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EnglandDesign and TechnologySyllabus dot point

How do new and emerging technologies affect people, culture, society, sustainability and the environment?

The impact of new and emerging technologies on people, culture, society, sustainability and the environment, including the workforce and consumers, working patterns, the Internet of Things, pollution and the demand on natural resources.

A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology 1.1 on how new and emerging technologies affect people, culture, society, sustainability and the environment, including working patterns, the Internet of Things, pollution and natural resources.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.810 min answer

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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  1. What this dot point is asking
  2. People
  3. Culture and society
  4. Sustainability and the environment

What this dot point is asking

This is Edexcel key idea 1.1, covering the human and environmental impacts of new and emerging technologies. It pairs with the industry, enterprise and production page. Here you handle sustainability (1.1.3), people (1.1.4), culture (1.1.5), society (1.1.6) and environment (1.1.7). Edexcel examines these as short open-response questions and as Discuss or Evaluate extended-open-response questions, where a balanced answer that links technology to a real impact scores the higher levels.

People

  • Workforce and consumers: technology changes the jobs people do and gives consumers more choice, customisation and access to global products online.
  • Wage levels and a highly-skilled workforce: higher-skilled roles command higher wages, so the value of training rises, but low-skilled wages can fall as those jobs are automated.
  • Apprenticeships: firms grow their own skilled workers through apprenticeships, addressing skills shortages in new technologies.
  • Inclusive design: products should work for users of different ages and abilities, for example large clear controls for older or visually impaired users, so groups are not excluded.

Culture and society

Technology shapes how and where people live and work.

  • Culture (1.1.5): Edexcel names population movement (for example within the EU) and social segregation or clustering within ethnic minorities, both of which technology and new industries can drive by concentrating jobs in particular places.
  • Society (1.1.6): changes in working hours and shift patterns, the Internet of Things (IoT), remote working and the use of video conference meetings. These shift demand toward connected products and home technology and change daily life.

Sustainability and the environment

Cleaner energy, recyclable materials, efficient manufacture and lighter products reduce environmental impact. Against this, global supply chains add transport pollution, electronic and packaging waste is hard to dispose of, and many products depend on finite and rare resources mined at social and environmental cost. Designing for recycling means materials must be easy to separate at end of life. Edexcel rewards a balanced judgement, not a one-sided story, and often links this to the 6 Rs and life cycle analysis.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

Edexcel 20236 marksDiscuss how the Internet of Things (IoT) and remote working have changed society and the way products are designed. (6 marks)
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A 6-mark Discuss is a levels-marked extended-open-response question. Markers reward developed points across more than one area and a balanced view.

The Internet of Things connects everyday products (thermostats, doorbells, fridges) to the internet so they can be monitored and controlled remotely and collect data. This changes design: products now need sensors, connectivity, an app interface and security against hacking, and they generate data that raises privacy concerns.

Remote working, enabled by video conferencing and fast networks, has changed working hours and shift patterns, cut commuting (reducing some pollution) and shifted demand toward home-office products and reliable home technology. Against this, it can isolate workers and widens the gap between those with and without good connectivity.

A strong answer develops at least two points, links them to society and to design decisions, and notes both benefits and drawbacks. Markers reward the balance and correct terms (IoT, connectivity, data, privacy).

Edexcel 20194 marksExplain two ways a designer can reduce the demand a new product places on natural resources. (4 marks)
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A 4-mark "explain two ways" question gives 2 marks per developed point.

Way 1: design the product to use less material, for example by reducing wall thickness or removing unnecessary parts (1), which lowers the raw material extracted and the energy used to process it (1).

Way 2: choose recycled or renewable materials, such as recycled polymer or FSC-certified timber, instead of virgin finite resources (1), so fewer new resources are mined or felled and the product can be recycled again at end of life (1).

Markers reward the design action and its resource consequence. Other valid points include designing for repair, reuse or disassembly. A vague "use less" without explaining how earns 1 mark.

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