Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91052 about?

Accepted Answer

You need to pick a real-world technological product or system and explain how it affects and is affected by the people using it and the environment it exists in. You'll describe why this technology was created, who uses it, and whether it actually works well or causes problems for users and society.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91052?

Accepted Answer

1. Describe the social and historical context — why this technology was created and what problem it was meant to solve 2. Identify the people and environments connected to the technology — who uses it, and what parts of society and the physical world it touches 3. Describe how the technology and people interact successfully and unsuccessfully — what works, what doesn't, and what impacts result 4. For Merit: explain how people and environments are shaped by this technology, and why those successful or unsuccessful interactions happen 5. For Excellence: discuss the reasons why these interactions happen the way they do, considering multiple perspectives and deeper connections

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91052?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You identify a technological outcome, describe its context and the people/environments involved, and describe both positive and negative interactions between them. Merit: You explain the connections between the technology and people/environments, and explain why the interactions work or don't work. Excellence: You discuss the deeper reasons why these interactions occur in successful or unsuccessful ways, showing thoughtful analysis of the relationships.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91052?

Accepted Answer

1. Focusing only on what the technology does, rather than exploring the two-way relationship between the technology, people, and environments (remember: interactions go both ways) 2. Describing only positive impacts or only negative impacts, rather than exploring both how things work well and where problems occur 3. Providing surface-level descriptions instead of explaining causes and reasons — particularly for Merit and Excellence, you need to move beyond 'what happened' to 'why it happened'

Technology and society

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