Abstract: In recent years, there has been widespread excitement around the potential for technology to transform learning. As investments in education technology continue to grow, students, parents, and teachers face a seemingly endless array of education technologies from which to choose—from digital personalized learning platforms to educational games to online courses. Amidst the excitement, it is important to step back and understand how technology can help—or in some cases hinder—how students learn. This review paper synthesizes and discusses experimental evidence on the effectiveness of technology-based approaches in education and outlines areas for future inquiry. In particular, we examine RCTs across the following categories of education technology: (1) access to technology, (2) computer-assisted learning, (3) technology-enabled behavioral interventions in education, and (4) online learning. While this review focuses on literature from developed countries, it also draws upon extensive research from developing countries. We hope this literature review will advance the knowledge base of how technology can be used to support education, outline key areas for new experimental research, and help drive improvements to the policies, programs, and structures that contribute to successful teaching and learning.

Abstract: The overall aims of this study are to explore (1) how beginning teachers integrate technology in their practice and (2) the connections between teachers’ technology uses and their pre-service education programmes. Data of this follow-up study were collected through in-depth interviews with beginning teachers. The results reveal that all beginning teachers used a wide range of technological applications, mainly for structured learning approaches, while few created opportunities for student-centred technology use. Further, pre-service learning experiences that impact graduate teachers’ technology use are identified. While teacher educators modelling technology use are an important motivator for beginning teachers to use technology in their own teaching, field experiences seem to be the most critical factor influencing their current practice. Based on the results of this study, recommendations about how to prepare and support pre-service and beginning teachers for technology integration are discussed.

Abstract: Making is a rapidly emerging form of educational practice that involves the design, construction, testing, and revision of a wide variety of objects, using high and low technologies, and integrating a range of disciplines including art, science, engineering, and mathematics. It has garnered widespread interest and support in both policy and education circles because of the ways it has been shown to link science learning to creativity and investigation. Making has taken root in out-of-school settings, such as museums, science festivals, and afterschool and library programmes; and there is now growing interest from primary and secondary educators in how it might be incorporated into the classroom. Making expands on traditions associated with Technology Education and Design-Based Learning, but differs in ways that can potentially broaden participation in science and STEM learning to include learners from communities historically underrepresented in STEM fields. STEM-Rich Making is centrally organised...

Abstract: Technologies have dramatically changed the way people gather information, carry out research, and communicate with others worldwide. Technology has removed the distance obstacles and has made it possible for higher education to effectively teach anyone. Technology integration is being increasingly used in instruction to improve teaching and learning. This rapid development of technology integration has presented a better pattern to find the new teaching models. Consequently, it has a key role in learning and teaching language skills. The integration of technology to create a context to teach and learn English skills has a lot of advantages. The fundamental aim of this paper is to review the issues related to technology integration in the learning and teaching of language skills. In this paper, the researcher defines the term technology integration, expresses the reason of integrating technology, explains the role of technologies in promoting learning, elaborates teachers’ roles and learners’ roles, reviews previous studies on the benefits of technology in the learning and teaching of language skills, indicates the situation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Iran, and finally mentions the recommendations for the successful integration of technology. The review of literature revealed that the integration of technology into the classrooms considerably improves the learning and teaching of English language skills.

Abstract: STEM-oriented engineering design practice has become recognized increasingly by technology education professionals in Taiwan. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of the application of an integrative STEM approach within engineering design practices in high school technology education in Taiwan. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the respective learning performance of students studying a STEM engineering module compared to students studying the technology education module. The student performances for conceptual knowledge, higher-order thinking skills and engineering design project were assessed. The data were analyzed using quantitative (t test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, correlation analysis) approaches. The findings showed that the participants in the STEM engineering module outperformed significantly the participants studying the technology education module in the areas of conceptual knowledge, higher-order thinking skills, and the design project activity. A further analysis showed that the key differences in the application of design practice between the two groups were (a) their respective problem prediction and (b) their analysis capabilities. The results supported the positive effect of the use of an integrative STEM approach in high school technology education in Taiwan.

Abstract: In an increasingly technologically driven world, there is proliferate discussion among education and government authorities about the necessity to rethink education in the twenty-first century. The evolution of technology and its pervasive influence on the needs and requirements of society is central to this mindset. Innovations in online applications and social networking capabilities have accelerated in accessibility and popularity. As technological devices become commonplace, it is understandable that curriculum documents and education policies around the globe are littered with statements about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expectations and achievement level standards. There is no argument about the presence of technology or that it should be embedded in education. However, there is a case to be made about revealing the potential of technology for teaching and learning and the necessary associated pedagogical considerations. This article explores the outcomes of an online musi...

Abstract: The Learning Design and Technology (LDT) MA program helps people use various digital and social media tools and technologies for learning, teaching, and professional leadership. Applying sound principles of learning, instructional and media design, and professional development, you will use a variety of learning strategies and technologies such as digital and online media, digital storytelling, social media and networking, games, and smart and mobile tools to support learning and development goals in school and workplace settings. Throughout the program, you will engage in assessment and evaluation activities to improve services, be accountable for outcomes, and develop professional identities as thought leaders in your professional communities of practice. The LDT MA program is fully online and may be completed in two years.

Abstract: Accompanying the increasing advances and interest in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies is an increasing demand for an industrial workforce that is knowledgeable about the technologies and how to apply them to solve real-world problems. As a step towards addressing this knowledge gap, a workshop was held at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to discuss the educational needs to prepare industry for AM and its use in different fields. The workshop participants – 66 representatives from academia, industry, and government – identified several key educational themes: (1) AM processes and process/material relationships, (2) engineering fundamentals with an emphasis on materials science and manufacturing, (3) professional skills for problem solving and critical thinking, (4) design practices and tools that leverage the design freedom enabled by AM, and (5) cross-functional teaming and ideation techniques to nurture creativity. This paper summarizes the industry speakers and presentations from the workshop, along with several new educational partnerships identified by small working groups. Based on the presentations and partnerships, the following recommendations are offered to advance the AM workforce. First, ensure that all AM curricula provide students with an understanding of (i) AM and traditional manufacturing processes to enable them to effectively select the appropriate process for product realization; (ii) the relationships between AM processes and material properties; and (iii) “Design for AM”, including computational tools for AM design as well as frameworks for process selection, costing, and solution generation that take advantage of AM capabilities. Second, establish a national network for AM education that, by leveraging existing “distributed” educational models and NSF’s Advanced Technology Education (ATE) Programs, provides open source resources as well as packaged activities, courses, and curricula for all educational levels (K-Gray). Third, support K-12 educational programs in STEAM (STEM plus the arts) and across all formal and informal learning environments in order to learn the unique capabilities of AM while engaging students in hands-on, tactile, and visual learning activities to prepare them for jobs in industry while learning how to think differently when designing for AM. Fourth, provide support for collaborative and community-oriented maker spaces that promote awareness of AM among the public and provide AM training programs for incumbent workers in industry and students seeking alternative pathways to gain AM knowledge and experience. Recommendations for scaling and coordination across local, regional, and national levels are also discussed to create synergies among the proposed activities and existing efforts.

Abstract: This mixed-methods study explored the impacts of a semester-long technology professional development for secondary school international teachers from developing nations around the world. We used (a) a survey approach to examine international teachers' perceived technology integration abilities using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework and (b) a design task to understand their rationale behind technology integration decisions. As a group (N = 16), international teachers reported increased abilities in all TPACK domains. Qualitative analysis of their rationales revealed that though teachers learned to consider the affordances of technology, technology access issues were pivotal in their choice and use of technology in instruction planning. With education becoming increasingly global, the study has implications for the motivation and design of technology professional development programs for international teachers.

Abstract: While increased attention has been put on approaches to teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), little has been reported on teachers’ views, perceptions, and beliefs about teaching STEM. Such knowledge is Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 6, p.2 (Dec., 2017) Wachira SRIKOOM, Deborah L. HANUSCIN and CHATREE FAIKHAMTA Perceptions of in-service teachers toward teaching STEM in Thailand Copyright (C) 2017 EdUHK APFSLT. Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 6 (Dec., 2017). All Rights Reserved. needed to inform efforts to support innovative teaching of STEM subjects in classrooms. In this study, 154 in-service teachers of both STEM-related and non-STEM related subjects, were randomly selected from schools all over Thailand. Data on teachers’ perceptions were captured through a three-part questionnaire including an open-ended question that asked for general background information and perceptions of STEM education and STEM integration. Descriptive statistics were used to analyzed data and content analysis was used to analyze open-ended responses. Research findings showed that the majority of teachers (85.5%) had never heard about STEM education and approximately 19% of in-service teachers could not provide a definition of STEM education, with 20.53% of the teachers viewing STEM as a transdisciplinary course or program. While teachers think that a STEM teaching approach is very interesting, both STEM and non-STEM in-service teachers have strong concerns about the engineering discipline within STEM disciplines.

Abstract: This study offers a view on students’ technology-based problem solving activity through the lens of a theoretical model which accounts for the relationship between mathematical and technological knowledge in successful problem solving. This study takes a qualitative approach building on the work of a 13-year-old girl as an exemplary case of the nature of young students’ spontaneous mathematical problem solving with technology. The empirical data comprise digital records of her approaches to two problems from a web-based mathematical competition where she resorted to GeoGebra and an interview where she explains and describes her usual problem solving activity with this tool. Based on a proposed model for describing the processes of mathematical problem solving with technologies (MPST), the main results show that this student’s solving and expressing the solution are held from the early and continuing interplay between mathematical skills and the perception of the affordances of the tool. The analytical model offers a clear picture of the type of actions that lead to the solution of each problem, revealing the student’s ability to deal with mathematics and technology in problem solving. By acknowledging this as a case of a human-with-media in solving mathematical problems, the students’ efficient way of merging technological and mathematical knowledge is portrayed in terms of her techno-mathematical fluency.

Abstract: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have brought a stronger emphasis on engineering into K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) instruction. Introducing the design process used in engineering into science classrooms simulated a dialogue among some educators about adding the arts to the mix. This led to proposals for a STEAM (STEM + arts) curriculum, as well as warnings that integrating the arts would weaken STEM instruction. The study summarized in this article tested the hypothesis that the arts might provide upper-elementary students, who were still concrete thinkers, with a powerful means of envisioning phenomena that they could not directly observe. This study investigated the impact of STEAM lessons on physical science learning in grades 3 to 5. Ten out of the 55 high-poverty (Title 1) elementary schools in a large urban district were randomly chosen as treatment schools and divided into two cohorts. Using a quasi-experimental design that holds general student scientific achievement constant, the study found that students exposed to the STEAM lessons demonstrated greater improvement on physical science benchmark assessments than students exposed to a STEM-only physical science curriculum.

Abstract: Ongoing developments in educational technologies place increasing demands on teachers who have to make decisions on a daily basis concerning how, when, and where to make use of technologies in classrooms. Building on results from the Danish project Technucation, this paper argues that there is a marked need for a teacher-specific version of the technological literacy developed by the International Technology Education Association (ITEA). ITEA defines technological literacy as the ability to ‘use, manage, assess, and understand technology’. The Technucation project found that teachers were not simply in need of knowledge about how to manage technical challenges, they would also benefit from awareness of how new technologies change relations, identities, and complex power structures. The paper explicitly addresses this issue of the new skills and analytic capabilities that teachers need in order to engage effectively with technological development. The type of enhanced technological literacy teacher...

Abstract: This research is aimed to analyze entrepreneurship pedagogy needs of Technology and Vocational Education in higher education. This needs analysis explored deeply the importance of entrepreneurship pedagogy of Technology and Vocational Education including curriculum aspects, instructional materials, pedagogy, and instructional materials needs. The type of the research is descriptive with survey methods. Technique of data collection was spreading questionnaire and interview. The sample is students of Technology and Vocational Education, lecturer of entrepreneurships course, and entrepreneurs. Technique of data analysis used in this research was quantitative and qualitative. Based on the result of needs analysis which is done quantitatively and qualitatively, it can be concluded that (1) there are needs disparity between students and entrepreneurship lecturer, especially in the aspect of learning models (methods, approaches, materials, modules and other instructional materials used), and (2) entrepreneurs hope that there is a curriculum which can enhance the creativity and innovation of the students by considering input from experts in the curriculum preparation. Besides, this research revealed that the students of Technology and Vocational Education, lecturer of entrepreneurships course, needs a development of learning model which supports entrepreneurship pedagogy especially in Technology and Vocational Education.

Abstract: It has given importance to the development of 21st century skills in every aspect of life. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has played an important role to improve these skills and teachers are expected to be able to organize learning environments accordingly. The purpose of this research is to examine the pre-service science teachers’ views on STEM education practices. The case study method was used in this research and participants of the research are 7 pre-service science teachers (4 female, 3 male). In the research STEM activities were applied during 8 weeks. The data of this research were collected through semi-structured interviews. The content analysis was used for data analysis and data were converted to the tables. During the interviews, it was noted that the pre-service science teachers wanted to apply STEM education when they become teachers; they wanted to get advanced knowledge about STEM education. In addition, pre-service science teachers have expressed their opinions on the basic rationale, benefits and limitations of STEM education, and have made proposals for the development and dissemination of STEM education. Pre-service science teachers learned about STEM education and how to implement it, by the help of STEM education practices that was conducted within the scope of this research. Pre-service teachers who are future teachers need to be informed and trained about STEM education.

Abstract: Adopting a differentiated and domain-specific view of educational technology, the present study focuses on the case of school history. It argues that, in this particular context, one of technology's main assets is its ability to support inquiry-based learning activities, during which students interpret the past through historical reasoning. As little is known about how history teachers use technology in the classroom, an exploratory study was carried out with 22 teachers in fourth grade of secondary education in Flanders (Belgium). Semi-structured interviews were used to investigate beliefs about technology, ways in which technology was implemented, and factors influencing the adoption process. The results suggest that most teachers held positive beliefs about technology, and that use of technology was driven by several rationales. Although a significant group of teachers was thoughtful of how their own use of technology could support students' learning, student use remained limited to instances where technology served as a resource for the task, rather than a tool for supporting cognitive or social activity. It appears that teachers were not yet aware of technology's ability to scaffold inquiry activities. Furthermore, limitations in school infrastructure often prevented them from experimenting with more pervasive student uses of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The vitality of the innovation economy in the United States depends on the availability of a highly educated technical workforce. A key component of this workforce consists of engineers, engineering technicians, and engineering technologists. The purpose of this briefing is to shed light on the relatively underappreciated roles and contributions of engineering technicians and technologists. Unlike the much better-known field of engineering, engineering technology (ET) is unfamiliar to most Americans and goes unmentioned in most policy discussions about the US technical workforce. The presentations are based on a recent report by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Committee on Engineering Technology Education in the United States. In conducting its work, the committee commissioned a review of federal education and occupational data, fielded two surveys—one of ET educators and the other of employers of ET talent—held an information-gathering workshop, and conducted a literature review. View report here: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23402

Abstract: One of the fundamental practices identified in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is argumentation, which has been researched in P-12 science education for the previous two decades but has yet to be studied within the context of P-12 engineering education. This research explores how elementary and middle school science teachers incorporated argumentation into engineering designbased STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) integration curricular units they developed during a professional development program. To gain a better understanding of how teachers included argumentation in their curricula, a multiple case study approach was conducted using four STEM integration units. While evidence of argumentation was found in each curriculum, the degree to which it appeared in each case varied. The strongest potential for argumentation occurred when students were required to explain and justify their final engineering design solutions to the client; certain guiding questions and discussions also promoted argumentation, depending on their structure. Additionally, argumentation was found to support engineering concepts such as the process of design, engineering thinking, communication in engineering contexts, and the application of science, mathematics, and engineering content. These findings support the idea that argumentation can be integrated into P-12 engineering education contexts in order to support students’ STEM learning.

Abstract: Technological innovations are strongly promoted to meet the demands posed by increased pressure on home care services and to assist ageing in place in western societies. Although heavily advocated as plug and play solutions, technologies have proven difficult and unpredictable when integrated into home care services. We need greater insight into what happens when technologies are integrated into caring practices. All technologies come with expectations as to their function. This study explores how actors who are involved with the social alarm, which is an established technology innovation, relate to, perceive and articulate these expectations of the technology in everyday living. The article presents results from a two-case study, using a triangulation of qualitative methods in order to gain an in-depth understanding of technology in use in home care services through “thick descriptions”. The study was conducted in Norway and data were analysed using a stepwise deductive-inductive analysis. The empirical findings demonstrate that expectations regarding the social alarm, even though it represents a simple and well-established technology, are complex and multidimensional. The notion of script and domestication provided relevant tools for exploring these expectations and for understanding how actors interpret and adapt their practices of using the technology. This enabled a more comprehensive understanding of how technology opens up for different interpretations and puts values in play. This article suggests exploring technology in use as scripted in multidimensional script, and offers a frame for doing so. It also reveals how technology scripts and articulation prove important for understanding the complex reality when integrated into home care practices, thus identifying how using the technology leads to the taming and unleashing of both technology and actors. The study offers an increased understanding of how and why technology is unpredictable and works differently in different contexts. Moreover, it stresses the importance of avoiding expectations of plug-and-play in a reality of complex interactions between different actors.

Abstract: A primary concern of teacher technology education is for pre-service teachers to develop a sophisticated mental model of the affordances of technology that facilitates both teaching and learning with technology. One of the main obstacles to developing the requisite technological pedagogical content knowledge is the inherent challenge faced by teachers in monitoring and controlling certain aspects of their own learning while navigating the web and designing a lesson plan. This paper reviews preliminary findings obtained in our research with nBrowser, an intelligent web browser designed to support pre-service teachers’ self-regulated learning and acquisition of technological pedagogical content knowledge. Case examples of data mining techniques are presented that allow the discovery of knowledge regarding pre-service teachers’ information-seeking and acquisition behaviours and how to support them. The first case illustrates the use of simulated learner experiments, while the second involves the creation of a model to detect learner behaviours. We discuss the implications in terms of design guidelines recommendations for nBrowser as well as the broader impacts for future research on technological pedagogical content knowledge research and development.

Abstract: Assistive technology is not only a required component of a student’s IEP; it can be an effective way to help students with (and without) disabilities access their education and to provide them with required instructional accommodations. Teachers, however, are often not adequately prepared in their pre-service course work and ongoing professional development to address the technology needs of their special education students and have not had the opportunities to access technology due to limited availability and cost. While assistive technology can be purchased to augment an existing computer, it is often unnecessary to do that. Both Microsoft and Apple operating systems in “off-the-shelf” computers and handheld devices have embedded assistive technology that is easy to access and easy to use. This embedded technology can help teachers become familiar with technology and assist students with sensory, physical, learning, and attention disabilities, and it might have practical applications with Universal Design for Learning. This paper provides a discussion on how embedded technology can support students with disabilities in the school setting and provides examples for access and use.

Abstract: Introduction Teachers are individuals who provide appropriate methods, techniques, and materials in the process of education either as the source of the information or as a guide during the teaching process (Yalin, 2000; [section]imcek, 2000). In today's world, technology has become an important part of teachers' knowledge base. Therefore, this makes the use of technology in education more frequent (Graham, Burgoyne, Cantrell, Smith, Clair, & Harris, 2009; Ozturk & Horzum, 2011). Since the integration of technology has become crucial in education, the knowledge of teachers related to the use of technology has been centered at the heart of the research on educational technology. As it is defined previously, technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is the knowledge acquired by teachers in order to integrate technology in education while teaching content to the students (Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler, & Shin, 2009). Although several studies have been conducted in the scope of TPACK, there is no obvious form of the technological knowledge that teachers should acquire and a strict method on how it should be acquired by teachers (Koehler & Mishra, 2005). Merely introducing the technology in educational process does not create a significant change on the integration of technology in education (Carr, Jonassen, Marra, & Litzinger, 1998). Therefore, how the technology can be integrated in education should be investigated in more detail since the knowledge of technology cannot be separated from the knowledge of teaching context in educational technology (Koehler & Mishra, 2005). In addition, it is recognized that the use of technology alone cannot create an effective improvement on the learning of students. Graham et al. (2009) emphasized that just the use of technology cannot get students to learn effectively. Rather, teachers should know how to use the instructional technology during the teaching process. Similarly, Clark (1985) highlighted the difference between "media" and "method of instruction." That is, mere the use of media cannot provide learning. It is a tool providing learning by the employment of appropriate methods and techniques while teaching mathematics. Therefore, the effective use of instructional technologies is more important than just acquisition of them for educational purposes. Although technology has become available in the classrooms, the use of it has continued to be criticized because of some factors, such as teachers' use of technology infrequently and for knowledge transmission rather than the construction of knowledge (Clark, 1985; Gao, Choy, Wong, & Wu, 2009; Harris, Mishra, & Koehler, 2009; Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Glazewski, Newby, & Ertmer, 2010; Sang, Valcke, van Braak, & Tondeur, 2010). Therefore, those observations get the correct integration of technology more emphasized in education (Chai, Koh, Tsai, & Tan, 2011). In Turkey, FATIH Project (The Project of Improving Opportunities and Instructional Technologies) has been conducted since 2010 in order to integrate technology into education across the country (The Office of Innovation and Educational Technologies, 2016). One of the key actors of this project is teachers. Therefore, ideas and competences of teachers toward technology integrated education is an important factor for the effectiveness of the project. For this reason, it is important to investigate the integration of technology in education from the perspectives of teachers. As researchers stated, there is a need to develop teacher education strategies in terms of teachers' effective integration of technology into their teaching (Koehler & Mishra, 2005).Thus, an effective professional teacher education program can be prepared in order to get teachers be oriented with instructional technologies (Karatac, 2014a). In order to develop strategies to integrate technology in education, it is crucial to investigate the views of teachers based on the integration of technology into teaching (Oksuz, Ak, & Uca, 2009). …

Abstract: When thinking about teaching, the pedagogical content knowledge of teachers cannot be ignored. We argue that pedagogical content knowledge is a major determiner of teaching practice and is central to teachers' curriculum decision-making at the classroom level. This paper takes a sociocultural perspective on the importance of developing teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. From our classroom-based research in technology education and the past research on pedagogical content knowledge we propose a model of pedagogical content knowledge with seven characteristics that we believe are important for effective teaching.

Abstract: The pace of education technology innovation outpaces many professors’ abilities to thoughtfully integrate new tools in their teaching practice. This poses challenges for higher education faculty as well as those responsible for planning professional development in higher education. This article explores recent trends in education technology and the capabilities that new pedagogical tools make possible. It also introduces readers to three foundational educational technology theories: Rogers’ diffusion model, Davis’s technology acceptance model and Mishra & Koehler’s technological, pedagogical and content knowledge model. Each theory holds important implications for those interested in helping higher education faculty members to make the most of emerging classroom technologies. Higher education leadership can help their faculties make the most of education technology tools by including the implications of these theories in their professional development designs.

Abstract: The technology has improved rapidly in recent years and this improvement is affecting the field of education as it is in every field. In this context, traditional education methods have become inadequate as the technology is also rapidly changing students' expectations and learning habits. The effective use of information and communication technologies in education is mainly based on increasing the learning speed of the students during the education process, reducing the cost and providing effective learning. The rapid progress of technology makes technology usage indispensable for foreign language teaching and learning as well. The purpose of this study is; to address the importance of ICT tools in the teaching-learning process of basic English language skills and to introduce the technology integration process for English language teaching and learning. It is understood that the integration of technology in English teaching and learning is of great importance in the development of basic English language skills such as listening, reading, speaking and writing. The hardware and software technological tools used in English language teaching and learning can make many contributions both to teachers and students in terms of being repeated use of materials, availability of materials everywhere and at all times, costless or low cost of materials, and effective learning in a short time. As a result of this study, it can be said that the process of technology integration needs to be carried out consciously and in a planned way in order to make significant contributions to the use of technology, which is an essential task for teachers. Consequently, it should not be forgotten that the technology is to be effectively integrated into English language teaching and learning, and if the integration is not effectively done, on the contrary, technology may have a negative impact on the students’ learning process.

Abstract: As times change we need to continually review what our education systems offer and where priorities might lie. The Technology and Knowledge Ages of the twenty-first century have brought about new understandings, new ways of doing things, and an array of new career and workplace opportunities. Employees today are expected to bring more than an accumulation of traditional knowledge acquisition. Increasingly important today are a plethora of attitudinal skills and dispositions that enable workers to engage in much greater collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. What are these newly emphasised skills and dispositions and how should they be addressed within the education system? Meaningful learning of these ‘soft skills’ will occur best in authentic and integrated programmes where explicit teaching identifies the required learning. This paper will investigate the nature of the skills, consider some implications and barriers and then demonstrate connections between the nature of technological practice and ‘soft skills’. An essential consideration of this new learning focus is how it might be assessed. A new authentic assessment practice within a Technology Education tertiary education programme is introduced as an example of how knowledge and ‘soft skill’ acquisition can be combined and achieved.

Abstract: Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory (MIT) can be a cognitive and emotional improvement if is taken into account in the standard development of the Technology lessons. This work presents a preliminary evaluation of the performance enhancement in two concomitant aspects: contents acquisition and emotional yield. The study was made on up to 150 students with ages of 12-13 years old. The control group was submitted to traditional transmission-reception lessons, whereas the experimental one was submitted to novel educational techniques that included specific activities which took into account the different intelligences styles (IS) inside the classroom. The results clearly depicted that both studied variables underwent a statistical significant enhancement through the application of the MIT-based educational method.

Abstract: Technological systems are included as a component of national technology curricula and standards for primary and secondary education as well as corresponding teacher education around the world. Little is known, however, of how pupils, students, and teachers conceive of technological systems. In this article we report on a study investigating Swedish technology student teachers’ conceptions of technological systems. The following research question is posed: How do Swedish technology student teachers conceive of technological systems? Data was collected through in-depth qualitative surveys with 26 Swedish technology student teachers. The data was analysed using a hermeneutic method, aided by a theoretical synthesis of established system theories (system significants). The main results of the study are that the technology student teachers expressed diverse conceptions of technological systems, but that on average almost half of them provided answers that were considered as undefined. The parts of the systems that the students understood were mostly the visible parts, either components, devices, or products such as buttons, power lines, hydroelectric plants, or the interface with the software inside a mobile phone. However, the ‘invisible’ or abstract aspects of the technological systems, such as flows of information, energy or matter, or control operations were difficult to understand for the majority of the students. The flow of information was particularly challenging in this regard. The students could identify the input and often the output of the systems, that is, what systems or components do, but the processes that take place within the systems were elusive. Comparing between technological systems also proved difficult for many students. The role of humans was considered important but it was mostly humans as users not as actors on a more systemic level, for example, as system owners, innovators, or politicians. This study confirms previous research in that the students had a basic understanding of structure, input and output of a technological system. Thus, the adult students in this study did not seem to have better understanding of technological systems than school pupils and teachers in previous studies, although this is in line with previous investigations on the general system thinking capabilities of children and adults. The most important implication of this study is that students need to be trained in systems thinking, particularly regarding how components work and connect to each other, flows (especially of information), system dependency, and the human role in technological systems.