International Technology Education Studies – serie

Reflections on Technology for Educational Practitioners analyzes the use of philosophy of technology in technology education and unpacks the concept of ‘reflective practitioners’ (Donald Schön) in the field. Philosophy of technology develops ideas and concepts that are valuable for technology education because they show the basic characteristics of technology that are important if technology education is to present a fair image of what technology is. Each chapter focuses on the oeuvre of one particular philosopher of which a description is given and then insights are offered about technology as developed by that philosopher and how it has been fruitful for technology education in all its aspects: motives for having it in the curriculum, goals for technology education, content of the curriculum, teaching strategies, knowledge types taught, ways of assessing, resources, educational research for technology education, amongst others.

Reflections on Technology for Educational Practitioners analyzes the use of philosophy of technology in technology education and unpacks the concept of ‘reflective practitioners’ (Donald Schön) in the field. Philosophy of technology develops ideas and concepts that are valuable for technology education because they show the basic characteristics of technology that are important if technology education is to present a fair image of what technology is. Each chapter focuses on the oeuvre of one particular philosopher of which a description is given and then insights are offered about technology as developed by that philosopher and how it has been fruitful for technology education in all its aspects: motives for having it in the curriculum, goals for technology education, content of the curriculum, teaching strategies, knowledge types taught, ways of assessing, resources, educational research for technology education, amongst others.

Learning concepts is a real challenge for learners because of the abstract nature of concepts. This holds particularly true for concepts in science and technology education where learning concepts by doing design activities is potentially a powerful way to overcome that learning barrier. Much depends, however, on the role of the teacher.Design-Based Concept Learning in Science and Technology Education brings together contributions from researchers that have investigated what conditions need to be fulfilled to make design-based education work. The chapters contain studies from a variety of topics and concepts in science and technology education. So far, studies on design-based learning have been published in a variety of journals, but never before were the outcomes of those studies brought together in one volume. Now an overview of insights about design-based concept learning is presented with expectations about future directions and trends.

Learning concepts is a real challenge for learners because of the abstract nature of concepts. This holds particularly true for concepts in science and technology education where learning concepts by doing design activities is potentially a powerful way to overcome that learning barrier. Much depends, however, on the role of the teacher.Design-Based Concept Learning in Science and Technology Education brings together contributions from researchers that have investigated what conditions need to be fulfilled to make design-based education work. The chapters contain studies from a variety of topics and concepts in science and technology education. So far, studies on design-based learning have been published in a variety of journals, but never before were the outcomes of those studies brought together in one volume. Now an overview of insights about design-based concept learning is presented with expectations about future directions and trends.

Although technology education is in desperate need of reform, the new refuses to be born. Despite the introduction of technological literacy, the evolving merger with science, mathematics and engineering (STEM), and even a proposed merger between STEM and the arts (STEAM), nothing has changed. The subject continues to be a craft-based, vocationally orientated subject.Human beings have always had a relationship with technology, but never before has the progression of technological development had such an impact on the environment, one which has led to the birth of the Anthropocene. This poses the greatest existential threat ever known to the future of human existence.Those in power continue to turn a blind eye to this threat. Moreover, technology education today does not reflect issues relating to our technologically textured lifeworld. Given that it is the young who will inherit this potentially dystopic future, they must be given a voice, one in which they can reimagine their futures in a sustainable way. This book explores the development of ethnotechnological literacy, as delivered by a radical new nomadic pedagogy inspired by the philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari; one that can enable these voices to be expressed and more importantly, to be heard.

Although technology education is in desperate need of reform, the new refuses to be born. Despite the introduction of technological literacy, the evolving merger with science, mathematics and engineering (STEM), and even a proposed merger between STEM and the arts (STEAM), nothing has changed. The subject continues to be a craft-based, vocationally orientated subject.Human beings have always had a relationship with technology, but never before has the progression of technological development had such an impact on the environment, one which has led to the birth of the Anthropocene. This poses the greatest existential threat ever known to the future of human existence.Those in power continue to turn a blind eye to this threat. Moreover, technology education today does not reflect issues relating to our technologically textured lifeworld. Given that it is the young who will inherit this potentially dystopic future, they must be given a voice, one in which they can reimagine their futures in a sustainable way. This book explores the development of ethnotechnological literacy, as delivered by a radical new nomadic pedagogy inspired by the philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari; one that can enable these voices to be expressed and more importantly, to be heard.

In this book two fields meet, Technology Education with its long history, and Maker Education, a relative new shoot in the educational field. Both focus on learning through making and both value agency and motivation of learners. The purpose of this book is to understand and analyze the kind of informal and formal educational activities that take place under the umbrella of the Maker Movement and then relate this to the field of Technology Education to uncover what researchers, innovators and teachers in this field can learn from the principles, ideas and practices that are central to the Maker Movement and vice versa. The book contains two types of chapters. The first type is case study chapters that span from Mexico, China, Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands to Kenya and from primary to tertiary level, showing a variety of good practices in maker education including both formal and informal contexts. In the subsequent thematic chapters, dedicated authors have used the case studies to reflect on themes such as curriculum reform, social learning, materiality, spatial thinking, informal versus formal learning as well as the sustainability of learning and relate what is happening in Maker Education with Technology Education to imagine possible futures for Maker Education.

In this book two fields meet, Technology Education with its long history, and Maker Education, a relative new shoot in the educational field. Both focus on learning through making and both value agency and motivation of learners. The purpose of this book is to understand and analyze the kind of informal and formal educational activities that take place under the umbrella of the Maker Movement and then relate this to the field of Technology Education to uncover what researchers, innovators and teachers in this field can learn from the principles, ideas and practices that are central to the Maker Movement and vice versa. The book contains two types of chapters. The first type is case study chapters that span from Mexico, China, Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands to Kenya and from primary to tertiary level, showing a variety of good practices in maker education including both formal and informal contexts. In the subsequent thematic chapters, dedicated authors have used the case studies to reflect on themes such as curriculum reform, social learning, materiality, spatial thinking, informal versus formal learning as well as the sustainability of learning and relate what is happening in Maker Education with Technology Education to imagine possible futures for Maker Education.

In the last decade, programming and computational thinking (CT) have been introduced on a large scale in school curricula and standards all over the world. In countries such as the UK, a new school subject—computing—was created, whereas in countries such as Sweden, programming was included in existing subjects, notably mathematics and technology education. The introduction of programming and CT in technology education implies a particular relationship between programming and technology. Programming is usually performed with technological artefacts—various types of computers—and it can also be seen as a specific branch of engineering. This book analyses the background to and current implementation of programming and computational thinking in a Swedish school technology context, in relation to international developments. The various chapters deal with pertinent issues in technology education and its relation to computers and computing, for example, computational thinking and literacy, teachers’ programming competence, and computational thinking, programming, and learning in technology education. The book includes examples from educational research that could also be used as inspiration for school teaching, teacher education and curriculum development.

In the last decade, programming and computational thinking (CT) have been introduced on a large scale in school curricula and standards all over the world. In countries such as the UK, a new school subject—computing—was created, whereas in countries such as Sweden, programming was included in existing subjects, notably mathematics and technology education. The introduction of programming and CT in technology education implies a particular relationship between programming and technology. Programming is usually performed with technological artefacts—various types of computers—and it can also be seen as a specific branch of engineering. This book analyses the background to and current implementation of programming and computational thinking in a Swedish school technology context, in relation to international developments. The various chapters deal with pertinent issues in technology education and its relation to computers and computing, for example, computational thinking and literacy, teachers’ programming competence, and computational thinking, programming, and learning in technology education. The book includes examples from educational research that could also be used as inspiration for school teaching, teacher education and curriculum development.

Aside from celebrating the work of Marc J. de Vries, this book also highlights the need for further work, effort, and energy to improve learning about technology. It is a collection of essays written by experts from the philosophy of technology and education. They have written about their perspectives on how a future education about technology must better relate to the technologically textured world we now inhabit: a world in which the continuing exponential evolution of technology is affecting virtually every aspect of our lives. This book serves as a clarion call to all those responsible for school-based education.Contributors are: Piet Ankiewicz, Frank Banks, Moshe Barak, Hilda Ruth Beaumont, Dennis Cheek, Osnat Dagan, John R. Dakers, Wendy Dakers, Marc J. de Vries, Christian Detweiler, Andrew Doyle, Wendy Fox-Turnbull, Lena Gumaelius, Jonas Hallström, Alison Hardy, Eva Hartell, Pasi Ikonen, Henk Jochemsen, Alister Jones, Hanna Kauppinen, Steve Keirl, Richard Kimbell, Dov Kipperman, Roel Kuiper, Mike Martin, David Mioduser, Carl Mitcham, Sonja Niiranen, Charlotta Nordlöf, Aki Rasinen, Philip A. Reed, Timo Rissanen, John M. Ritz, Marion Rutland, Elwin Savelsbergh, Alice Schut, David Spendlove, Kay Stables, Kendall N. Starkweather, Maarten van der Sanden, Gerald van Dijk, and Maarten J. Verkerk.

Aside from celebrating the work of Marc J. de Vries, this book also highlights the need for further work, effort, and energy to improve learning about technology. It is a collection of essays written by experts from the philosophy of technology and education. They have written about their perspectives on how a future education about technology must better relate to the technologically textured world we now inhabit: a world in which the continuing exponential evolution of technology is affecting virtually every aspect of our lives. This book serves as a clarion call to all those responsible for school-based education.Contributors are: Piet Ankiewicz, Frank Banks, Moshe Barak, Hilda Ruth Beaumont, Dennis Cheek, Osnat Dagan, John R. Dakers, Wendy Dakers, Marc J. de Vries, Christian Detweiler, Andrew Doyle, Wendy Fox-Turnbull, Lena Gumaelius, Jonas Hallström, Alison Hardy, Eva Hartell, Pasi Ikonen, Henk Jochemsen, Alister Jones, Hanna Kauppinen, Steve Keirl, Richard Kimbell, Dov Kipperman, Roel Kuiper, Mike Martin, David Mioduser, Carl Mitcham, Sonja Niiranen, Charlotta Nordlöf, Aki Rasinen, Philip A. Reed, Timo Rissanen, John M. Ritz, Marion Rutland, Elwin Savelsbergh, Alice Schut, David Spendlove, Kay Stables, Kendall N. Starkweather, Maarten van der Sanden, Gerald van Dijk, and Maarten J. Verkerk.

Technology education has developed from a craft-oriented subject to a richer, partly cognitive subject. For this latter part, a disciplinary basis is needed. Furthermore, the disciplinary basis for the T has to be seen more and more in the context of the disciplinary basis for the other STEM subjects. This book offers such a disciplinary basis. It can be used for curriculum development, research and teaching. The book brings together insights from philosophy of technology about the meaning of the various concepts that form the disciplinary basis and pedagogical insights into learners’ possible preconceptions as well as strategies to teach and learn these concepts.