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Supporting Technological Literacy Through The Integration Of Engineering, Mathematic, Scientific, And Technological Concepts

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Conference

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Publication Date

June 18, 2006

Start Date

June 18, 2006

End Date

June 21, 2006

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Promoting Scientific and Technological Literacy

Tagged Division

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Page Count

13

Page Numbers

11.1181.1 - 11.1181.13

DOI

10.18260/1-2--209

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/209

Download Count

392

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Paper Authors

biography

Jeremy Ernst North Carolina State University

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Jeremy V. Ernst is a doctoral research and teaching assistant in the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Department at North Carolina State University. He received a B.S. in Technology and Human Resource Development from Clemson University, and a M.Ed. in Technology Education from North Carolina State University where he is currently working on his doctoral degree in Technology Education. His research interests are in effective instruction and special education.
Contact Info:
(919)513-8531
jvernst@ncsu.edu

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biography

Aaron Clark North Carolina State University

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Aaron C. Clark is an Associate Professor of Graphic Communications at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Technology and Technology Education from East Tennessee State University. He earned his doctoral degree from North Carolina State University. His teaching specialty is in introductory engineering drawing, with emphasis in 3D modeling and animation. His research areas include graphics education and scientific/technical visualization. He presents and publishes in both vocational/technology education and engineering education.
Contact Info:
(919)515-1771
aaron_clark@ncsu.edu

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Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Supporting Technological Literacy Through the Integration of Engineering, Mathematic, Scientific, and Technological Concepts ABSTRACT National emphasis is placed on schools to produce technologically literate students while promoting and teaching pre-engineering education. A technologically literate person understands and effectively communicates basic technological concepts, processes, and interrelationships with engineering, mathematics, science, and society. Federal and state agencies have been funding projects related to these areas over the past decades and will most likely continue to do so.

VisTE (Visualization in Technology Education) is a National Science Foundation funded project that promotes technological literacy by attempting to link engineering, mathematics, science, and technology concepts through the study and creation of visualizations. Over a three-year period, the VisTE project team has developed, piloted, and is now field testing 12 units for technology education in grades 6 to 12. The research is based upon five basic areas of investigation during the piloting phase of the integrated VisTE materials: students’ test scores on knowledge of technology, teachers’ ratings of effectiveness of VisTE regarding enhancing students’ understanding of intended learning goals, teachers’ ratings of effectiveness of VisTE regarding enhancing students’ understanding of real-world applications of technology, and students’ self- concept of ability in technology, mathematics and science, and students’ attitudes toward general technology. The purpose of this research was to provide a process and outcome evaluation for the 12 VisTE instructional units. The data in this presentation and discussion of research is drawn from several sources. Students’ content knowledge and conceptual understanding are measured. Beliefs about their own abilities in learning technology, mathematics, and science, and their attitudes toward technology in general and toward the specific type of technology taught in each unit were measured. Also, data was gathered from teachers through teacher logs. While teaching the VisTE units, teachers were asked to fill in a unit completion log for each unit they taught. Through the logs, teachers reported on several different topics, including their reaction to the unit, their students’ reactions to the unit, aspects of the unit they liked, and aspects they did not like.

The study of engineering, mathematics, science, and technology-based content and the application of conceptual modeling, data-driven visualizations, physical modeling, and presentations promote visual literacy. Visual and technical literacy maintain a significant role in successful knowledge and skill development in engineering and technology career paths. Data and information collected from this project is beneficial to pre-engineering education and K-12 outreach through the expansion of research and extension of knowledge. Research-based findings from projects such as VisTE provide for the continued successes in engineering, mathematics, science, and society.

Ernst, J., & Clark, A. (2006, June), Supporting Technological Literacy Through The Integration Of Engineering, Mathematic, Scientific, And Technological Concepts Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--209

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2006 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015