AS and A Level Design and Technology:  What sort of video evidence is needed in the NEA?

There are various reasons why you may need or want to submit videos or in some cases audio clips to support a student’s submission.

In almost all cases there will need to be a video taken of the final prototype(s) as soon students have finished making them. This is for two purposes; firstly it allows students to take the prototype(s) out of the centre to be able to be tested in the environment they are intended for; secondly, this is the required evidence a moderator will need to have to ensure they are able to make appropriate judgements on the accuracy of your marking.

The videos of the final prototypes are to demonstrate any functionality of the product being presented for assessment. If there is genuinely no functionality (which is very rare) a combination of 360° photographs are sufficient.

Other instances for using a video may include:

• Engaging with users or stakeholders
• Demonstrating problems with existing products
• Presenting functioning models
• Testing final prototypes in use

It is important to note that at A Level only electronic portfolios are accepted forms of evidence. Therefore, making the most of video/audio clips to support their submission should be straightforward. Though making sure clips are concise, compressing clips in size (particularly when embedding them) and ensuring they are well signposted in the portfolios to ensure the reader knows that they are meant to be watched or listened to is really important.

If candidates have failed to video their own final prototype, it is accepted for the teacher to do this when they are assessing the candidate’s final submission and including notes to support this in their observations on the Candidate Record Form.