Conference Session

Promoting Engineering and Technological Literacy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet L. Gbur, Case Western Reserve University; Daniela Solomon, Case Western Reserve University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

ofASTM International. Through collaboration, plans had expanded from the initial idea ofpresentations by the two graduate students, to a workshop that would include two sessions - onesession for the faculty and students representing the campus community and one session forrepresentatives from national standards organizations.Workshop DevelopmentDue to the scope of the workshop, the key to its success was to gauge faculty interest early andensure their cooperation for such an event. Throughout many meetings representing all School ofEngineering departments, the faculty expressed enthusiasm for the workshop concept,contributed ideas on planning the event and had recommended organizations of interest to them.With the faculty help, it was decided

Conference Session

The Philosophy of Engineering and Technological Literacy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan S Weedon, Case Western Reserve University

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

(though a few are seniors) to the design process and is similarly structured to otherengineering design curricula across the country. The class was split into groups, assigned todevelop one of three products (a portable desalinization device, a chainless bicycle, or a solartracker), and present their plans to the class and professor. The study focused on one group ofseven students, but collected interviews from an additional half dozen others. The methodscomprised classroom observation and fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews, and video-recordings. The study was approved by the university’s internal review board (IRB). Data for this portion of the study come from visual ethnographic methods such as videorecordings of group work

Conference Session

Promoting Engineering and Technological Literacy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan G. Dimitriu, University of Texas at San Antonio; Mehdi Shadaram P.E., University of Texas, San Antonio

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

class debates may take unexpected turns, raise unanswered questions, uncover unknown situations, or bring to light things that are not usually covered in everyday conversations. The faculty must establish from the beginning an academic approach to any subject, respect among all participant in the discussion, and a sense of curiosity that will encourage everybody to explore areas of knowledge and thought never experienced before.3. This class is a good candidate to be organized as a Socratic Seminar. For the next offering of this class we plan to have a classroom suitable to arrange tables in a circular format to encourage free exchange of ideas as the Socratic Seminar concept recommends.4. Future course offerings will include new

Conference Session

The Philosophy of Engineering and Technological Literacy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alan Cheville, Bucknell University; John Heywood, Trinity CollegeDublin, The University of Dublin

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

planned. Issues that arenot able to be resolved are assumed, perhaps implicitly, to remain intractable due to lack ofsufficient resources, failure to engage needed actors, or the inability (as of yet) to articulate avalid solution path. The role of the change agent is that of an engineer or manager.In contrast Theory B views issues as tensions between portions of the system and/or multipleactors that represent a dynamic equilibrium within the system. This equilibrium is the state ofthe system as it currently exists and the state in turn is defined by the existence of tensions. Thetensions do not exist by design, rather they arise almost coincidentally from rational ordefensible positions taken by actors or organizational units within the system

Conference Session

Promoting Engineering and Technological Literacy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan Grunert, Virginia Tech; Stephanie G. Adams, Virginia Tech

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

additional affirmation that responses will not impact grade) probe: How could the course have improved to meet those expectations?Describe your experiences with engineering before this course. probe: Remind interviewee that talking with engineering majors about their major is anexperience with engineering.How has your engineering literacy changed through this semester, especially regardingengineering knowledge, attitude, and abilities? probe: Negative change is okayHow do you see engineering as a component of your life outside of academic circles? prompt: How to you plan to use what you’ve learned in this class later? What area(s) of life does/might it appear?