Supporting technological literacy through the integration of engineering, mathematic, scientific, and technological concepts

Abstract

National emphasis is placed on schools to produce technologically literate students while promoting and teaching pre-engineering education. A technologically literate person understands and effectively communicates basic technological concepts, processes, and interrelationships with engineering, mathematics, science, and society. Federal and state agencies have been funding projects related to these areas over the past decades and will most likely continue to do so. VisTE (Visualization in Technology Education) is a National Science Foundation funded project that promotes technological literacy by attempting to link engineering, mathematics, science, and technology concepts through the study and creation of visualizations. Over a three-year period, the VisTE project team has developed, piloted, and is now field testing 12 units for technology education in grades 6 to 12. The research is based upon five basic areas of investigation during the piloting phase of the integrated VisTE materials: students' test scores on knowledge of technology, teachers' ratings of effectiveness of VisTE regarding enhancing students' understanding of intended learning goals, teachers' ratings of effectiveness of VisTE regarding enhancing students' understanding of real-world applications of technology, and students' self-concept of ability in technology, mathematics and science, and students' attitudes toward general technology. The purpose of this research was to provide a process and outcome evaluation for the 12 VisTE instructional units. The data in this presentation and discussion of research is drawn from several sources. Students' content knowledge and conceptual understanding are measured. Beliefs about their own abilities in learning technology, mathematics, and science, and their attitudes toward technology in general and toward the specific type of technology taught in each unit were measured. Also, data was gathered from teachers through teacher logs. While teaching the VisTE units, teachers were asked to fill in a unit completion log for each unit they taught. Through the logs, teachers reported on several different topics, including their reaction to the unit, their students' reactions to the unit, aspects of the unit they liked, and aspects they did not like. The study of engineering, mathematics, science, and technology-based content and the application of conceptual modeling, data-driven visualizations, physical modeling, and presentations promote visual literacy. Visual and technical literacy maintain a significant role in successful knowledge and skill development in engineering and technology career paths. Data and information collected from this project is beneficial to pre-engineering education and K-12 outreach through the expansion of research and extension of knowledge. Research-based findings from projects such as VisTE provide for the continued successes in engineering, mathematics, science, and society. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.