Virtual-reality goggles create ‘balance’ with traditional questions

QUESTIONS ranging from electric cars and the environment to the design of a dugout shelter for a sports field featured on the Junior Cert metalwork (materials and technology) higher level paper.

Donal Cremin, an ASTI subject representative and a teacher at Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, Co Kerry, said it was “fair and challenging”.

He said “design and creativity were prominent throughout the paper and these questions were relevant and engaging”.

“There was a nice balance between traditional questions and modern technological applications. Questions featuring devices such as code scanners, virtualreality goggles and robotics complemented traditional questions on the furnace and drilling machine,” he said.

Mr Cremin welcomed the “excellent graphics and pictures” at ordinary level, which “allowed students to engage with a wide range of materials and topics”.

Earlier in the day, in the Spanish exam, students at both levels got “well-balanced” papers requiring them to demonstrate their knowledge over a wide range of topics.

Mark Walshe, an ASTI subject representative and a teacher at St Finian’s Community College, Swords, Co Dublin, said the papers featured topical issues, such as the Atlético Madrid stadium, at higher level, and the movie ‘Ferdinand’ at ordinary level.

“Students who were well prepared would have found ordinary level accessible and higher level would have been sufficiently challenging,” he said.