The Graduate Certificate in Secondary Design and Technologies course is a unique opportunity for out-of-field Design and Technologies teachers to become recognised in-field teachers, building teachers’ knowledge and competence in the Design and Technologies curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment.

The course is fully funded by the Victorian Department of Education and is developed and delivered through an innovative collaboration between Deakin University’s School of Education and School of Engineering, Design and Technologies Teachers’ Association (DATTA), and Monash Tech School in an integrated program. The course involves online workshops and face to face intensive sessions in purpose built and equipped Design and Technologies teaching spaces.

Teachers will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the design process and systems thinking and its economic, environmental, ethical, legal, and aesthetic role in our society both locally and globally, allowing them to integrate a range of materials and technologies into their teaching practice using a mixture of hands-on experiential learning, peer-to-peer discussion and sharing, and exposure to a range of design and technologies resources.

The course is mapped to the Technologies and Society and Creating Design Solutions strands of the Victorian Curriculum Design and Technologies. The course consists of 4 units that participants complete over 2 years to receive their qualification. Each unit is taught over two terms with a two-day intensive in Week 3 of each term and four online after-school seminars. Assessments are designed to be applicable to classroom teaching.  

Teachers in the course will have access to a tailored ‘return to study’ support system by Deakin University. The opportunity to integrate into the Design and Technologies teaching community will be provided by experienced teacher mentors, connecting teachers to innovative design thinking and industry practice.