Panel - The Technological Literacy of Undergraduates: Identifying the Research Issues

Krupczak, John; Ollis, David F.; Pimmel, R. L.; Seals, R.; Pearson, Greg; Fortenberry, Norman L.

doi:10.1109/fie.2005.1611924

Cited by 21 publications

(24 citation statements)

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“…A quick look at the more successful programs shows that the most effectiveness and success have occurred in institutions that are leaning toward non-engineering programs [4]- [5]. Some of these institutions have shown very successful courses that are effective and popular among the students.…”

Section: A Workable Solutionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Work in progress - the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy

Mina

2008

2008 38th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference

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This paper addresses some of the most important questions regarding the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy programs throughout national-level colleges and universities. While addressing the issues of technological literacy is of utmost importance at the national level and has been encouraged by influential groups such as the National Association of Engineers (NAE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other national agencies, the process of how to achieve it is still under debate. Engineering colleges seem to be natural places for leading these activities. However, engineering faculty in general are not generally used to teaching nonengineering students. This paper addresses challenges and discusses how to make such programs effective by involving other faculty from non-engineering disciplines. Index Terms -MES, Minor in engineering, Technological literacy MOTIVATION

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Section: A Workable Solutionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…So, there needs to be a mixture of ideas, issues, and considerations that brings technological perspectives together with non-engineering approaches [5].…”

Section: A Workable Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work in progress - the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy

Mina

2008

2008 38th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference

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“…Most, but not all, current examples of technological literacy courses [3,4] include use of a device laboratory, wherein everyday devices may be used, dissected, assembled, or where simple equivalents (e. g. of radio, telephone, etc) may be created by students. From whence is such instructional space to spring on campuses often strained for such resources?…”

Section: Finding Facilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As one outcome of this 2002 study, NSF this year sponsored an expert workshop [3] to gather current technological literacy instructors, with NSF and NAE observers, to explore academic issues associated with providing increased undergraduate instruction in technological literacy on US campuses. The random backgrounds of the dozen or so practitioners of technical literacy instruction was intriguing, with instructors drawn from electrical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Technology Literacy: An Opportunity for Design Faculty?

Ollis

Krupczak

2006

Volume 4c: 3rd Symposium on International Design and Design Education

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The National Academy of Engineering, the National Science Foundation, and various prominent engineering faculty and administrators have pleaded over the last decade that technological literacy for non-technical majors is a topic which engineering faculty ought to provide. This paper explores the notion that design faculty are well qualified, perhaps uniquely so, to teach such courses for nontechnical majors, i.e., to represent engineering and technology to the non-technical campus population. Previously we reviewed the attributes of the various groups promoting technological literacy. We showed that engineering, with its balance between theory and practice, has a distinct and highly effective perspective on technology, making engineers uniquely qualified to explain technology to the non-engineer. Here we focus on engineering design faculty as those engineers most qualified to carry out this effort. Inasmuch as design instruction is universally present on the more than 300 campuses boasting an engineering school, and each engineering department has at least one design instructor, a potential teaching faculty in excess of 1000 is identified from which to recruit future technology literacy instructors. We make the case for this novel activity as a logical component of design instruction, and argue further that such novel participation will accomplish a second goal, long sought by design instructors, namely that their profession will have an increased, and more public, visibility and appreciation. Thus, creating a cadre of design instructors as teachers of technology literacy will assist a national need and at the same time will satisfy a professional goal.

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“…The concept of technological literacy has received significant attention in recent years. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] A technologically literate person has the knowledge necessary to understand, make informed decisions, and think critically about technology. In the National Academy of Engineering publication "Technically Speaking," this is described as having three major components: knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities.…”

Section: Overview Of Technological Literacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Technological Literacy And First Year Courses For Engineering And Engineering Technology Majors

Blake¹

2010 Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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Technological literacy courses and programs have the goal of educating people about technology. These courses do not focus on developing specific abilities to use some form of technology. Rather, these courses address broader questions and issues, such as the answer to the question of what is technology, and understanding how technology is developed and improved over time. A technologically literate person has learned to recognize the importance of technology in our lives, our collective ability to direct or restrict technological change, and the importance of economic, social, legal, and public policy considerations. One thrust in technological literacy education has been to teach this subject to people who are not pursuing majors in engineering and technology. This has unique challenges, including the challenge of overcoming the sense of intimidation that seems to come with engineering courses. The topics being taught here are not only important for non-majors. Student pursuing degrees in engineering and engineering technology also need to develop technological literacy. While their major courses will focus on specific aspects of the student's chosen area of engineering and technology, especially on developing the student's abilities in analysis, design, and application of technology, these students also need to develop an understanding of the connections between technology and society. Many institutions require new engineering and engineering technology students to take at least one first year course in the major. These courses are intended to introduce students to the subject of engineering and technology, to help them see the road ahead to the degree, and to assist the student in developing some basic abilities needed for future courses. This course is also likely to be expected to cover certain EAC or TAC of ABET program learning outcomes. This first year course often plays an important role in teaching prospective majors about engineering and technology, and may be more likely to cover broad issues of technology and society than upper level, major-specific courses. The first year course is likely to include significant coverage of technological literacy in the course content. This link with technological literacy may or may not be recognized. The author has taught introductory level courses and an upper level course focusing on technological literacy for non-majors. This paper will explore links between the two types of courses and the concept of teaching technological literacy as a framework for material in first year courses. Finally, the paper will also discuss carrying the concept of teaching technological literacy throughout the curriculum.

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Panel - The Technological Literacy of Undergraduates: Identifying the Research Issues

Cited by 21 publications

References 1 publication

Work in progress - the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy

Work in progress - the role of engineering colleges in providing technological literacy

Teaching Technology Literacy: An Opportunity for Design Faculty?

Technological Literacy And First Year Courses For Engineering And Engineering Technology Majors

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