Defining Engineering and Technological Literacy

Abstract

Defining Engineering and Technological LiteracyMany Americans lack even a rudimentary understanding of the principles underlying thetechnology essential for daily life. Engineering concepts are pervasive in decision making withinindustry, government, education, and health care, yet most people complete formal educationwith little exposure to the central ideas and principles underlying our technological society. Theterms engineering literacy and technological literacy have been used to describe aspects of thisunderstanding of human-developed process and products. This work addresses some of thedifferences and similarities between the concepts of engineering literacy and technologicalliteracy. A clear well-defined understanding of each of these areas is an essential first step indeveloping a means to promote these understandings in the undergraduate general educationprogram. Engineering literacy is viewed as having a focus directed more toward the process ofcreating or designing technological artifacts or systems. It is argued that technological literacyincludes a broader view of the products or results of the engineering process as well as therelation between technology and society. Each literacy is seen as having a time-independent anda constantly evolving or changing component. The engineering processes can be viewed asindependent of the specific nature of technology which changes over time as technology evolves.The specific artifacts, processes, and systems that define any technological era are transient. Thehardware aspects of technological literacy will be an ever-changing subject. The interactions andrelationships of society to technology are viewed as constant and little-changed as differentartifacts and systems move into and out of importance to daily life. This work will use a theprocess of a comparison of engineering and technological literacy to help define and describeeach area of knowledge.