconsider your criteria
- You can also think about whether some criteria are more important than others. These can be worth two checks.
- You can always combine two or more ideas into one solution!
Example
The problem: "People who live in buildings in earthquake zones need less damage to be inflicted on their homes during earthquakes because the damage is dangerous and expensive."
|
A-frame home |
Home on piers |
Single story |
Shear bracing |
Light-weight |
Made of Shop materials |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Supported by Research |
✓ |
✓ |
|||
Build in a week |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
According to our criteria for success, the shear bracing and light-weight materials are both great ideas to include in our design!