Understanding Control

This is one of a series of extended units, from the Association for Science Education and the Design and Technology Association, to provide in-depth coverage of a topic or an area of the curriculum. The focus is on the aspects of systems and control that generally feature in courses of Design and Technology and Information Technology. However, this unit also offers many opportunities to relate this to work in science.

As they work through this unit, students learn about the language and basic principles of control including the importance of feedback. They find out how to analyse a control situation and learn how control systems and sub-systems can be designed and used to achieve different purposes. Students also learn how to analyse the performances of a system in order to check that it is working effectively.

[b]Contents[/b]
TEACHERS’ NOTES
* Plan of the unit ..
* Notes on equipment ..
* By using the unit students will ...
* Links to other SwT units
* Other useful resources
* Syllabus links .
* Using the unit
* Graph Quality Checklist
* Detailed notes

STUDENTS’ MATERIALS
Part 1: An introduction to control systems
Part 2: Investigating types of control system
Part 3: Analysing control situations
Part 4: Assignments