Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

technology driversof agriculture and war are studied in detail. Through innovations agriculture was able to producemore food allowing populations to grow. While new inventions created more effective anddevastating weapons of war used to kill and destroy. Throughout the course, numeroustechnologies are scrutinized and examined in terms of their cost versus benefit to society. It alsoinvestigates how technologies are inter-related and how cultural factors affect the acceptance orrejection of technology. The intent of the course was to enhance the student’s understanding ofhow technologies developed and why. The material covered helps the student to understand andrecognize our dependence on technology and its impact on our lives. In this course the

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - Engaging Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Walk, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

including communications, energy, medicine, transportation, and many other areas.A quantitative technology forecast will include the study of historic data to identify one of or acombination of several recognized universal technology diffusion or substitution trends. Rates Page 15.725.3of new technology adoption and rates of change of technology performance characteristics takeon common patterns. The discovery of such a pattern indicates that a fundamental trajectory orenvelope curve has been found and that reliable forecasts then can be made.The quantitative forecasting techniques are, to use the words of mathematician and theoristGregory Bateson4

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

purely lecture sessions have been transformed into lecture,discussion, demonstration, and hands-on activity periods.The addition of collected or recreated artifacts has expanded the students learning experiencefrom that of a passive observer to an engaged involved participant. They can now examine,handle, and pretend to use the artifacts whether they were technologies used as a tool, weapon,armor, or for a host of other purposes. Not only do the students understand how and why thedevices were used, but they also understand how they were made including the time and effortinvolved.The use of graphics, pictures, and videos, has made it easy for students to experience visuallyexactly how retro and ancient technologies were utilized. The uses of

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

understanding the development, use, impact, and consequences ofpast technologies, students are better equipped to tackle the challenging problems the future willbring.Initially, the course was lecture and discussion based with a few videos included for variety. Thisformat proved successful and the popularity of the course grew. Soon students from alldisciplines across campus started enrolling in the course and it became apparent that the scopeand method of delivery had to be enhanced to suit this diverse audience. The focus of the coursewould stay the same with a new added emphasis on technological literacy using a hands-onapproach.Theoretical or Conceptual SupportAn unacknowledged paradox exists in our modern technological society. "As technology

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

AC 2007-1178: "LESSONS WITH LUNCH" USING A COMMON TECHNOLOGYWITH A GLOBAL IMPACT TO ADDRESS TECHNOLOGY AND DATALITERACYCamille George, University of St. Thomas Professor George, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in mechanical engineering at the University of St. Thomas. She teaches the core course in thermodynamics and maintains a strong interest in technology literacy and educating the general public. Professor George has prepared several innovative courses including a course specifically about fuel cells that mixed senior engineering students with students from other disciplines and adult learners (non-engineers). Professor George has also spearheaded several international service-learning

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

panel member may beasked questions by other members of the class or the instructor. Students are instructed toaddress the question based on evidence they have found, and to tie their conclusion to the factsthey presented. Thus, for example, an environmentalist may look at concerns about unforeseeneffects on the genome or harm to other species on the one hand, and reduced use of pesticides onthe other, in coming to their conclusions. Engaging students in a class discussion after they haveexplored some of the issues in their groups helps students gain a greater appreciation for thecomplexities of the issues.Once the panel discussion is completed, students are assigned an individual “Personal PositionPaper” to write. Since at least some students

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

subject and class goals. Finally, the instructorwill have to aid in identifying, discussing, and elaborating on student ideas for final projects.Impact of Technology, an Example: Engineering Studies 265To a greater or lesser extent, we were able to incorporate the above into a course on the impact ofengineering taught at Iowa State University in the fall of 2008. Our experience indicates that it ispossible, with a bit of priming (mainly through the selection of initial texts for discussion) fromthe lecturers, to engage nontechnical students in a thoughtful examination of technology and itsplace in their own fields and society in general. By requiring students to place their notes and anyaccompanying material on a class wiki, we were able not only

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

history, arts & humanities, global studies, gender, race & ethnicity, community-engagement, a freshmen seminar experience, mid- and senior-level writing experiences, as well as requirements in science and quantitative reasoning. (II) MST Core & Specialization [12 units] The MST academic core consists of 8 units including Multimedia Design, Structures and Mechanisms, two additional science options, one additional math, two MST electives (fulfilled by taking M, S or T), and a course titled “Integrated STEM for Young Learners.” Specialization courses require 4 units. (III) Professional Courses [10 units] MST education majors meet New Jersey’s Certification requirements for a K-5 “highly

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

response to such criticisms, as well assimilar criticisms about engineers from the workplace, ABET, the accrediting agencyfor schools of engineering and technology in the United States, has attempted tobroaden the training engineering students receive.14, 15 Consequently, accreditingcriteria now specify that engineering studies must have training involving a numberof areas, including professional and ethical responsibility; an ability to communicate Page 12.1478.2effectively; an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global,economic, environmental, and societal context; a recognition of the need for, and anability to engage in life-long

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

design), journalism and communication, and political science.All of the MES courses at Iowa State are designed with no prerequisites. In general, the programassumes that students have no other background than a high school degree. The program requirestwenty-one credits for each student. There are three introductory classes (nine total credits): ES260, Introduction to Engineering: From Thoughts to Things; ES 265, Survey of the Impacts ofEngineering Activities; and ES 270, Survey of How Things Work. In addition, each student musttake six credits of junior- or senior-level classes from an approved course list. These classes areoffered by different faculty and are all related to understanding technology, technologicaldevelopment, and social, ethical

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Engineering Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byron Newberry, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Likewise, the National Academies report on technological literacy states, “Thetechnical community—especially engineers and scientists in industry—is largely responsible forthe amount and quality of communication and outreach to the public on technological issues.”2One of the editors of that report, Pearson, has elsewhere discussed the need for the engineeringprofession to become more engaged with the technological literacy effort.3 For a more specificexample, engineers Ollis and Krupczak have proposed that at the college level engineeringdesign faculty could be the primary providers of general technological literacy courses.4But the engineering profession has not been entirely absent when it comes to popularizing anunderstanding of engineering and

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

” short-course and to field questions, and also presented at Apple® Corporation’s community day on campus. User feedback from 25 humanities students found the design successful in that it was engaging and informative, although students were slightly more interested in the societal aspects (21% rated this as their favorite aspect) and design evolution (25%) than they were in the details of how the battery, hard drive, and MP3 storage format work (17%).(2) “Techno Club” was a technology-based student organization founded by one team whose primary goal was to empower students by providing access and information regarding technology-resources on campus in a non-intimidating manner. The one event that was implemented during 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

be used to assess students’ abilities.These traits can serve as criteria for the development of rubrics.Bibliography1. Nelson, S. "Impact of Technology on Individuals and Society": A critical thinking and lifelong learning class for engineering students. in 31st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. 2001. Reno, NV.2. ACNielsen, Employer Satisfaction with Graduate Skills. 2000, ACNielsen Research Services.3. National Survey of Student Engagement 2006 results summary. 2006, IUPUI Information Management and Institutional Research.4. Dewey, J., How We Think. 1910, Lexington, Mass: Heath.5. Siller, T.J., Sustainability and critical thinking in civil engineering curriculum. Journal of

Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Rose, Ball State University; Jim Flowers, Ball State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

literate” (p. 12). Among these standardsare three which directly relate to the interrelationships among technology, society, and theenvironment, including: Page 13.1187.2 4. Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology. 5. Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment. 13. Students will develop the abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.The inclusion of these three standards formally marked new content for technology curriculumwhich had previously (pre -1980s) emphasized the development of

Conference Session

Defining Technological Literacy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn Neeley, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

these and other major public issues (privacy, democracy,education).” The Stanford STS description captures another role of STS, facilitatinginterdisciplinary dialogue: “STS provides an arena for dialogue among students of engineering,humanities, natural sciences and social sciences—a common ground where important cross-disciplinary studies transcending the gaps between the technical and non-technical fields are notmerely envisioned but practiced.” Finally, the University of Alberta description captures thenotion of STS examining “science and technology as social and cultural phenomena.”Technological Literacy as Defined by the Engineering Community The definition of technological literacy as it appears on the NAE technological

Conference Session

Teaching Technological Literacy - College Courses and Minors

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Austin Talley, University of Texas, Austin; Christina White, Columbia University; Kristin Wood, University of Texas, Austin; Richard Crawford, University of Texas at Austin

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

. Page 15.366.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Designing and Teaching Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Investigating Innovation and Our Engineered WorldIntroductionThrough a curriculum reform initiative, The University of Texas at Austin is developing“signature courses” for freshman undergraduate students. These courses expose studentsto a variety of subjects and engage them in a variety of skill sets. These are “signature”courses because they are developed and taught by the university’s top teaching faculty,where the goals are to foster a scholarly community and to create the most interesting andmeaningful classes possible. Embarking on its third year, Undergraduate Studies 302:The Engineered World

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

technology; effects of technology on the environment; role of society in the development and use of technology, and influence of technology on history. • abilities to apply the design process, use and maintain technology and assess the impact of products and systems. • an understanding of the design world including selecting and using medical technologies, agricultural and biotechnologies, energy and power technologies, information and communication technologies, transportation technologies, manufacturing technologies and construction technologies.Engineering in the Modern World (M. Littman and D. Billington, Princeton Univesity)Students will • develop an understanding of the transformation of the modern world

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

understanding of Technology andSociety including the cultural, social, economic and political effects of technology;effects of technology on the environment; role of society in the development and use oftechnology; and influence of technology on history. Students will develop the abilities toapply the design process, use and maintain technology and assess the impact of productsand systems. Students will develop an understanding of the designed world includingselecting and using medical technologies, agricultural and biotechnologies, energy andpower technologies, information and communication technologies, transportationtechnologies, manufacturing technologies and construction technologies. “Engineering for Non-Engineers,” Larry Whitman, Wichita State

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mani Mina, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

areas but not on the technical side.Consequently, students of mathematical sciences such as physics, chemistry, and mathematicscan take a minor in engineering studies. Our young program is currently engaging a few sciencestudents. Generally speaking those who are in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry havehistorically found typical engineering courses much palatable than the courses designed for theminor studies. A student of such fields can take any engineering class and use it for the minordegree. However such students have not yet found the MES program very attractive. The onlystudents who are interested are in the areas such as meteorology and technology science andeducation students. To-date the we have been attracting few science students

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

when one begins to countinto the equation the potential impact of millions of additional cars on the roads of India and howthat might affect the environment as well as the smooth operation of the transportationinfrastructure.None of these three questions is a static or solitary investigation. Each answer should lead toadditional questions and directions for research and analysis. Projection methods applied to theconcept of teleportation, for instance, might lead the student to look at quantum mechanics orperhaps the duality of matter, which may generate new ideas about communications theory.When predicting that the Segway personal transporter will not fundamentally shift the nature ofurban transportation, students must consider how that

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

recruiting and retaining underrepresented students, bilingual public relations materials,and recommendations for monitoring and tracking were also provided.Development ProcessThe partners agreed on the following principles to guide all development work:  Increase the number of students, especially girls and underrepresented minority students, engaged in STEM after school activities  Convey relevance to underrepresented student populations  Motivate students to advance in STEM school-related programs and seek additional learning opportunities  Broaden children’s view of STEM-related career opportunities and seek additional learning  Engage children, parents/caregivers, educators and the community in STEM activities

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

a kind of urgent engagement.”13and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author and presidential advisor observes, “In the past, we werelike passengers on the slow coach of evolution. Now, evolution is more like a rocket hurtlingthrough space, and we are no longer passengers, but its pilots. What kind of human beings arewe going to create?”14 Engaging students with technology, with the implications and control of technology, andwith one another, is our challenge. Union’s Center for Converging Technologies, established inthe Fall of 2002, works with faculty and students across the College, and extends into theregional community to build curriculum and scholarship that supports interdisciplinaryapproaches to the challenges and opportunities brought on

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

science, and earth and space scienceultimately construct models as accumulated knowledge products based on the facts, concepts,principles, or theories. Then people would use the accumulated knowledge when they need and Page 15.324.5communicate with the help of these models. Similarly, technological standards assert that students should understand and buildabilities to select and use models (related to medical, agricultural, energy and power, informationand communication, transportation, manufacturing, and construction technologies. Similar toscience, each technological part would be constructed based on facts, concepts, principles

Conference Session

Engineering and Technology for Everyone

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Krupczak

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

community has responded enthusiastically to the need toincrease the career awareness and understanding of engineering among K-12 students. Howeverefforts directed at the undergraduate non-engineering student population have been limited. Page 14.545.1To achieve widespread impact, classes must be taught at many institutions around the country.To accomplish this, standard models of technological literacy courses must be developed.Standard course models will reduce the effort needed by instructors who desire to offer coursesfor non-engineers. As a beginning to this process, a workshop was convened at the NationalAcademy of Engineering of representative

Conference Session

Installing & Assessing Technology Literacy Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Ohland, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Introduction toEngineering – Course Assessment,” Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education AnnualConference & Exposition, Session 196933 Dolan, Charles W., David L. Whitman, and Thomas V. Edgar, “Introduction to Engineering Program at theUniversity of Wyoming,” Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference& Exposition.34 Urbina, Julio, and Hirak Patangia, “An Assessment of the Impact of Exploring Engineering Through AnExperiential Learning Course on Student Attraction and Retention,” Proceedings of the 2005 American Society forEngineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition.35 Patangia, H.C., “A Recruiting and Retention Strategy through a Project-Based Experiential

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

affective domains, and is broadly categorized into the three dimensions ofknowledge, sensitivity/attitudes, and intentions/behaviors. Specifically, an energy literateindividual is one who: ‚ has a basic understanding of how energy is used in everyday life; ‚ has an understanding of the impact that energy production and consumption have on all spheres of our environment and society; ‚ is sensitive to the need for energy conservation and the need to develop alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy resources; ‚ is cognizant of the impact of personal energy-related decisions and actions on the global community; and ‚ strives to make choices and decisions that reflect these attitudes with respect to 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

, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability (d) an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams (e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems (f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility (g) an ability to communicate effectively (h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context (i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning (j) a knowledge of contemporary issues (k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering

Conference Session

Service Courses for Non-Engineers

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

technological literacy [3]. These are intended for K-12students. The ITEA is also working to develop program and assessment standards andcurriculum materials for the K-12 audience [4]. The engineering community has respondedenthusiastically to the need to increase the awareness and understanding of engineering as acareer, by initiating a number of programs aimed at the K-12 students. Page 13.1188.2To achieve widespread impact, standard classes must be taught at many institutions around thecountry. To accomplish this, standard models of technological literacy courses must bedeveloped. As a beginning to this process, a workshop was convened at the NAE