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Session 1532

Promoting Engineering, Science and Technological Literacy: Pre-College Educator Resources Douglas Gorham Manager, Pre-college Education IEEE Educational Activities

Abstract In an ever increasing technical society the need for a technologically literate citizenry who possesses the ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology, science and engineering is becoming a basic necessity. Pre-college students must be educated to make informed decisions in our technological world. IEEE and ASME have developed resources that promote these areas of study at the pre-college level. Engineers and engineering educators are encouraged to share these resources with their local pre-college schools and school districts to enhance the level of science and technological literacy and to promote engineering as a future area of study and as a career option.

Introduction The engineering profession is concerned with the Engineering Workforce Commission of the American Association of Engineering Societies report indicating an overall US decline in B.S. degrees in engineering awarded between 1996-2000.1 Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, testifying before the Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding the economic importance of improving math-science education, reinforced the need for a more technologically literate society and workforce when he stated, “The proportion of our workforce that created value through intellectual endeavors, rather than predominantly through manual labor, began a century-long climb. In 1900, only one out of every ten workers was in a professional, technical, or managerial occupation. By 1970, that proportion had doubled, and today those jobs account for nearly one-third of the work force.”2

The growing importance of technology on our society means that the engineering profession can have an increasingly significant influence on teachers and their students. As the need for a technologically literate populace increases pre-college institutions are being held accountable for producing graduates who possess basic technical knowledge and skills. Typically, schools are not able to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovations. In addition, educators, like other segments of society, possess varying degrees of technical expertise.

IEEE and ASME have developed resources for pre-college educators that promote engineering, science, and technological literacy. Engineers and engineering educators are encouraged to share these resources with their local pre-college schools and school

“Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2002, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Gorham, D. (2002, June), Promoting Engineering, Science, And Technological Literacy: Pre College Educator Resources Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10928