The relationship between technology and science: Some historical and philosophical reflections. Part I

This essay offers a detailed review of the literature on the relationship between technology and science. It is in two parts. Part I begins by describing science and technology, and the differences between them. It then discusses the commonly-held technology-as-applied-science (TAS) view; the origins of this view, the support for it, and the strong historical and philosophical challenges to it, beginning more than half a century ago, are explored. The development of the steam engine is then offered as a brief case study to illustrate that science-technology relations are more complex than implied by the TAS view. Part I concludes with a consideration of ontological arguments supporting the reverse view, namely that technology is often a necessary precursor to science.Part II, to be published in a following issue, explores some of the consequences of the TAS view. One consequence is that it has generated a story-line in which scientific ideas are emphasised and other factors necessary for technological innovation have been down-played. Another consequence is that, even in cases where technology does apply scientific knowledge, the process of application is often considered obvious; the difficulties of translating ideas into artefacts may not be appreciated. The essay argues for the telling of a more complex story of science-technology relations, one which recognises their historical independence in the past, and their mutual, two-way interaction in many modern fields of endeavour. It concludes with a consideration of some economic and educational implications.     

实施远程教育扶贫的可行性分析

对贫困地区现状及其对教育的影响进行了简要讨论,对国家政策如何在教育上向贫困地区倾斜提出自己的看法,并结合贫困地区现状和远程教育开发情况,指出计算机远程教育扶贫是一种多快好省的措施,应当在全国贫困地区推广应用。     

Defining technology and technological education: A crisis,or cause for celebration?

This paper originated from a two-year technological education teacher development project at the Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario. The authors searched for an understanding of technology and technological education through traditional scholarly means, i.e., a literature review, and through an action research venture that, it was thought, would reveal the parameters of ‘technology’. The paper, beyond helping to give the authors and the reader a better understanding of what it means to define an elusive concept, serves to give technology educators a conceptual starting point from which to build insight into the elements of their life's work. The function and form of the paper evolved from the project process. They [the function and form] were determined by the nature of and ambiguities associated with technology. The reader is invited, for example, to consider the historical, social, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of technology. Rather than draw parallels about technology from those diverse disciplines, a daunting task, the paper charts a terrain from which investigators who seek a definition of technology and a framework for the subsequent study of technology, might get their bearings. The paper includes approaches to defining technology, a literature review, a comparison of science and technology, and an epilogue. While a definition is offered as part of the epilogue, the larger purpose of the paper is to improve one's understanding of an ubiquitous phenomenon. The central question of the ongoing debate, in Ontario and elsewhere, about the role and direction of technological education, is inherent in the paper and in the mandate of the teacher development project. What is technology and where and in what form does it belong in the curriculum of the schools?     

Assessing South Africa Learners’ Attitudes Towards Technology by Using the PATT (Pupils’ Attitudes Towards Technology) Questionnaire

The PATT (Pupils’ Attitude Towards Technology) questionnaire, as validated for the USA, was used to assess and analyse South African learners’ attitudes towards technology. The responses of 500 girls and 510 boys, from the Gauteng Province in South Africa, were analysed using a principal component and a principal factor analysis. The explained variance was rather low and indicated that the questionnaire needed adaptation for the South African context. The outcomes of the research were positive in that there were no significant differences regarding the gender attitudes that ‘technology should be for all’ and that ‘technology makes contributions to society’. The fact that girls have a stronger gender discrimination view related to themselves regarding technology needs to be addressed in future curriculum development issues. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

远程教育扶贫网的系统运行

着重介绍了利用计算机、国际互联网和卫星技术,并配以辅助设备,实施远程教学,通过该系统使贫困地区的学生享受与发达地区学生同样的教育,实现科教扶贫之目的。     

Two Cultures of Technical Courses and Discourses: The Case of Computer Aided Design

Researchers in science and technology studies (STS) are in the process of dismantling the conventional human-machine and nature-society-technology boundaries solidified by C. P. Snow and generations of designers, engineers, researchers, scientists and teachers. Using the case of computer aided design (CAD), I argue that by combining the sociopolitical knowledge of STS with technical knowledge we can finally and forcefully bring an end to technical education. To make this argument, I draw on my experiences in teaching CAD in post-secondary institutions in design, engineering, and teacher education. Theories and practices are described to assist design and technology educators with the dilemma of addressing sociopolitical knowledge.     

区域科技基础条件平台构建研究

区域科技基础条件平台的构建,可以更好的发挥公共科技服务在区域自主创新和科技进步中的作用,有利于减少科技资源布局分散和重复建设等问题,将为区域主导产业的发展起到极大的促进作用,可以确保产业在全国同行业中处于领先地位。本文在解析了区域科技基础条件平台建设影响因素的基础上,分析区域科技基础条件平台构建的目标任务和重点工作内容,并探讨相关的保障措施。     

The Impact of the Implementation of Technology Education on In-Service Teacher Education in South Africa (Impact of Technology Education in the RSA)

In this article the impact of technology education, as a new learning area (subject) in the curriculum, on in-service teacher education in South Africa is described in order to ascertain the extent of the impact. The research on which this article is based draws on a variety of experiences and observations in the field at grassroots level (in particular an outreach project in rural communities). The envisaged impact of technology education on South African schools, communities, teacher educators and teachers, the range of in-service teacher education that is required, and the impacts in urban and rural areas are discussed. Finally a number of concluding remarks are made about the extent of the impact of the inclusion of technology education in the new National Curriculum Statement and whether the situation has changed since the implementation of a pilot technology education project in 1998. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

关于印刷工程专业的学科属性与研究生培养的思考

本文从分析印刷工程学科属性入手,讨论了印刷工程学科的信息可视化与传播技术内涵,探讨影像科学及技术与印刷工程学科的关系,认为用影像科学与技术可以更好地代表印刷工程的技术内涵,并且符合长远的技术发展趋势,建议用影像科学与技术作为培养印刷工程研究生的学科。     

通过科研数据看学校的快速发展

学校通过近十年的发展,取得了巨大的成就,从各种数据显示了学校的快速发展,同时也从一个侧面反映了国家对高等教育事业的大力支持。     

科技进步对经济增长影响的路径变迁研究——以重庆市为例

利用Cobb-Douglas函数和时间序列数据测算出重庆市历年科技贡献度,并运用计量经济学和统计学方法对科技贡献度进行检验,据此判断重庆市科技进步对经济增长的影响是否存在明显的路径变迁。结果表明以1999年为转折点,重庆市科技进步对经济增长影响路径发生了显著变化,由被动支撑逐步进入主动引领经济增长的新时期。     

从日本的技术战略看其化学工业的发展

二战后,日本巧妙地利用外资的资本、资源、技术、这冼一系列符合自己国技术发展战略,在大量引进技术的基础上不断开发自己的技术、促使化学工业取得了飞速的发展     

Knowledge Types in Technology

Starting with the distinction of natural science, engineering science ("technology") and engineering practice ("technics"), the paper will stress the difference between technological and technical knowledge. The first part will discuss the relationship between science and technology, arguing that technology is a genuine type of knowledge rather than "applied science". In technics, however, even technological laws, as transformations of scientific laws, cover a certain part of knowledge only. The greater part of technical knowledge includes technical know-how, functional rules, structural rules, and socio-technological understanding, which is just developing in our times. The classification of knowledge types will be used for determining which kind of knowledge may seem appropriate to general technological education.     

包装工程专业学生科技创新平台的建设与实践

学生科技创新平台是包装工程专业实践教学的一个重要组成部分,是培养学生创新能力的一个重要环节。如何根据包装工程专业的特点来搭建科技创新平台并组织和引导学生积极参加创新活动中去,本文提出了一种适于包装专业学生科技创新平台建设的“4个结合”的建设理念并针对每个结合的给出了其特定的内涵。     

科技产业创新与煤炭企业可持续发展

文章从煤炭企业发展实际出发,结合国家现行产业政策和现代科技产业的发展途径,阐述了煤炭企业发展科技产业的路线选择、发展模式及其机制建设。     

促进科技创新的财税政策之思考

近年来,我国为促进科技创新采取了一系列举措并取得了相应成效,但科技创新在我国经济发展中的地位与其在市场经济发达国家的地位相比,还存在很大差距。科技创新涉及诸多方面,如科技管理体制、财政税收制度、金融制度、知识产权保护制度等。其中,财税政策由于具有引导性、规范性、程序性等特点,是一国促进科技自主创新有效的政策选择,是建设创新型国家、促进科技创新的重要保障。鉴于此,从财税政策的角度就如何促进我国科技创新进行了探讨。     

Knowledge and Values in Technology Education

This paper addresses two closely interrelated issues in Technology Education: knowledge and values. The starting point for the discussion is analysis of the nature of knowledge in technology education. Approaches for theorising knowledge will be analysed in this paper as well as problems associated with them. Three major types of problems are identified: problems with finding an appropriate approach for the analysis of technological knowledge; problems with a technocratic interpretation of technological knowledge for the purpose of its classification; and problems with establishing a consistent approach to distinguish common features of technological knowledge. A model that represents knowledge in technology education and the place of values in it is presented as a way of overcoming the problems specified. The claim is made that understanding of knowledge/values relationships can improve theoretical understanding of how technology education can be constructed.