Science, Technology, and Society

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Science, Technology, and Society

• Dr. Charles Ophardt
• EDU 370

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Nature of Technology

• Technology extends our abilities to change the
  world to cut, shape, or put together materials
• ...to move things from one place to another to
  reach farther with our hands, voices, and senses.
• We use technology to try to change the world to
  suit us better.

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Technology and Science

• Technology Draws on Science and Contributes to it
• Early technology based on personal experience
  handed down
• Why it worked was not known
• Today based upon scientific understanding of
  principles

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Issues in Science, Tech., and Society

• Characteristics
• Prepare Students to
• Utilize science and technology knowledge for
  improving their lives and cope with tech. society
• Deal responsibly with science and technology
  issues
• Make decisions on career options

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Characteristics of STS

• Problem and Issue Oriented
• Interdisciplinary
• Relate science to society
• Global Awareness
• Relevance

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Characteristics of STS II

• Problem and Issue Oriented
• How did it become a problem or issue?
• What are some alternative approaches to a
  solution?
• What are effects of applying alternatives to
  individuals or society?

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Strategies for Teaching STS

• Use of local resources
• Active Involvement and Action skills
• Clarifying valuesDepends upon cultural,
  religious backgrounds
• Moral/ethical implications

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Procedures for Teaching STS

• Select and define the problem
• Formulate problem question
• Determine sources of information
• Collect data and evidence
• Interpret data using cause and effect
• Solutions to ProblemForce Field method - pros
  consCost/Benefit/ Risks

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Engineering and Science

• Engineering Combines Scientific Inquiry and
  Practical Values
• Engineering is allied to scientific inquiry and
  mathematical modeling
• Engineering finds a problem and designs a
  solution for it
• Solutions go from general ideas to very specific
  details

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Technology Design and Systems

• Design Under Constraint
• Constraints are identified and taken into account
• Absolute Constraints - defined by physical laws
• Flexible Constraints - have flexibility - money,
  political, social, ecological, ethical

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Design and Systems II

• All technologies Involve Control
• Require control to keep operating
• Compare what is happening to what might happen
• Controls requires feedback

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Design and Systems III

• Technologies Always Have Side Effects
• Designs have intended benefits,
• Designs have unintended side effects to users or
  public or environment
• Or may have additional unexpected benefits

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Design and Systems IV

• All Technological Systems Can Fail
• Most things are very reliable
• The larger the system the more things that can go
  wrong.
• Hedge with over design or redundancy

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Issues in Technology

• Human Presence
• Sheer numbers of people
• Humans can dominate nature and other species
• Can shape the future

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Issues in Technology II

• Technological and Social Systems Interact
  Strongly
• Politics, Economics, Government
• Social Systems Impose Restrictions on Openness
• Due to large investment of money open sharing is
  a constraint
• Decisions on Use of Technology are Complex

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References

• Science, Technology and Society in
  the Science Classroomhttp//scied.gsu.e
  du/Hassard/mos/chapter6.html
• Nature of Technology http//www.project2061.org/to
  ols/sfaaol/chap3.htm