Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Engstrom, ITEA/Cal U

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

learning resources based onselected technological and science literacy standards; and disseminating the units to teachers intraining workshops and distance learning. Each unit has standards-based content, suggestedteaching approaches, and detailed learning activities including brainstorming, visualizing, testing,refining, and assessing technological designs. Students learn how inventions, innovations, andsystems are created and how technology becomes part of people’s lives.The primary goals of the project were to: 1. Create a model for standards-based instructional units addressing the study of technology and science to be implemented in grades 5 and/or 6. 2. Align contemporary classroom/laboratory instruction with technological literacy

Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Ohland, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

knowledge and skills.2,3 Technological literacy could be used as acommon theme to make connections among school subjects.4 The National Academy ofEngineering report Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More aboutTechnology argues American adults and children have a poor understanding of the basiccharacteristics of technology, how it influences society, and how people can and do affect itsdevelopment.5 Educators and policy-makers in the United States have been slow to acknowledgethe importance of technological literacy. The general public, however, believes that developmentof technological literacy is important. The Gallup Organization, commissioned by theInternational Technology Education Association (ITEA), determined that:6 1

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deborah Mechtel, U.S. Naval Academy; Andrew McCue, U.S. Naval Academy; Keith Kintzley, U.S. Naval Academy; Robert Voigt, U.S. Naval Academy

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

everytopic area. The 600 to 700 students who take the course are divided into classes ofapproximately 20 students. They share not only a common syllabus, but have the sameexams and practical exercises.Originally both courses met four days a week for three lecture hours with a two hourlaboratory session on a 1-1-2-1 or 1-2-1-1 schedule. In its present form, the courses meet3 days a week on a 1-2-2 schedule. The first meeting is a one hour lecture. The other Page 13.266.3two meetings are two hours long and consist of lecture and practical exercises. Thecourse has evolved in its pedagogical approach so that instructors have the option ofimmediately following

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Howell, San Jose State University; Patricia Backer, San Jose State University; Belle Wei, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

between ramp height and distance rolled.They repeated the experiment with extra weights in the trucks if they had time. The students wrote lab reports in which they described Figure 5. Distribution of studenttheir experiments. The reports were graded on both grades for Lab 1 (Fall 2009)technical quality and writing quality. The point values were10% for hypothesis, 20% for procedure, 10% for raw data, A 67%20% for plots, 20% for conclusions, and 20% for writingquality. The students generally did a good job on the B 20%reports; the class average score was 88% (see Figure 5). C

Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Krupczak, Hope College; Greg Pearson, National Academy of Engineering; David Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

as the responsible staff officer for the Committee on Assessing Technological Literacy, a joint project of the NAE and the National Research Council. He also oversaw an earlier project that resulted in publication of the report, Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology.David Ollis, North Carolina State University David Ollis is Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University. He has created a device dissection laboratory with NSF support, and used it to instruct new engineering students, collaborate with other departments in design, technology education, and foreign language instruction, and develop a course in

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

and cultural aspects of technology, andadaptability based on creative thinking" (Loendorf & Geyer10, 2009). Four competencies arerequired: "(a) accommodate and cope with rapid and continuous technological change, (b)generate creative and innovative solutions for technological problems, (c) act throughtechnological knowledge both effectively and efficiently, and (d) assess technology and itsinvolvement with the human life world judiciously" (Wonacott20, 2001). This project wasconceived and driven with these objectives for technical literacy in mind (Loendorf & Geyer9,2008).One way to increase the practical connection to technologies is through a hands-on approach thatimplements some aspects of active learning. Active learning has been

Conference Session

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

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Randy Libros, Community College of Philadelphia; Kathleen Harter, Community College of Philadelphia

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

issued are addressed depends upon the context of the institution.We will examine four factors at Community College of Philadelphia that were important in thedevelopment of this course: 1. Establishment of a new curriculum in Applied Science and Engineering Technology (ASET) 2. General Education Requirements 3. Transferability 4. Developmental EducationThe emphasis of the Applied Science and Engineering Technology (ASET) Program is to enablestudents to enter the workforce on the technician level in high technology, high demandemployment areas. The program has a very flexible design to enable rapid response to changingtechnological, workforce, and student needs. Courses leading to an Associate in Applied Sciencein the ASET program

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

(technical background, state-of-the-art, societalanalysis, projection and prediction, as appropriate), presentation (quality of A/V, oralpresentation, organization, clarity), and overall integration with the remainder of the group (norepeated information, appropriate reliance on other students’ work, etc.). The group is requiredto generate a sample homework assignment that is also evaluated for pedagogical merit in theframework of the course (based on criteria established by the homework actually assigned in theclass).We rely on a combination of instructor and peer evaluations for the final score, typicallyweighting the instructor score evenly with the students’ aggregate score, but with theunderstanding that outliers will be disregarded and that

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Educated Person

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

R. William Graff, LeTourneau University; Paul Leiffer, LeTouneau University; Martin Batts, Le Tourneau University; Maria J. Leiffer, LeTouneau University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

these concepts.1. Everyday Concepts – FeedbackOur society is continually becoming more technically oriented in all aspects of life.Technology may seem mysterious to fuzzies. There is, however, a certain set of basic, Page 15.1367.2easily understood information that “techies” can help fuzzies understand.Some basic concepts, fundamental to those of an engineering discipline, can be appliedto everyday life. For example, a person concerned about his or her weight can use theconcept that “measurement precedes control.” This concept comes from the engineeringprinciple of a feedback loop. If the output of a system is used to control the input, thewhole system

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

servenon-majors.Bibliography 1. Technically Speaking – Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2002. ISBN 0-309-08262-5 2. Ibid, pg 17. 3. Byars, N.A., Technological Literacy Classes: the State of the Art, Journal of Engineering Education, January, 1998, pp 53-61. 4. Technological Literacy for All: a Rationale and Structure for the Study of Technology, International Technological Education Association (ITEA), 2005. ISBN 1-887101-01-2 5. Gorham, D., P.B. Newberry, and T.A. Buckhart, Engineering Accreditation and Standards for Technological Literacy, Journal of Engineering Education, January, 2003, pp 95-99. 6. Krupczak, John, and David F. Ollis

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

Phenomenologicalapproach to defining knowledge (Figure 1). In England & Australia, the DesignEngineering and Technology approach to teaching incorporates content defined in a set ofFoundational Technical Concepts (FTCs). These ideas will be examined in detail later inthe paper. Life, Design, and Productivity supporting any content can be thought of as a threelegged stool supporting any content as illustrated in Figure 1. While FTCs are the part ofthe content definition in other countries, these three concepts can be used to support anylearning objective. It is only a matter of the practitioner’s expertise and creativity tocontrive design experiences that demonstrate the mastery of any chosen learningobjective

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

courses, estimated at perhaps two dozen, indicatesopportunity and need for expansion in order to increase the technological literacy of USundergraduates as both NAE and NSF have recommended. Among the current courses, several have been taught for more than ten years,others are as recent as one year. Class size varied from ten to several hundred, according Page 11.1239.2to campus. The highest enrollment examples were found at campuses where thetechnological literacy course fulfilled a technical or science distribution requirement fornon-engineering students. Thus the design of technological literacy courses to meet localdistribution and

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

programs at alllevels are responsible for educating nonengineers about technology,1–10 we, as engineers, have aduty to provide effective technological literacy for the other 99.5% of U.S. citizens. Most of thecountry’s leadership usually comes from this larger group of citizens and generally has only avague understanding of engineering and the use of technology for the national interest.Engineering concepts are pervasive in decision making within industry, government, education,and health care, and yet people make most decisions in these sectors with little or no formalengineering education. It is thus apparent that there is a national need for programs that trainnonengineers to understand technological issues and possibilities and to be ready to

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

lab’ core course or can be incorporated into a sophomorelevel mechanical or electrical engineering course with additional advanced options.A technology-literate population is a critical national asset in the global market, and it isnecessary for every person in the U.S. to “be all they can be, technically”.1 In 2002, mechanicalengineering positions were among the most numerous available to bachelor's degree students.2The cold facts are that few U.S. citizens are selecting technical careers, particularly engineering.Reasons for this lack of interest in engineering are systemic, starting with pre-college studentsand their teachers, who either do not know what engineering is or who avoid it based on theirnegative perception of what engineering

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

who specialize in other fields can point tocases where a technological innovation was a critical element in the course of history. The paperwill also explore areas where the engineer’s ability to understand how technology works isneeded, and how the expertise of the engineer and the historian can complement each other.IntroductionIn the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) publication “Technically Speaking,”technological literacy is described as giving people the knowledge necessary to understand, thinkcritically about, and make informed decisions about technology.1 The report describes this ashaving the dimensions of knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities. In thisdescription, knowledge includes understanding of how a

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and the Educated Person

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Dischino, Central Connecticut State University; James DeLaura, Central Connecticut State University; Patrick Foster, Central Connecticut State University; David Sianez, CCSU

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know MoreAbout Technology 1, technological literacy is described as a critical characteristic of informedcitizenship. At the same time, the authors note that “most people have very few direct, hands-onconnections to technology, except as finished consumer goods” and that this “lack ofengagement” is responsible, at least in part, for societal shortfalls in technological proficiency.Overwhelming evidence exists that students from all backgrounds have the capacity to becometechnologically literate, and that children of all ages can and do engage in complex reasoningabout the world 2, 3. However, according to recent statistics published by the NationalAcademies, “Just more than one-third of fourth graders

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

the limitations of Page 12.2.5technology. By introducing a pre- and post survey, students were asked to reflect on theiropinion of engineering which can ultimately break down stereotypes as the technical worldbecomes more comprehensible.1. Understanding how a refrigerator worksLectureRefrigerators move heat from one place to another. Heat always travels from hot to cold, andnever the other way around. A short lecture is provided that introduces the 1st law ofthermodynamics: energy is conserved. Energy can be transferred from one place to anotherthrough heat transfer, electricity, and mechanical work. It can be stored, but it cannot be

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

AC 2009-973: INTEGRATING HISTORICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIRIMPACT ON SOCIETY INTO TODAY'S ENGINEERING CURRICULUMWilliam Loendorf, Eastern Washington University William R. Loendorf is currently an Associate Professor of Engineering & Design at Eastern Washington University. He obtained his B.Sc. in Engineering Science at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside, M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Colorado State University, M.B.A. at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, and Ph.D. in Engineering Management at Walden University. He holds a Professional Engineer license and has 30 years of industrial experience as an Engineer or Engineering Manager at General Motors, Cadnetix, and

Conference Session

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

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen O'Brien, The College of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

. Page 15.1194.15 References [Draft] (1) Sanders, M. (2009). STEM, STEM education, STEMmania, The Technology Teacher, Dec./Jan.-2009, 20-26.(2) American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993), Benchmarks for science literacy project2061, New York: Oxford University Press.(3) Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (2000), Technological literacy counts, Proceedings October1998, Piscataway, New Jersey: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.(4) International Technology Education Association, (2000). Standards for technological literacy: content forthe study of technology. Reston, VA(5) National Academy of Engineering (2002), Technically speaking- why all americans need to

Conference Session

Technological Literacy - Courses, Educational and Accreditation Standards

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yoojung Chae, Purdue University; Senay Purzer, Purdue University; Monica Cardella, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

assessments of student accomplishment have been developed.”1 Teaching and researching engineering education in K-12 educational settings is importantfor two reasons. First, engineering education encourages people to understand engineering indaily life so they can get benefits at work and home, choosing the best products, operatingsystems correctly, and troubleshooting technical problems when they need. Second, theknowledge of engineering and engineering thinking can increase people’s ability to judge andmake decisions about national issues related to technology use and development.2 Hence,teaching engineering concepts in K-12 schools would benefit both individuals in their everydaydecisions and the society at large. Despite the benefits

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

also reflects the dynamic selectionof the material covered in the course. The students respond to technical and historical scenarios bywriting a sequence of five page essays supporting their conclusions. They must build a case thatstrongly supports and backs their decisions by finding, evaluating, incorporating and stating factsby citing resources using APA Formatting. The students are given two weeks to complete eachessay. A typical four-project sequence is presented below.The first project requires the determination of the most important technology, innovation, orinvention for civilization as a whole and then for society today. They are asked to carefullyconsider all of the alternatives and respond to the following two questions. (1) What

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

take the course.Bibliography 1. Technically Speaking – Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2002. ISBN 0-309-08262-5 2. Ibid, pg 17. 3. Krupczak, John, and David F. Ollis, Improving the Technological Literacy of Undergraduates – Identifying the Research Issues, National Science Foundation, 2005. 4. Ollis, David, and Greg Pearson, What is Technological Literacy and Why Does It Matter?, Paper No. 2006-695, Proceedings of the 2006 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition. 5. Krupczak, John, and David Ollis, Technological Literacy and Engineering for Non-Engineers: Lessons from Successful Courses

Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Voss, Smith College; Borjana Mikic, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

her relationship totechnology.After analyzing and discussing their findings, students then worked in teams for the second halfof the semester to design an approach to the problem of technology literacy on the Smithcampus, including research into the societal need for such work, particularly at an all women’scollege structured on an open curriculum. The project was launched with a sixty-personbrainstorming session consisting of the thirty students enrolled in EGR100 and thirty studentsoutside of science/math/engineering to generate ideas for the project, as well as to discuss theissue of technology and technology literacy. Teams produced a written and oral proposal andfinal report, as well as a final prototype or story-board of their chosen