Science and Technology (S4-5)Teacher Development Programme 2005

Core Module Part 2

LINKING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

[1] DEFINITIONS of science and technology REVISITED

…The nature of technology: ‘Technology’ has two meanings. It can refer to artifacts: the physical objects that are produced; we may, for example, describe a new portable computer as ‘a fine piece of technology’.

It can also refer to process: the organizational systems, the mental and physical acts through which artifacts are developed and manufactured. This usage refers to human capabilities, to the work done by technologist (as in ‘we have the technology to produce a voice-activated computer’). (Gardner et al, 1996)

… The definition of science: …emphasized the ‘big ideas’ of science, the role of experiments in the development of theories, and knowledge structures in the disciplines.

…science as a pursuit of knowledge, motivated by curiosity and responsible to the international community of scientists rather than the larger society.

Science is thus characterized by its theories and the research methods through which they were generated and tested. … (Malcolm C. (1996) )

[2] LINKING THESE TWO: =

< > > <

[Functional view by Gardner P. 1994]

Can you suggest still another dimension for such comparison?

Epistemology, social impact, theology, etc….

A Case Study of Development of

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

集成電路發展里程

WHICH COME FIRST?

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS? TRANSISTOR? DIODE? SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY? SHOCKLEY’S POTENTIAL WELL MO

DEL QUANTUM PHYSICS?

The problem of astrophysicist Masatoshi Koshiba (2002 年諾貝爾物理獎小柴昌俊 ) of the University of Tokyo:

… to detect the tiny emissions of light generated by sub-atomic neutrino particles from a supernova explosion 170,000 light years away from the planet earth. (Scientific America, June 2003, p.5; www.hamamatsu.com for 20-inch PMT)

[4] NURTURING students development of science and technology concepts:

*Visual occurrence exemplars *Hands-on and Minds-on exemplars *Human purpose Other generic teaching strategies

[3] AN ACTIVITY combining S&T …

Case study MOTOR Hands-on: simple exploration Model: constructing your own motor Minds-on: motor history Minds-on: re-design your own motor

Minds-on: motor historyWhat if you want to do the same (motor model)… in 1791? impossible, why? Michael Faraday was just born. Scientific theory not ready.

how about 1982? impossible, why? Neodymium Magnet

(燒結釹鐵硼稀土永磁 ) was first invented in 1983.

Magnetic material used here did not exist.

and …

in 2002? impossible, why? Many of the basic Rare-Earth-Iron-Boron p

atents expired in the year 2003, too expensive and difficult to find for us before that.

The technology and the market (society) were not yet ready.

http://www.rareearth.org/magnets_patents_history.htm

FINALLY…

Major academic issues revealed: Relating science and technology Relating technology and science Impact of S&T upon modern society Societal influence upon S&T

Major pedagogy: Knowing what (e.g. hands-on, literature

search, fieldwork, etc) Knowing how (e.g. relating cause and

effect, experimenting, explaining, designing)

Knowing why / Critical thinking (e.g. evaluating, arguing, predicting, reflecting)

FOUR TASKS of learning-to-learn

        Reading to learn         Project learning         Information technology for

interactive learning         Moral and civic education

Other Generic pedagogy [1]

        Collaborative learning         Communicating ideas         Discussion         Brainstorming         Role-play         Simulation

Other Generic pedagogy [2]

        Modeling         Model building         Experiment         Predict-Observe-Explain         Concept mapping

Thank you.