Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Kasarda, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Brenda Brand, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Michael Collver, Montgomery County Public Schools; Gabriel Goldman, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

successfully with the high-school population. Kasarda [3,4] described servicelearning and outreach aspects associated with the pilot year of the new capstone design course.Now in its second year, the authors have recognized, and have enhanced, aspects of the capstone Page 13.1282.2design project that facilitate the self-efficacy of both the undergraduates and the high-schoolstudents in technological and STEM literacy.Of all of the ITEA Standards of Technological Literacy [3] Standard 8: Students will develop anunderstanding of the attributes of design; Standard 9: Students will develop an understanding ofengineering design; and Standard 10: Students

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Zieren, Austin Peay State University; John Blake, Austin Peay State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

community about technology. Again, case studies can demonstrate howpeople have been effective in controlling or even stopping a technological project ordevelopment that seemed to the technological determinist to be unstoppable. Also, the coursecan give examples where societal concerns hindered development of a desirable technology.To adapt the course to focus on technological literacy, topics for in-depth discussion should beselected to focus on specific aspects of technological literacy. One option is for the overviewsection to be extended to reach the present, and then certain topics would be singled out for moreattention. The technology of pesticides, notably DDT, could be used as a case study of aninitially accepted technological development