Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Isabel Huff, Smith College; Glenn W. Ellis, Smith College; Lucy McAuliffe, Smith College; Sonia K. Ellis, Smith College; Beth McGinnis-Cavanaugh, Springfield Technical Community College

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

literacy.II. IntroductionThere is a global need for technologically literate citizens. Although some groups haverecognized the value of technological literacy, it has not yet become a priority in our society.The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) holds, “The idea that all Americans should bebetter prepared to navigate our highly technological world has been advocated by manyindividuals and groups for years…Nevertheless, the issue of technological literacy is virtuallyinvisible on the national agenda. This is especially disturbing in a time when technology is adominant force in society”1. The International Technology and Engineering EducatorsAssociation (ITEEA) shares this view on an emphasized need for technological literacy. “We area nation

Conference Session

Technological Literacy Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rigoberto Chinchilla, Eastern Illinois University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

, Harris, Harold, Facial Recognition System Screening Evaluation Methodology for Complexion Biases: Proceedings of the 2011 American Society for Engineering Education ASEE, Conference. Vancouver Canada, June 26-Jun30 2011 oChinchilla, Rigoberto, S. Guccione, J. Tillman, Wind Power Technologies in the United States: A Tech- nical Comparison between Vertical and Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines: Journal Of Industrial Technology Volume 27, Number 1 - January 2011 through March 2011 Dr. Chinchilla can be reached at rchinchilla@eiu.edu. Page 25.582.1 c American Society for Engineering Education

Conference Session

Engineering and Technological Literacy: Past and Future

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven R. Walk, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

technological selection and rejection. Theresults of this research may be used to improve the design criteria for more effectivedevelopment and application of learning technologies, such as deployed in on-line courses and inemerging high immersion game-based learning systems. Furthermore, with better-designedlearning technology systems and devices, leading to broader diffusion and successfulimplementation, then criteria for technological literacy might be determined more effectively.Objectives of the research include: 1) identifying anthropological invariants in early learning; 2)identifying invariant learning behavior in later stages of learning, including identifying vestigesor artifact behaviors from early learning; 3) documenting the adoption rates

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Non-science College Student

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Krupczak, Hope College; Mani Mina, Iowa State University; Robert J. Gustafson, Ohio State University; James F. Young P.E., Rice University; Scott VanderStoep, Hope College

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

. Page 25.939.3 2The educational objectives and outcomes were developed as a structure for engineering programsdeveloping technological literacy programs for non-engineering, undergraduate students. Theseobjectives and outcomes are based on an analysis of five primary sources that address the issueof technological and engineering literacy. 1) Technically Speaking, Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology, developed by the National Academy of Engineering6. 2) ABET Engineering Criteria14. 3) ABET Engineering Technology Criteria15. 4) Report of the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP)16. This program of the American Association of Colleges and Universities

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Non-science College Student

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert M. Brooks, Temple University; Jyothsna Kavuturu; Mehmet Cetin, Temple University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

, rich, imagination-fostering environment for learning. The average grade of the controlgroup was 64% while that of the experimental group was 78%, a 22% improvement over thecontrol group. The t-test confirmed statistical improvement, t value of 3.6, at a significantconfidence level with an alpha value of 0.05.IntroductionThe objective of this paper is to show how creativity can be used to enhance the technologicalliteracy of non-science majors by introducing the students to basic scientific and technologicalprinciples in various areas of a course, “Environment.”Creativity involves a new product or a solution with some value. Creativity and creative acts aretherefore studied across several disciplines 1. A creative person can understand what is

Conference Session

Engineering and Technological Literacy: Past and Future

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Krupczak, Hope College; John W. Blake P.E., Austin Peay State University; Kate A. Disney, Mission College; Carl O. Hilgarth, Shawnee State University; Randy Libros, Community College of Philadelphia; Mani Mina, Iowa State University; Steven R. Walk, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

Standards forTechnological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology.7 The ITEEA standards projectwas a broadly based effort that included more than 150 reviewers from K-12 education, thesciences, and the engineering disciplines. An intent of this effort was to encourage educationalcurricula that would provide technological literacy to K-12 students.The ITEEA 2000 Standards are comprehensive in scope. They are divided into five maincategories that sub-divide into 20 specific standards. The five main categories used to definetechnological understanding include: 1. Understanding the Nature of Technology, 2. Understanding of Technology and Society, 3. Understanding of Design, 4. Abilities for a Technological World, and 5

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J. Douglass Klein, Union College

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

technology, andgain practice in critical reading, writing and presentation skills.1. Introduction Do we control technology, or does technology control us? Since technology is a humanactivity – indeed the former Director of the National Academy of Engineering, William Wulf,suggests that technology is what defines us as human – the answer seems self-evident: of coursewe control technology.8 But might it be the case that technology is a genie, which once releasedcannot be coerced back into its bottle? 43 How does this change us as humans? These fundamental questions provide the opportunity to engage first-year students from bothengineering and the liberal arts with important issues regarding the direction of technologicalprogress and more

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan G. Dimitriu, San Antonio College; Simona Dana Dimitriu, Pat Neff Middle School - Northside Independent School District (NISD); Thomas Gadsden Jr., Our Lady of the Lake University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

incorporatedin a Master’s Degree in Education. The program targeted primarily high school Physics teachersbut the concept can be easily expanded to the entire spectrum of Math and Science education forall K-12 grades.Science is the art of obtaining knowledge. Engineering is the art of using knowledge to achieveobjectives and solve problems. If we put them together in the class room early enough we havebetter chances to raise more interested and dedicated students.IntroductionThe American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) [1] is a federal assistance program intended tohelp America maintain its global competitiveness through targeted investment in research anddevelopment (R&D) and education. K-12 science and math education is part of a largerinitiative

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lawrence E. Whitman, Wichita State University; Mandy C. Phelps, Wichita State University; Karen V. Reynolds, Wichita State University; Barbara S. Chaparro Ph.D.

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

involvement in theprogram. Males had a greater interest in technology and longer involvement (0-3 years) in theprogram resulting in more positive attitudes. Females tended to have more negative opinionsabout technology at both pre- and post-assessment.IntroductionProject Lead the Way (PLTW) is targeted toward educating middle and high school studentsabout engineering and technology to encourage the study of engineering post high schoolgraduation.1 PLTW was established in 1997 to address the shortage of domestic engineers. Thereare currently 4,500 program implementations in every state with more than 18,000 teacherstrained to teach PLTW courses.2 Approximately 70% of students involved in the PLTW programreport intentions of obtaining a college degree

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and Technological Policy

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Heywood, Trinity College, Dublin

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

called “personaltransferable skills”.The implications of findings for educational policy makers are (1) that policy making should beundertaken from a systems perspective that embraces elementary education at one end of thespectrum and lifelong (permanent) education at the other: (2) that engineering educators togetherwith industrialists should pay much more attention to lifelong education, and therefore incontinuing professional development for engineers in both technical and personal dimensions:(3) that engineering educators should better prepare students with the skills of flexibility andadaptability required to cope with ever changing knowledge, that is “personal transferableskills”.These axioms are reinforced by a recent report from the

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and Technological Policy

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zachary Foltz, Iowa State University; Amanpreet Kaur, Iowa State University; William Henry Tushaus, Iowa State University; Christopher Sears Mikelson, Iowa State University; Brian Vincent Skalak; Mani Mina, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

years [1].Atmospheric chemist, Paul Crutzen, first noted this change in 2000 [2]. He realized that we wereno longer in the Holocene but entering the “Anthropocene”: the age of man. During theHolocene, the Earth maintained itself but now, according to the article, “A Safe Operating SpaceFor Humanity”, “human actions have become the main driver of global environmental change.”The hot button phrase of this shift to the Anthropocene that seems to be the cause of mostconcern is “global warming”.Global warming, according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is defined as “an increase in theearth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in thegreenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution”. For millions of

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Non-science College Student

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mariana Tafur, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Demetra Evangelou, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Johannes Strobel, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

”1. Technology skills such as artifact problemsolving are required in the workplace; technicians and other workers need to develop problemsolving strategies such as troubleshooting, more than just knowing how a machine works or howto make stocktaking4. Moreover, learning those technological skills through work is an effectiveand practical strategy5. Workers can learn through authentic problems6,7 and throughcollaborative learning8,9, while are productively engaged in their work.Constructing and developing technological knowledge, skills and habits of mind helps people toconstruct new learning10. The information can be found in one’s experience, in other’sknowledge, even in places such as databases, libraries or codes, but if one knows how

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William R. Loendorf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

people can and do affect its development” (Young, Cole, &Denton22, 2003). Page 25.1441.3This lack of understanding of technologies, both past and present, is directly related to enhancingnot only the student's but society’s technological literacy level. “Technological literacy can bethought of a comprising three interrelated dimensions that help describe the characteristics of atechnologically literate person... (1) knowledge; (2) ways of thinking and acting; and (3)capabilities” (National Academy of Engineering12, 2008). “Technological literacy is the ability touse, manage, assess, and understand technology” (International Technology

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and Technological Policy

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Boz Bowles, Louisiana State University; Paige Davis, Louisiana State University; Warren N. Waggenspack Jr., Louisiana State University; Barbara A. Heifferon, Louisiana State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

teach these coursesand a description of the global aspects of this study-abroad program, as well as preliminaryassessments of the collaborative program.Introduction:In Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More about Technology,1 theNational Academy of Engineering (NAE) has established the importance for engineers’understanding to go beyond technical expertise and to include an understanding of howtechnology affects society, as well as how society affects the development of technologies. Inaddition to the importance of technological literacy, the NAE’s Educating the Engineer of 2020,Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century 2 and the American Society of CivilEngineers’ The Vision for Civil Engineering in 2025 3 have

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zbigniew J. Pasek, University of Windsor

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

be identified. The work will also roughly classify the identified films into genres anddevelop a small database for tracking. A small sample of feature films and correspondingengineering-related themes is shown in Table 120.Table 1: Examples of feature films illustrating key issues pertaining to engineering and engineer’s work Title Director, year Issues for discussionApollo 13 R. Howard, 1995 Teamwork, creativity, aerospace engineeringThe Bridge on the River D. Lean, 1957 Work organization, civil engineering,Kwai leadership

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Non-science College Student

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert M. Brooks, Temple University; Jyothsna Kavuturu; Mehmet Cetin, Temple University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

often demands effective use of and making informed decisions aboutscientific issues. This paper focuses on developing a strategy for providing non-science majorswith a basic level of scientific knowledge for successfully dealing with real world technologicalissues.“The Environment” course was taught in Fall 2007 to non-science majors as a science corerequirement using the traditional lecture method. This was the control group. An experimentalgroup was taught in spring 2010 using four indices: (1) learning from three Hands On and MindsOn labs, (2) using Closer Looks, (3) case studies, and (4) development of critical thinkingabilities. The method of selecting these indices is explained in the paper.The average grade of the control group was 64

Conference Session

Engineering and Technological Literacy: Past and Future

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John W. Blake P.E., Austin Peay State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

life and the lives of others, and how people collectively make decisions abouttechnology and manage change. This has been mapped in terms of three dimensions –“knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities.”1 A person who has developedtechnological literacy is prepared to understand and make informed decisions about technology.Over the past ten years or so, teaching technological literacy has been recognized as an importanttopic.1-3 Faculty members at universities and community colleges have developed courses4 and Page 25.1266.2minors5,6 to help college students develop technological literacy. A review of papers submittedfor

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vazgen Shekoyan, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Todd Holden, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Raul Armendariz Ph.D., Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Helio Takai, Brookhaven National Laboratory; Sunil Dehipawala, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Dimitrios S. Kokkinos Ph.D., Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Regina Sullivan, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; George Tremberger Jr, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Paul J. Marchese, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; David H. Lieberman, Queensborough Community College, CUNY; Tak Cheung, Queensborough Community College, CUNY

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

Space, and Principles of Physics.Examples in imaging, remote sensing and control, wireless communication, fusion, radioactivedating, and others have been used to convey technological literacy in three cognitive dimensions:(1) knowledge, (2) capabilities, and (3) critical thinking and decision-making, consistent with therecommendation of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The astronomy course, whichincludes discussion of NASA priorities and operations, has been found to fulfill the fivetechnological literacy expectations recommended by International Technology EducationAssociation (ITEA); in addition to the usual science literacy requirement. Junior high schoolscience sessions have been conducted with the inclusion of technological

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and Technological Policy

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert A. Heard, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

. Previously, a study at Newcastle University had proposed that humanities students avoidtechnology and science courses for the reasons listed below; 1 1. little exposure to scientific content 2. differences in modes of teaching delivery between humanities and science subjects 3. perceptions of the relevance of scientific evidence, or lack of it 4. intimidation by what is considered the inflexible logic, or use of numerical or tabular data in science 5. difficulty of technological concepts Page 25.1268.2 6. institutional obstacles, such as the organization of universities in subject based departments In addition, an attempt was