Using the Internet as an information gathering tool for the design and technology curriculum

The authors describe how the writing of case studies of industrial and commercial practice for the Nuffield Design and Technology Project for 14-16 year old students has led to the use of the Internet as an information gathering tool. They then describe how this experience led the National Centre for Educational Technology and the EdExcel Foundation to commission research to identify a range of web sites that could be used to source relevant information for the EdExcel Foundation design and technology GCSE coursework component 'An investigation into an existing product'. The focus of the research was primarily to identify sites which gave information about methods of manufacture and then to use this experience to gain an appreciation for the problems and opportunities that might face schools in enabling novice WWW users to access information through the Internet. The authors then consider whether these experiences can be developed into a generalisable/transferable model for using the Internet as an information gathering tool.