An Introduction to Food Technology Stage 6 in the New HSC
The new Food Technology Stage 6 Syllabus replaces the current 2 unit and 3 unit syllabuses in Food Technology (1994). The new syllabus is for implementation with Year 11 in 2000 and will be first examined in 2001.
The syllabus provides information that was formerly available in the KLA handbook. This includes descriptions of course requirements, assessment weightings for internal and external examination and examination specifications.
What is similar?
There has been minimal change to the current syllabus in terms of content. Students still study core strands and then elect an option in the HSC course. Minor aspects of the 3 unit course have been incorporated into the revised syllabus, including some aspects of the core strand Food Policy and Decision Making, such as government policy and legislation in Australia
What are the overall improvements?
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The new syllabus provides all students with the opportunity to access challenging outcomes and content.
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The scope and depth of course content is made clear in the description of what students learn about and what students learn to.
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Overlapping content in the Preliminary and HSC courses has been removed.
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Aspects of nutrition have been included in the HSC course.
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The practical nature of the course has been enhanced.
The following changes have been made to particular aspects of the syllabus
Rationale (p 6)
The revised rationale has a greater focus on the acquisition
of knowledge through experiences in practical activities that relate
to meeting food needs and wants. It also focuses on the development
of skills that are transferable to other settings, including vocational
and general life experiences.
Aim (p 8)
The revised aim draws upon key features of the current aim and
has been reworked into two succinct statements.
Objectives (p 8)
The number of objectives in the syllabus has decreased and they
are no longer specifically organised into knowledge, skills and
attitudes objectives. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are incorporated
into the range of objectives.
Course Structure (p 9)
In the Preliminary course, the content section Food Properties
has been replaced with Food Quality.
In the HSC course, the core and options have been reorganised. Food Product Development has been included as an extra core topic. The options have been reorganised to include Contemporary Food Issues - Nutrition and Contemporary Food - Issues Marketplace.
Outcomes (p 10)
The number of outcomes in the syllabus has decreased and there
are clear and explicit links to objectives and content in both the
Preliminary and HSC courses.
Content
The Preliminary course (pp 12-17) includes the following topics:
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Food Availability and Selection: there is less emphasis on staple foods, and more emphasis on the Australian food supply, including foods native to Australia.
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Food Quality: there is more emphasis on hygienic and safe work practices. Functional properties remain but are categorised under protein, carbohydrates and fats.
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Nutrition: there is a reduction in content, including reference to diet-related disorders.
The HSC course (pp 18-27) includes the following topics:
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Australian Food Industry: there is a reduction in content, including removal of food innovations.
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Food Product Development is now a core topic with the addition of marketing.
- Option Strands:
- Nutrition;
Draws on current Preliminary course content and adds the new areas of nutritionally modified foods, active non-nutrients, supplements, health promotion, impact of media, influence of lifestyle and cultural factors.
Marketplace;
Includes some information drawn from the previous 3 unit course and the Australian Food Industry. New areas of study in this topic include industry ownership and globalisation of the food trade.
Course requirements (p 28)
Students must still study the core strands and elect an option
strand. The current syllabus states that equal allocation of course
time is to be given to each strand.
In the revised syllabus, each strand is given a weighting and therefore the time allocated for each strand has a direct relationship to the weighting.
Assessment (pp 33-34)
Preliminary course: The assessment components have been expanded to include knowledge and specific examples of applications (each with suggested weightings) including research, analysis and communication; experimentation and preparation; and design, implementation and evaluation.
HSC course: The assessment components have been expanded to include knowledge and specific examples of applications (each with mandatory weightings) including research, analysis, and communication, experimentation and preparation, design, implementation and evaluation.
What will be needed to teach this subject?
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Food Technology Stage 6 Syllabus.
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Specimen examination and marking guidelines.
While programs will need to be revised to reflect new syllabus content and outcomes, aspects of current programs may be incorporated where appropriate.
Equipment, used in schools, that meets the requirements of the current syllabus should be adequate to meet the requirements of the new syllabus.
Current resources are appropriate for use with the new syllabuses although there may need to be some adjustment in the way teachers use them.
A further subject-specific document is being developed by the Board of Studies for distribution later in the year. This will assist teachers with the implementation of the revised syllabuses.
A list of a number of resources will be placed on the Boards website, http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au.
The Board of Studies will also provide assessment support materials, which will be generic across subjects.
Cross-sectoral professional development workshops (Department of Education and Training, Catholic Education Commission and members of the Association of Independent Schools) for Food Technology Stage 6 will be held. Venues and dates for these workshops have been published on the New HSC website (http://www.newhsc.schools.nsw.edu.au) and distributed to schools. The materials from the workshops will be available on this website.
CURRICULUM SUPPORT for Teaching in Technology and Applied Studies 7-12 - a publication distributed each term by the Department of Education and Training - will carry an HSC supplement.
Assessment and Reporting Bulletin - published each term as a joint venture of the Department of Education and Training, the Catholic Education Commission and the Association of Independent Schools - will build on principles outlined in Board of Studies newsletters and assessment support materials.