ECUE MEETING

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E-CUE MEETING

• October 25, 2004

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Agenda October 25, 2004

• Review of recent SoE discussions with GIR Task
  Force members
• E-CUE input to the GIRs
• E-CUE ideas/ input on technological literacy and
  the GIRs
• NAE 2002 ideas
• Thoughts from ESD (J.Sussman)
• Improving connections between engineering study/
  math/science/HASS GIRS how can we best provide
  input for improving connections with existing
  GIRs  
• Discussion of ideas
• Organizing E-CUE members Suggestions on creating
  E-CUE subgroups to work on GIR input during the
  next 1.5 months

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ECUE/ GIR TASK FORCE CHATS ABOUT E-CUE INPUT TO
TASK FORCE WORK

• GIR Task Force Chair Silbey / Dick Yue talked
  about how E-CUE can provide substantive input on
• Gathering all faculty input (not just SoE) on
  what is essential for students to understand
  about engineering/ technological literacy
• Connections between math/ science/ HASS GIRs and
  engineering study
• Task Force and E-CUE will co-sign on distribution
  of survey to all faculty to gather input
• C. Stewart, Chair of Task Force Subgroup, Social
  Responsibility, Ethics and STS and SHASS Asso.
  Dean will help develop all faculty survey to
  gather input on engineering/ tech literacy and
  connections
• Timeline E-CUE ideas/ input and gather all
  faculty input via survey to be complete by end of
  this term

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Some interesting issues from chat with Task
Forces Science And Technical Knowledge subgroup

• Met with subgroup chair, Greytak, and J.Brisson
  of MechEng
• Thinking about how to improve flexibility of
  undergraduate curriculum
• Menu of, rather than 1 or 2, science and math
  GIRS consider in terms of ABET physics/ math
  requirements
• Possible REST subjects will be limited to ensure
  that its educational goals of the REST are met-
  consider in terms of eng. depts use of REST for
  dept. lab requirements
• Thinking about new core ST Knowledge areas such
  as
• Computation- students should know something about
  programming and/ or architecture
• Technological literacy- engineering faculty in
  subgroup are interested in this

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Some interesting issues from chat with Social
Responsibility, Ethics, and STS subgroup

• Met with C. Stewart, subgroup chair
• Subgroup is considering
• International education of some form for all
• Refigure HASS-D so that issues of science,
  technology, and society can be clarified

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SoE/ STS connections

• Discussion of SoE/ SHASS connections with
  Stewart, Asso. Dean of SHASS
• Other ways for uniting HASS and engineering study
  were discussed
• Engineering depts. could require particular SHASS
  subjects (other than economics) that could
  support students development of STS perspectives
  on engineering work
• These required subjects in SHASS would receive
  focused curriculum development attention

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So.what now?

• Window of opportunity is open!
• We can
• establish ideas on engineering/ technological
  literacy for presentation to Task Force- what
  every student should know
• establish ideas for improving connections between
  engineering study and math/ science/ HASS
  subjects
• Work with Task Force members in gathering input
  from SoE and all faculty on these issues
• Timeline deadline is end of this term
• Suggest weekly meetings as E-CUE subgroups
• Group 1 Engineering/ Technological Literacy
• Group 2 Connections of engineering and science/
  math/ HASS

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Engineering/ Technological Literacy

• Opening question What should all MIT students
  know, how should they be able to act, how should
  they be able to think about information in making
  informed decisions that involve technology?
• A technologically literate person is one who has
  knowledge, capabilities, and ways of thinking
  about technology and its development that permit
  him/ her to make informed decisions, communicate
  with others, and make sense of the world around
  them. A technologically literate person has
  knowledge of technology and is capable of using
  it effectively to accomplish various tasks. He or
  she can think critically about technological
  issues and acts accordingly. (NAE 2002)

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NAE 2002
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What is technology?

• .decisions that involve technology.
• What is technology? It is a product of
  engineering and science. (NAE 02)
• How do the scientific and engineering methods
  differ? NAE 2002 suggests enabling students to
  understand the different methods involved in
  development of technology.
• Science- a process of inquiry that generates
  knowledge about the natural world
• Engineering- design under constraint, with
  science as one of limiting factors. Other factors
  are cost, reliability, safety, environmental
  impact, manufacturability, government regs,
  politics,

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Task Force deliberations on modes of analysis

• E-CUE ideas on engineering methods can mesh with
  current Task Force discussions concerning modes
  of analysis
• From Task Force subgroup, Fundamental Modes of
  Analysis, website
• This area is described as essential ways of
  analysis and thinking beyond the scientific
  methods taught within the Science Core. What are
  the specific additional ways of thinking we hope
  to target in this area?
• To which of these should students be required to
  be exposed?   Which should be fostered through
  opportunities?
• How does the purpose of HASS align with this
  category?   Is the purpose of HASS to teach
  students "other ways of thinking" or to give them
  other things to think about?
• Implications of students appreciation of variety
  of modes of analysis students will be better
  prepared for life-long learning if they can
  experiment/ discover/ problem solve using methods
  of many disciplines

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A technologically literate person

• We can start with NAE 2002 statement about
  technological literate citizen. Or we can discard
  it
• Knowledge
• Recognizes the pervasiveness of technology in
  everyday life.
• Understands basic engineering concepts and terms,
  such as systems, constraints, and trade-offs.
• Is familiar with the nature and limitations of
  the engineering design process.
• Knows some of the ways technology shapes human
  history and people shape technology.
• Knows that all technologies entail risk, some
  that can be anticipated and some that cannot.
• Appreciates that the development and use of
  technology involve trade-offs and a balance of
  costs and benefits.
• Understands that technology reflects the values
  and culture of society.
• Ways of Thinking and Acting
• Asks pertinent questions, of self and others,
  regarding the benefits and risks of technologies.
  
• Seeks information about new technologies.
• Participates, when appropriate, in decisions
  about the development and use of technology.
• Capabilities
• Has a range of hands-on skills, such as using a
  computer or mechanical skills
• Can identify and fix simple mechanical or
  technological problems at home or work.
• Can apply basic mathematical concepts related to
  probability, scale, and estimation to make
  informed judgments about technological risks and
  benefits.

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Other sources of inspiration

• ESD thoughts
• Seering/Wolfe study of professional engineers
  (Wolfe B.S. thesis, 2004)
• Surveyed Mech Eng alum 10 yrs after graduation
  with B.S.
• Study found that skills and knowledge other than
  technical knowledge were most often used by alum
  including
• Skills
• Engineering reasoning and problem solving
• Systems thinking
• Knowledge discovery
• Personal skills and attributes
• Knowledge
• Enterprise and business context of engineering
  work
• Market context of engineering work

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Improving connections between engineering study/
math/science/HASS GIRs

• Yue/ Task Force members also discussed how to
  improve/ formalize connections between
  engineering and GIRs.
• Issue is always how to balance general literacy
  with practical needs of study in a major.
• Lets review what E-CUE has done in this area. In
  AY 2002-03, E-CUE closely examined ways to
  improve connections. Suggested
• Math/science GIRs Engineering faculty in
  sophomore header subjects work with GIR
  instructors to improve connections. Dean Silbey
  revived group to , but maybe more can be done to
  formalize connections process.
• HASS GIRs Rather than create connections with
  HASS, create engineering-based subjects that
  improve students understanding of
  social/political perspectives on engineering work
  (ex. Colossal Failures in Engineering, subject
  for frosh developed by E-CUE members)

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Improving connections and Task Force discussions
today

• But, Task Force discussions suggest that the GIR
  ground is moving so improving connections goal
  needs to take this into account.
• Today, Task Force members are thinking about
• Math/ science GIRS If menu of choices for
  students is suggested by GIR Task Force, ECUE and
  engineering faculty could suggest content.
• If existing math/ science GIRs remain, ECUE and
  engineering faculty could suggest content and
  processes to improve connections with engineering
  study.
• HASS GIRs Stewart of SHASS is very interested in
  working with SoE in developing appropriate,
  strong, subjects that develop students ability
  to appreciate and apply social/ political/
  perspectives in engineering work.