Engineering literacy

It is the editors hope that the Second Edition of the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Chemistry will serve the needs of scientists, engineers, students, teachers, librarians, and writers for high-quality information, and that it will contribute to scientific literacy and communication. 

Scientific literacy is based on the understanding of the most general principles and a broad knowledge of science. A society that is scientifically aware possesses facts and vocabulary sufficient to understand the context of the daily news. If one can understand articles about genetic engineering, the ozone hole, and greenhouse effect as well as sports, politics, arts, or the theater, then one is scientifically literate. 

This book is designed to provide a course in chemical literacy for those studying access and foundation courses at university or college and for non- specialists on courses such as Forensic Science, Engineering or Health Sciences, for whom chemistry is a subsidiary subject in their first year at university. Much of the material will be suitable also for other chemistry students, particularly those without strong mathematical or chemistry backgrounds. 

Basic science, mathematics and technology are a part of scientific literacy. The TIC project focuses on technology as a. .. process by which information from science, engineering and the social fields is used to change our environment or some aspect of human existence (7). The intent of the project is to help teachers incorporate technology as an integral facet of science education for the improvement of scientific literacy. 

How can one claim to be literate if she does not understand how 95% of her environment works, or how it was made Technological literacy is simply basic literacy. It is no less important than understanding US history or trigonometry. Understanding how an engineer designs is just as important as understanding how a scientist thinks. 

Committee on Assessing Technological Literacy, National Academy of Engineering, National Research Council. Tech Tally Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy. Elsa G. and Greg P., editors. Washington, DC National Academies Press, 2006. 

Koehler, C., Faraclas, E., GibUn, D., Kazerounian, K., and Moss, D. A State by State Analysis of the Inclusion of Engineering Oriented Content in State Science Frameworks Towards the Goal of Universal Technical Literacy. Proceedings of 2006 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper No. 2006-1510, June 2006. 

Sneider, C., and Brenninkmeyer, J. Achieving Technological Literacy at the Secondary Level A Case Study from Massachusetts, Professional Development for Engineering and Technology A National Symposium, Illinois State University, February 2007. Available online at www.conferences.ilstu.edu/NSA/homepage.html. 

Viewed from this perspective, the technical successes of Italy s mobilization, like Italy s wartime exercises in institutional engineering , look like performances of elites dancing on the quicksand of under-development. In this sense, the Italian case invites us to consider that broad social and institutional factors such as literacy rates, and the circulation of scientific and technological information in the culture at large, must be included in any final assessment of the performance of the Italian national system , whether during the war or afterwards. 

In your discussions tomorrow. I d like you to ask yourself two questions. What can we do to improve the public s perception of engineering What can we do to enhance the technical literacy of the general population ... 

Project 2061, American Association for the Advancement of Science. 1993. Benchmarks for Science Literacy. New York Oxford University Press. While focused on what students should know about science, mathematics, and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12, this book provides well-thought-out competencies, discussions, and perspectives. Engineering educators may use this book for K-12 collaborations and also as a tool to what students should know before they come to college. 

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