Technically speaking : why all Americans need to know more about technology

At the heart of our modern technological society lies an unacknowledged paradox. Although the United States is increasingly defined by and dependent on technology and is adopting new technologies at a breathtaking pace, its citizens are not equipped to make well-considered decisions or to think critically about technology. As a society, we are not even fully aware of or conversant with the technologies we use every day. In short, we are not "technologically literate." Technology has become so user friendly it is largely "invisible." Americans use technology with a minimal comprehension of how or why it works or the implications of its use or even where it comes from. We drive high-tech cars but know little more than how to operate the steering wheel, gas pedal, and brake pedal. We fill shopping carts with highly processed foods but are largely ignorant of their content, or how they are developed, grown, packaged, or delivered. We click on a mouse and transmit data over thousands of miles without understanding how this is possible or who might have access to the information. Available evidence shows that American adults and children have a poor understanding of the essential characteristics of technology, how it influences society, and how people can and do affect its development. Neither the educational system nor the policy-making apparatus in the United States has recognized the importance of technological literacy. Thus the paradox: Even as technology has become increasingly important in our lives, it has receded from view. Americans are poorly equipped to recognize, let alone ponder or address, the challenges technology poses or the problems it could solve. And the mismatch is growing. Although our use of technology is increasing apace, there is no sign of a corresponding improvement in our ability to deal with issues relating to technology. To take full advantage of the benefits and to recognize, address, or even avoid some of the pitfalls of technology, we must become better stewards of technological change. Unfortunately, we are ill prepared to meet this goal. This report represents a mandate--an urgent call--for technological literacy in the United States. THE REPORT This report and a companion Web site (www.nae.edu/techlit) are the final products of a two-year study by the Committee on Technological Literacy, a group of experts from diverse fields operating under the auspices of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council (NRC) Center for Education. The committee was charged with developing a vision for technological literacy in the United States and recommending ways for achieving that vision. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Battelle Memorial Institute. The report is directed at groups that are well positioned to influence the development of technological literacy, including schools of education, schools of engineering, K-12 teachers and teacher organizations, developers of curriculum and instructional materials, federal and state policy makers, industry and nonindustry supporters of educational reform, and science and technology centers and museums. WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY? In its broadest sense, technology is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. However, most people think of technology only in terms of its artifacts: computers and software, aircraft, pesticides, water-treatment plants, birth-control pills, and microwave ovens, to name a few. But technology is more than its tangible products. Equally important aspects of technology are the knowledge and processes necessary to create and operate those products, such as engineering know-how and design, manufacturing expertise, various technical skills, and so on. Technology also includes all of the infrastructure necessary for the design, manufacture, operation, and repair of technological artifacts, from corporate headquarters and engineering schools to manufacturing plants and maintenance facilities. …