Expanding Technological Literacy through Engineering Minors

许多美国人对日常生活中必不可少的技术的基本原理甚至缺乏基本的了解。工程概念在工业、政府、教育和医疗保健的决策中无处不在；然而，这些领域的大多数决策都是由很少或没有受过正规工程教育的人做出的。这项研究正在迈出第一步，为工程研究副修课程开发一个模板，作为培养非工程师技术能力的一种方法。这是一项由爱荷华州立大学、俄亥俄州立大学、霍普学院和莱斯大学参与的合作项目，其基础是在爱荷华州立大学的工程研究副修项目中取得的有希望但规模较小的成果，以及在合作机构中为非专业学生开设的工程课程。爱荷华州立大学的工程研究副修课程吸引了主修商业、通讯、新闻和设计的学生。正在调查的一个关键问题是，是否可以根据技术知识技能而不是一套共同课程来定义辅修课程。最终目标是为工程研究副修课程制定一套技术素养目标和成果。这些结果将类似于用于工程学位的ABET a-k结果，但侧重于培养具有技术素养的公民，而不是设计工程师。使用一套标准的成果，而不是一系列标准的课程，将使每个机构能够更灵活地开发最适合其当地条件和现有课程的工程研究副修课程（类似于工程部门满足ABET a-k要求的方式）。第一步需要通过确定学生从当前活动中获得的技能，以及确定当前学生和雇主对辅修工程的感知价值，来更清楚地确立辅修工程的价值。该项目还将开发和测试一套共同的评估方法，以评估预期的技术素养成果。同时开发技术素养成果和评估方法有助于确保成果是可衡量的，并以学生的学习为中心。现有的评估方法将有助于其他工程教育工作者采用这些结果。内置评估还将使参与者专注于反映工程教与学最佳实践的课程设计。

Many Americans lack even a rudimentary understanding of the principles underlying the technology essential for daily life. Engineering concepts are pervasive in decision making within industry, government, education, and health care; yet most decisions in these sectors are made by people with little or no formal engineering education. This research is taking first steps to develop a template for a Minor in Engineering Studies as an approach to developing technological competence in non-engineers. It is a collaboration involving Iowa State University, Ohio State University, Hope College, and Rice University that is building on promising but small-scale results achieved in the Minor in Engineering Studies Program at Iowa State University and building on engineering courses for nonmajors that are in place at the partner institutions. The Minor in Engineering Studies at Iowa State has attracted students majoring in business, communications, journalism, and design. A key question being investigated is whether a minor can be defined in terms of technological literacy skills rather than a set of common courses. The ultimate goal is to develop a set of technological literacy objectives and outcomes for a Minor in Engineering Studies. These outcomes would be similar to the ABET a-k outcomes that are used for engineering degrees, but focused on developing technologically literate citizens rather than design engineers. The use of a standard set of outcomes rather than a standard series of courses would allow greater flexibility for each institution to develop a Minor in Engineering Studies that is best suited to its local conditions and existing courses (similar to the way engineering departments meet the ABET a-k requirements for engineering degrees). First steps entail establishing more clearly the value of an engineering minor, by determining student skills that result from current activities, and determining current students' and employers' perceived values of a minor in engineering. This project will also develop and test a set of common assessment methods for desired technological literacy outcomes. Developing the technological literacy outcomes and assessment methods simultaneously helps to insure that the outcomes are measurable and centered on student learning. Available assessment methods would facilitate the adoption of the outcomes by other engineering educators. Built-in assessment will also keep participants focused on course design that reflects best practices in engineering teaching and learning.