Technological Literacy for All: A Course Designed to Raise the Technological Literacy of College Students

What is technology? If you were to ask someone to define technology, you have about a 75% chance of getting the answer of computers, electronics, and the internet (Rose, Gallup, Dugger, & Starkweather, 2004). This, however, is a far cry from what truly defines technology. The end result of our technological advances surrounds us. It is the car or bike we use for transportation to the toothbrush we use to clean our teeth. It is the process of building homes, roads, and products as well as agriculture, land development, and biotechnology. It is in our use of wood, metals, plastics, and concrete. Simply put, technology is everything we humans modify or make out of our natural environment to suit our needs. It can be formally defined as, “The innovation, change, or modification of the natural environment to satisfy perceived human needs and wants” (International Technology Education Association [ITEA], 2000, p. 7).