Technology: What Does It Mean to You?

School Science and Mathematics, Nov 2003 by Flick, Lawrence B, Lederman, Norman G

Readers will have noticed that we welcomed back the Technology Reviews column in the last issue. The new column, edited by Randy Bell and Joe Garofalo from the University of Virginia, will provide readers with ideas and reflections on the nature and content of technology, especially as it applies to the teaching and learning science and mathematics.

When you hear or use the word technology, what do you think of? If you are like many educators we have talked to, the word connotes "computer" and associated concepts such as "telecommunication" and "software." What does the word connote to our students? To them, technology generally means "entertainment," as they offer reference to the alphabet soup of TV, VCR, MP3, CD, and DVD. As I sit here writing, however, I am aware of the building being constructed on campus just across the street, the contents of cement mixers rotating as they wait in line to pour the footings, the design of the phone key pad on my desk with a variety of options, and the materials in a microwave container holding my lunch. The impact of computers and entertainment are ubiquitous in our society, but students should have a broader concept of what constitutes technology and a deeper sense of how it affects their lives.

Teaching in the disciplines of science and mathematics has shared the spotlight with teaching about technology to the extent that technologies have aided the pursuit of scientific or mathematical understandings. Microscopes and calculators are of interest because they are tools that extend human capabilities and promote investigation and problem solving. Technologies play a much larger role in the lives of people, however, and are often the interface between scientific and mathematical principles and daily activity.

Loucks-Horsely and colleagues (1990) made this provocative observation over a decade ago: "Technology education is every bit as important as science education. Like science, a technological thread weaves through the very fiber of our live" (p. 28). Project 2061 of the Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) echoed this view through organizing Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy around three fundamental concepts: (a) the nature of science, (b) the nature of mathematics, and (c) the nature of technology. These three domains of knowledge are mutually supportive in learning the content of each domain. For example, it is important to science and math teachers that students appreciate the strengths and limitations of using computers and calculators when working on problems. However, the first two domains have received the lion's share of instructional time, with the nature of technology playing a very restricted role.

Granted, there is a lot to teach. We have been charged by the dictum "less is more." Teach fewer concepts in more depth. How are we to consider concepts in technology as a part of the curriculum? It is a matter of deciding what is most worth knowing. With the vast majority of our students following academic and career paths that do not involve science and mathematics as the major focus, we are constantly looking for ways to relate valuable science and mathematics concepts to the lives of students. Examining the nature of technology in our lives is one such avenue.

Incorporating technology concepts into science and mathematics classes allows teachers to emphasize the value of science and mathematics concepts to students who may not be considering postsecondary education. However, many of these students find their way to community colleges some years later seeking degrees and certification for which science and mathematical knowledge is critical. Further, this broad group of students encompasses those who are at risk of dropping out of school. Using concepts in technology is one way of linking student learning in science and mathematics to careers with good paying jobs. The National Dropout Prevention Center identifies this kind of linkage between a career and academics as one of the main ways to motivate high school students and help them graduate (Schargel & Smink, 2001). Exposure to instruction that is meaningfully connected with work enhances motivation, achievement, and social competence related to work (American Psychological Association, 1999).

The narrowness of colloquial usage that focuses on computer technologies is understandable. The explosion of digital technologies has created a revolution in science and mathematics education similar to the "hands-on" movement of the 1960s. The flexibility, speed, and storage capacity of computers is causing science and mathematics educators to redefine the meaning of hands-on experience and rethink the traditional processes of teaching (Flick & Bell, 2000).

A comprehensive account of what people should know about technology is described in Science for all Americans (Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1991, see Figure 1). The AAAS perspective implies curricula and teaching strategies that lead students to understand technologies as human response to solving problems in their lives. One important set of problems is the scientific investigation of the natural world that takes advantage of the strong relationship between natural events and mathematics. However, many problems have immediate and compelling implications for students and their families. Virtually every significant problem in modern life has a technological component, for example, pollution, effective medical care, transportation, safe food and water, and safe, efficient construction. These types of problems are treated within the science, technology, and society approach, which has gained some prominence in teaching science. This approach is one way of examining the mutually supportive role that each domain plays for the other.