Subject Group: Practical
These subjects are 'hands-on' and involve working with tools and machinery on physical things like wood, metals and plastic. They may involve designing, planning and building things.
Brief Description:
Junior Cycle Engineering aims to develop a student's awareness of engineering processes while developing the necessary subject knowledge with the disciplinary skills to engineer products.
This is an optional Junior Cycle subject and requires a minimum of 200 hours of learning
How will Engineering be useful to me?
Throughout each of the strands, the use of four elements: Engineering knowledge and awareness, Innovation and exploration, Developing and manufacturing and Communicating creates a framework for learning that ensures a coherent learning experience for the students.
The course is divided into three separate strands:
Processes and Principles: This strand teaches students about the fundamental processes and principles of engineering. Students will apply their knowledge of materials and equipment to design and manufacture products.
Design Application: This strand teaches students about the key stages of the engineering design process, including building an understanding of the importance of design in both the end-user experience, and the economic and social impact of the product. Students will also discover how informed choice of materials and processes combine to produce a solution that is functional and efficient.
Mechatronics: This strand will see students use a combination of mechanical, manufacturing, electronic and software engineering to explore the relationship between simple inputs, processes and outputs. Mechatronics engages students in learning how high-tech manufacturing is performed and why it is becoming one of the fastest-growing career areas.
