Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Ohland, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Engineering Education, 2006 First-Year Engineering Programs and Technological LiteracyI. AbstractThe importance of technological literacy is briefly reviewed. The remainder of the paper focuseson the promotion of technological literacy through connections with first-year engineeringprograms: involvement of engineering faculty and students in K-12 classrooms, the involvementof engineering faculty and graduate students in K-12 teacher preparation, and engineering facultyinvolvement in improving the technological literacy of college students.II. Technological literacy and why the engineering profession is concerned about itTechnological literacy is the ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technologicalsystems,1 requiring both

Conference Session

Engineering and Technology for Everyone

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mani Mina, Iowa State University; Ryan M. Gerdes, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Iowa State University, where his research interests include physical layer security issues in networking and computation, applied electromagnetics, and the educational development of engineering students. Page 14.684.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Impact of Engineering: Designing a Class for Technological Literacy DisciplinesThis paper addresses some of the important challenges faced when designing a class fortechnological literacy programs; specifically, we discuss our experience in designing a classcalled Impact of

Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Ollis, North Carolina State University; John Krupczak, Hope College

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

lead “device dissection” labs of one type or another. Easilythe most populous of these three categories is the cadre of design instructors, as“capstone design” is virtually universal among engineering schools, whereas first yearinstruction is highly variable in coverage and level of effort, and even device dissectionlabs are not present in the majority of engineering departments. The materials needed for instruction in technological literacy courses (TLCs) aresubstantial and varied. Materials available to address this need include an increasingnumber of books by engineering and science authors such as Billington 5, Bloomfield 6,Florman 7 , Lienhard 8 , and Petroski 9. Radio programs featuring engineers are written

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

Self-EfficacyAbstractThis paper describes a partnership between Virginia Tech (VT) and the Montgomery CountyPublic Schools (MCPS) FIRST robotics high-school team which includes undergraduates from atwo-semester mechanical engineering senior capstone design course. The FIRST roboticsprogram at MCPS was developed nine years ago by one of the co-authors, Dr. Brand, to facilitateSTEM literacy by creating experiences to promote self-efficacy of high-school students in STEMareas. Unlike most FIRST programs around the country, the MCPS program was set up in thecontext of a two-semester robotics course that high-school students take for credit. This FIRSTprogram at MCPS was developed using approaches which are based on Bandura’s [1,2] foursources of

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Engineering Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byron Newberry, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

AC 2007-2245: ENGINEERS AND TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACYByron Newberry, Baylor University Byron Newberry is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University, where he teaches courses in engineering design, engineering materials and mechanics, and engineering ethics. In addition, he teaches courses in the history and philosophy of science, ancient and modern, as an affiliate faculty member of the Baylor Great Texts Program. Dr. Newberry’s current research is primarily on the topics of engineering ethics, the philosophy of engineering, and social issues in engineering and technology. He has published numerous articles on these topics and has given numerous presentations at

Conference Session

Defining Technological Literacy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Pearson, National Academy of Engineering; David Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

2006-695: WHAT IS TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY AND WHY DOES ITMATTER?David Ollis, North Carolina State UniversityGreg Pearson, National Academy of Engineering Greg Pearson is a Program Officer with the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C. In that role, he develops and manages new areas of activity within the NAE Program Office related to technological literacy, public understanding of engineering, and engineering ethics. He currently serves as the responsible staff officer for the NSF-funded study, Assessing Technological Literacy in the United States, and the State Educators’ Symposium on Technological Literacy project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. He previously

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mani Mina, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

devices and systems • Understand the capabilities and limitations of basic manufacturing processes and engineering systems.Who is it for? and who is in it?The program is design to be an effective minor to supplement the student’s non-engineeringdegree programs. This proposed program is designed to help students who are not engineeringmajors but are interested in understanding “how things work” • Are looking at directorship, management, technical marketing, sales, and related careers in an industry that continues to involve more technology • Are possibly interested in public policy—decisions impacting government, education, industry, religious institutions, health care • Are thinking about working in bioengineering

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - College Courses and Minors

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Krupczak, Hope College; Mani Mina, Iowa State University; Robert J. Gustafson, Ohio State University; James Young, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

The MES Program at Iowa State University has been successfully implemented and hasgraduated eight students with the minor degree and is engaging over thirty students in theirsecond and fourth years in the program.14-16 These graduates have been successfully employedor are seeking graduate degrees. Three of the graduates are working in technically orientedcompanies in a supervising capacity, and one is enrolled in a graduate degree program inaerospace engineering. This particular student was a student in meteorology, and after taking theMES classes became interested in engineering. Currently, the students choosing to participate inthe MES Program are from business (management, marketing, financing), economics, design(architecture, graphic

Conference Session

Defining Technological Literacy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Krupczak, Hope College; David Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

stories - filled with failures and triumphs - to reveal the methods ofengineers. The course enchants with tales of ancient steel making, today's pop cans, hugestone monuments, and salt. The course seeks to change how a student looks at his or herworld. Several sessions focus on women engineers and the environment. This course for non-engineers attracts 60% business majors and 40% from othermajors. An emphasis is placed on engineering decisions or choices: Why did an engineerdecide to design an object in a particular way? Bill Hammack also created theEngineering and Life program on public radio which reaches beyond the classroom to amass audience. “Science and Technology of Everyday Life,” John Krupczak, Hope College12,13 This course

Conference Session

Engineering Courses for Non-engineers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert J. Gustafson; Bruce Trott, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

, transportation, andconstruction. This course is intended for non-engineering students who want to better understandhow technology impacts their lives.ISE 504 (3) Engineering Economic Analysis -- Economic analysis of engineering projects andmethods of operation; the analysis of public investments, and introduction to analysis ofengineering decisions. Prereq: 3rd yr standing or concur with 500 or written permission ofinstructor.ENG 581 (4, repeatable to 8) Engineering Capstone Collaboration -- This is a new course beingdeveloped. It is anticipated that students enrolled in this course will contract to collaborate withan existing capstone design team (within any program of the College expressing willingness tocollaborate). The students will be expected to

Conference Session

Engineering Courses for Non-engineers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University; Terence Geyer, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Motorola. His interests include engineering management, real-time embedded systems, and digital signal processing.Terence Geyer, Eastern Washington University Terence L. D. Geyer is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Engineering & Design at Eastern Washington University. He obtained his B.S. in Manufacturing Technology and M.Ed. in Adult Education in a specially combined program of Technology and Education at Eastern Washington University. His interests include collecting and re-manufacturing older technologies. Page 14.759.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009

Conference Session

Engineering Courses for Non-engineers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Bishop, United States Naval Academy

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

. Page 14.1132.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Teaching Emerging Technologies Using a Socio-Technological Development Model Weapons and Systems Engineering United States Naval AcademyIntroductionThe Systems Engineering department at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) offers anABET-accredited degree program that focuses on feedback control and mechatronics, includingaspects of mechanical and electrical systems design. Several years ago, an effort was beguntoward developing an engineering management elective track to supplement the existingspecialization courses in robotics, control theory, information systems and embedded

Conference Session

Engineering Courses for Non-engineers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Blake, Austin Peay State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

components and subsystems, 3) that a system can fail due to failure of a very small part of the system, 4) that, despite the best efforts of all involved, the risk of failure exists. It also includes elements that demonstrate 5) an engineering team in action, including situations where major differences exist, 6) design within constraints (the CO2 filter problem) and the arbitrary nature of some design decisions (the existence of both square and round filter cartridges), and 7) dealing with uncertainty.Finally, 8) the story behind the Apollo program is used as an example of societal needs leading to the creation of technology.The decision to develop the technology and go to the moon came from a need for the

Conference Session

Service Courses for Non-Engineers

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Suchan, United States Military Academy; Susan Schwartz, United States Military Academy; Edward Sobiesk, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

-EngineersIntroductionThis paper describes the concepts and methodologies used in an undergraduate general educationinformation technology (IT) course designed specifically for non-engineers. The semester-longcourse is required for all of our students who are not engineering majors, and is taken by about750 juniors and seniors each year. The course builds upon a freshmen-level introductory coursethat covers microcomputer competencies, as well as basic programming techniques in both Javaand Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML). An immersive computingenvironment, in which all our students have a laptop and ubiquitous network access, alsocontributes to our students’ technical foundation.The primary objective of our course is to significantly contribute to the

Conference Session

Technological Literacy - Courses, Educational and Accreditation Standards

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Blake, Austin Peay State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

courses will focus on specific aspects of the student’s chosen area of engineering andtechnology, especially on developing the student’s abilities in analysis, design, and application oftechnology, these students also need to develop an understanding of the connections betweentechnology and society.Many institutions require new engineering and engineering technology students to take at leastone first year course in the major. These courses are intended to introduce students to the subjectof engineering and technology, to help them see the road ahead to the degree, and to assist thestudent in developing some basic abilities needed for future courses. This course is also likely tobe expected to cover certain EAC or TAC of ABET program learning

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - College Courses and Minors

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roy McGrann, State University of New York, Binghamton

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

engineering design andanalysis process.” An outline of the requirements for the minor is presented. The experiencesof the first students who participated in the program are described. Also, the challengesencountered in the approval process for this minor are described.IntroductionThe need for an educated citizenry is recognized as one of the basic requirements of a democraticsociety. In our increasingly human-built world, this entails a technologically literate citizenry.The goal of technological literacy “is to provide people with the tools to participate intelligentlyand thoughtfully in the world around them.”1 Included in this participation is an understandingof the human process of technological development: engineering analysis and design.At the

Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elaine Cooney, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis; Karen Alfrey; Steve Owens, Indiana University - Purdue University-Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

AC 2008-1110: CRITICAL THINKING IN ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGYEDUCATION: A REVIEWElaine Cooney, Indiana University-Purdue University-IndianapolisKaren Alfrey,Steve Owens, Indiana University - Purdue University-Indianapolis Page 13.344.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008Critical Thinking in Engineering and Technology Education: a ReviewINTRODUCTIONThe ability to think critically is a vitally important skill in the engineering workplace.The need for critical thinking is implicit in most of the program outcomes proscribed byABET, including designing experiments and interpreting data; designing a product tospecifications with realistic constraints; understanding

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Non-Engineers

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lawrence Whitman, Wichita State University; James Steck, Wichita State University; David Koert, Wichita State University; Larry Paarmann, Wichita State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

the courseare: • articulate the engineering design process, • build a simple gear box using LEGO MINDSTORMS and describe the rationale of “gearing up and gearing down,” • demonstrate different methods to propel a vehicle, • draw a completed MINDSTORMS assignment using engineering drawing principles, • explain why engineers draw their designs and how it aids in analysis, • demonstrate the different types of sensors, • describe how these sensors work, • apply the sensors to a design problem, • program a MINDSTORMS device using ROBOLAB, and • articulate how the design of the manufacturing system can affect the feasibility of a product.A key factor for the course to be successful was for the

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Non-Engineers

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Foreign Languages andLiteratures, and Industrial Design. The second involves a new Technology Literacycourse created for non-engineering students, and taught with the assistance of an Englishdepartment faculty member (also serving in the College of Engineering’s WritingAssistance program). Collectively, these three instructional efforts illustratecollaborations with faculty and students in non-engineering disciplines, and are thusexamples of multidisciplinary forays in technology education, in which one discipline isalways engineering. Further, our Technology Literacy course and the Spanish foreignlanguage course both satisfy Science, Technology, and Society (STS) distributionrequirements for non-technical and technical students, respectively. As

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Engineering Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shayna Stanton, Student; Michael Bailey, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

AC 2007-1316: WHOSE JOB IS IT? TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY IN SOCIETYShayna Stanton, Student Shayna is an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University earning her degree in Facilities Management from the College of Engineering and Technology. She has worked as a research assistant studying the effects of technology on society. She spent 18 months in France as a service missionary and some time in West Africa participating in humanitarian efforts. After graduation, Shayna plans to pursue a graduate degree in Urban Planning for developing countries.Michael Bailey, Brigham Young University Page

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn Neeley, University of Virginia; W. Bernard Carlson, University of Virginia; Sarah Pfatteicher, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Bruce Seely, Michigan Technological University; Douglass Klein, Union College; Ronald Miller, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Design Curricula for Creating ChemicallyConversant Consumers.” Chemical and Engineering News. Vol. 8, No. 38, September 17, 2007, pp. 38-40.Schinzinger, Roland and Mike Martin. Introduction to Engineering Ethics. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2000Steen, Lynn Arthur. “The New Liberal Arts Program, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 1980-1992.” Available:http://www.stolaf.edu/other/ql/nla.html. Page 13.1190.9

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

. The historian wanted to find a partner to serve as a second principal instructor.Given the material, it made sense to find someone with an engineering background. The otherauthor, a professor in the engineering technology department, had a strong interest in this area,and agreed to be the second principal instructor.The honors program gave faculty a unique opportunity to explore new courses. The universitybulletin described the program in terms of “interdisciplinary courses … team taught byprofessors from a variety of disciplines … in small classes.”9 Students who applied for andwere accepted into this program had to meet high academic standards. With students in theprogram being required to take honors courses, there was reasonable assurance

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Non-Engineers

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barbara Oakley, Oakland University; Lorenzo Smith, Oakland University; Yin-ping (Daniel) Chang, Oakland University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Ph.D. degree in 2002 and continues his research as an assistant professor at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. His current research interests include vehicle/tire modeling and dynamics analysis, snow/soil/terrain modeling, FEA computational solid mechanics, biomechanics, machine dynamics, machine design, and classical mechanism synthesis and analysis. Page 12.1478.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 The Untapped Student GoldmineAbstractMany university programs in the liberal arts, humanities, and sciences depend ongeneral education credits to maintain viability. As a consequence, instructors in theseprograms have often

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Non-Engineers

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Blake, Austin Peay State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

include engineering or technology. As noted byBugliarello, these topics need to be need to be included in a modern quadrivium.2While the topics currently included in the university core are important for an educated person,they are not sufficient. The very function of modern human society depends on technology andthe engineering expertise necessary to develop and manage that technology. While the questionsof how things work can be answered based on knowledge of physical science, this alone is notsufficient to explain how things can be made to work and how things come into being. Thestudy of science alone does not explain how things are designed and made, whether those thingsare individual devices, or the systems necessary for their manufacture

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Non-Engineers

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jan DeWaters, Clarkson University; Susan Powers, Clarkson University; Mary Graham, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

AC 2007-1069: DEVELOPING AN ENERGY LITERACY SCALEJan DeWaters, Clarkson University Jan DeWaters, PE is currently pursuing a PhD degree in Environmental Science and Engineering at Clarkson University, with a focus on energy and environmental education. She has several years of experience as the curriculum coordinator for Clarkson's Project-Based Learning Partnership Program and is director of the Partners in Engineering Program that provides mentoring and engineering activities for eighth grade girls.Susan Powers, Clarkson University Susan E. Powers, PhD, PE is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean in Engineering for Research and Graduate studies at Clarkson

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Engineering Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Camille George, University of St. Thomas; Elise Amel, University of Saint Thomas; Christopher Greene, University of Saint Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

projects in Haiti and Mali. These innovative projects included students from the department of Modern and Classical Languages, the communication studies department and the engineering program for an interdisciplinary year-long effort.Elise Amel, University of Saint Thomas Professor Amel, Ph.D., is trained as an industrial/organizational psychologist. Her most recent research, however, is in the area of conservation psychology, understanding people’s reciprocal relationship to the rest of the natural world. Her expertise includes survey development, psychometrics (reliability, validity, utility), data analysis, as well as environmental and feminist issues in psychology. She is

Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Camille George, University of St. Thomas; Elise Amel, University of St. Thomas; Karl Mueller, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

thought they wouldchange where they apply for college, with some specifically mentioning that they will be lookingat schools with good engineering programs. Four of the respondents indicated that the projectinfluenced the major they intend to pursue (changing to majors such as engineering, Page 11.119.13environmental management, and science). Future surveys can follow up to measure actualacademic choices.ConclusionA laboratory activity is presented that uses social relevance and an artistic hands-on build tointroduce engineering design and process to a group of non-major female students. A follow-upsurvey measured increased awareness in energy

Conference Session

Technological Literacy - Courses, Educational and Accreditation Standards

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Blake, Austin Peay State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

that, for our students, this needs to be addressed directly in the program of study.Technological literacy goes well beyond developing specific abilities in the use, analysis, design,and application of specific elements of technology to issues of the relationship betweentechnology and society, such as recognizing the importance of technology in our lives and ourcollective ability to direct or restrict technological change, and recognition of the importance ofeconomic, social, legal, and public policy considerations.The need for engineering and engineering technology degree programs to address issues oftechnological literacy directly in the curriculum is inherent in the EAC of ABET and TAC ofABET program accreditation criteria. While the lists

Conference Session

Technological Literacy for K-12 and for Community College Students: Concepts, Assessment, and Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Macho, Buffalo State College

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

several successful Engineering Technology programs and a TechnologyEducation program within our department. In 2007, faculty these programs workedtogether to provide engineering education professional development experiences fornearly 400 teachers; who in turn have taught thousands of K-12 students. This wasfacilitated with the assistance of a $1.7 million grant, and visiting faculty from severalleading design centers in England. This conceptual framework is partially a result of thefindings of that project. Within our Technology Education program, this is ourframework for preparing technology teachers. These teachers promote technologicalliteracy and engineering. The four elements of the framework are 1) Design, 2) Living, 3) Productivity

Conference Session

Defining Technological Literacy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglass Klein, Union College; Robert Balmer, Union College

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

liberal artsgraduates who have little understanding of the technological world in which they live? Howlong can we afford to produce engineers with little understanding of the implications of thosetechnologies for the world? This paper addresses the concept of technological literacy for 21st centuryundergraduates, and proposes an agenda for a new liberal arts curriculum which emphasizes both“technology” and “literacy.” The traditional liberal arts curriculum has its roots in 1000 years ofeducational history, and is by nature and design slow to change. Such change can only bebrought about by a strong coalition of top leaders in academia and government, and it must bedone soon. Union College, a small private liberal arts college with