Preparing Students for Living in a Technological Society:
A Problem Solving Approach to Teaching
James R. Braukmann
Melvin J. Pedras(1)
The ever changing perception of the role
of technology in our society provides educa-
tors with a myriad of challenges and problems
for the curriculum. Technology is alter-
nately seen as a major source of society's
problems, or as the salvation of society.
This confused role, compounded with the cur-
rent trend toward life-long learning, and the
need for future citizens who can function ef-
fectively in a modern technological society,
provides educators with innumerable opportu-
nities for integrating realistic problem
solving techniques into the teaching environ-
ment. The purpose of this article is to pro-
vide practical suggestions on how a
technological problem solving environment can
be created and used by educators in any area
of study to help prepare students for living
in our modern society.
Addressing the issue of technological
change and the need for educators to teach
problem solving, the National Science Board
Commission on Pre-College Education in Math-
ematics, Science and Technology (1983) noted
the effects of technological changes in its
report:
We must return to basics, but the
basics of the 21st century are not only
reading, writing, and arithmetic. They
include communication and higher prob-
lem solving skills, and scientific and
technological literacy -- the thinking
tools that allow us to understand the
technological world around us... De-
velopment of students' capacities for
problem solving and critical thinking
in all areas of learning is presented
as a fundamental goal.
The commission's report indicates that
society has undergone significant changes.
Many of these changes and problems facing so-
ciety have occurred because of advancing
technology. Robert Ornstein (1985) of the
Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge
wrote:
Solutions to the significant problems
facing modern society demand a wide-
spread, qualitative improvement in
thinking and understanding. We are
slowly and painfully becoming aware
that such diverse contemporary chal-
lenges as energy, population, the envi-
ronment, employment, health,
psychological well-being of individuals
and meaningful education of our youth
are not being met by the mere accumu-
lation of more data or expenditure of
more time, energy, or money... We need
a breakthrough in the quality of think-
ing employed both by decision-makers at
all levels of society, and by each of
us in our daily affairs.
Hatch (1988, p. 88) notes that society
is in desperate need of individuals capable
of finding viable solutions to a variety of
challenges. These needs have prompted many
leaders to suggest that education now imple-
ment methods of teaching that can enhance the
problem solving ability of students. Accord-
ing to Costa (1985, p. 4), however, "most
teachers do not regularly employ methods that
encourage and develop thinking in their stu-
dents."
We as educators, and especially those
concerned with technology and general educa-
tion, have an opportunity to fill a void in
the liberal education of students. We under-
stand the role humanities and the social sci-
ences play in the preparation of students for
living. Integration of the humanities and
social sciences with math, science, and tech-
nology, enables students to think more cre-
atively and identify technological solutions
to real-world problems.
If students can be placed in a problem
solving role as they study ethics, sociology
or history, they can learn to recognize very
real problems under the guidance of an expe-
rienced professional. An example would be to
consider the implications of replacing work-
ers with automated equipment. Should the
criteria for this decision be limited to the
availability of such technology, and the po-
tential for increased production? What will
be the effect on displaced workers? What re-
sponsibility does management have for the
personal development of workers in a technol-
ogy related field? What lessons can be
learned from the study of history, ethics, or
philosophy? Problem solving techniques can
help students in the systematic delimitation
of such problems, the listing of possible
solutions, the analysis of effects of poten-
tial solutions and in with the logical se-
lection of a potential solution.
PROBLEM SOLVING AS A TEACHING METHOD
Students need the same acquired skills
in business and industry as are necessary for
success in any professional field -- communi-
cation and interpersonal skills, linked to
problem solving skills.
Today in industry, a designer or manage-
ment professional will be working on a
project group or product team with a direc-
tive to find the best solution to a critical
question. No longer can any one person be
expected to master a body of knowledge, with
available information doubling every six
years. As an example, an industrial designer
in the 1950's might have needed to be expert
in mechanical design, steel fabrication and
hydraulics. Today, the list could easily in-
clude digital controls, computer interfaces,
data communication protocol, light and pres-
sure sensors, radio frequency interference,
and more. Their background should also in-
clude ethics, philosophy, social sciences,
and the ability to interrelate the basic ten-
ets of these disciplines with technology.
Not even the most gifted engineer can be ex-
pected to know enough about all of these
fields to develop an adequate design by to-
day's standards. However, a group who's col-
lective expertise covers this list could
succeed, assuming that they could work to-
gether and draw on each member's strengths.
The ability to function effectively in a
project group involves skills that are often
addressed by technology education. However,
the skills are not unique to technology, but
broad based and applicable to many endeavors
in an increasingly complex society . We can
cluster these skills into two general catego-
ries -- group dynamics and problem solving
strategies.
Group dynamics includes leadership, com-
munication, presentation, and persuasion
skills. These skills are vital in business
or academia, in industry or politics, from
committee work to designing. We should com-
pel students to use them. For example, if a
group of students will be evaluated on a
final cooperative product, and no one member
can manage all the work, persuasion, communi-
cation, and cooperation will develop. The
group must find ways to organize and communi-
cate internally and externally to accomplish
a common goal.
The second category, problem solving
strategies, includes the design process, in-
formation management, and learning skills.
Creativity is not difficult to cultivate.
The following problem solving model (Figure
1) is borrowed from science and technology.
The process it describes works for a single
person or a group, and in disciplines as di-
vergent as the humanities and social sci-
ences, business and education.
1. Define the problem carefully and com-
pletely. Everyone involved in a chal-
lenging project needs to understand the
problem in order to avoid counter-
productive or divergent goals. Any time
so spent will save time in later stages.
Many problems in our society are
solved simply by being successfully iden-
tified and isolated. Consider, for exam-
ple, the problem of excess waste
material. The problem might be more
clearly defined as one of how to develop
an efficient disposal system, or to find
constructive use for the waste material,
or to find a way to decrease the amount
of waste material produced. Each of
these three definitions of the problem
will generate different criteria.
2. Establish criteria for a solution. All
those involved must set and agree to re-
alistic goals, limitations, and expected
or possible consequences. Be careful to
allow for future adaptations that may be-
come necessary, but are not immediately
apparent. Finally, agree to a schedule
for the completion of the process steps.
All this will set up the evaluation phase
to come later.
Questions to ask at this point might
include: What must be accomplished?
With what accuracy? How will the sol-
ution interact with other factors? Do
limitations, such as cost or size, exist?
Must the solution be transportable? Once
initiated, must the solution be self-
sustaining? Must it be adaptable? Will
there be a negative environmental impact?
If the solution involves a machine, can
the machine be easily produced? Can it
be easily repaired? Are there any poten-
tial safety problems? How important is
the appearance? Will it be used for pro-
motional activities?
3. Research possible solutions. Information
management is necessary to avoid re-
inventing the wheel. Has this problem
been solved before? Are there lessons to
be learned from other's mistakes? Where
can information on similar topics be
found? A specific example from technol-
ogy might be to find and compare the
strength-to-weight ratios of steel, alu-
minum, and hardwood in order to choose
the best material for a certain applica-
tion. The key is to promote the use of
libraries and research techniques.
4. Brainstorm all sensible and seemingly
non-sensible potential solutions. Make
this an open activity with as much lati-
tude and as few rules as possible. At
this point, the ideas do not have to
closely match the criteria. Quantity of
ideas is better than quality. Specify a
group member to record as quickly as pos-
sible the widest variety of ideas without
judging them. Any evaluation of these
ideas is left to the next step.
5. Narrow the acceptable or promising
options and develop them. Sketchy,
brainstormed ideas need to be expanded
before they can be completely evaluated.
This process can be done by individuals
or subgroups of two or three students who
see potential in one of the ideas. Pres-
entation and persuasion skills are fos-
tered by having student subgroups
favoring specific solutions compete, and
be evaluated by the whole group, or by
the teacher acting as manager. Communi-
cation here becomes more than an exercise
in that it is an opportunity for student
to persuade others of the value of their
point of view, or for the student to
avoid having to adapt to the point of
view of another. This opportunity tends
to be taken rather seriously.
Students should be taught that a
better presented idea has as good a
chance of prevailing in this arena as a
better idea. A project development team
that is armed with production drawings,
decisions supported by research, and an
organized presentation will be most per-
suasive. Another team with a promising
idea that has not been completely worked
out, or with a confusing presentation
will be less persuasive. Finally, the
teacher/class should select one or more
of the most promising solutions, using
the criteria developed in step 2 above.
6. Create a working model or models. In a
typical problem solving exercise, project
leaders are assigned, within teams, with
responsibility to organize the effort.
Team decisions are made outlining indi-
vidual responsibilities, and the manner
in which the individual efforts will fit
together. Procedures must be in place to
handle new problems that might appear.
All communication from this point needs
to be documented: memos from the project
leaders, and reports from the project
workers.
Within the teams, students are work-
ing and communicating for a purpose.
Their individual effort is needed by oth-
ers to solve the problem and achieve the
common goal.
7. Evaluate the end result. At this point
the end result must be compared to the
criteria established in step 2, above.
If it does not meet the criteria, a rede-
signing or rethinking cycle may be initi-
ated. Perhaps other solutions from step
5 might be re-evaluated. If the solution
does meet the criteria, can it be easily
improved? Does the particular way in
which this problem is solved create new
problems? Perhaps the original criteria
need to be re-evaluated. Necessary
changes are made and the final end result
is formally presented to the class. This
process is capable of generating thought-
ful and refined solutions, as well as op-
portunities for enhancing leadership,
communication, presentation, and persua-
sion skills.
THE ISSUE OF TECHNOLOGY LITERACY
A disturbing trend of 70s and into the
80s, is the delivery of a general education
without relating curriculum to the realistic
social framework of an increasingly techno-
logical world. Students who do not under-
stand the implications of abruptly replacing
an industrial worker with a robot, confusing
power with license in genetic engineering, or
limiting access to computer information as a
cause for social stratification, do not un-
derstand the ultimate nature of a liberal ed-
ucation.
When establishing criteria for the de-
velopment of a new product, is it enough to
consider only the market potential and pro-
fits to be made? What are the long term im-
plications for social institutions? What
will be the impact on future supplies of na-
tural resources? In a decision to market a
telephone that displays the caller's number,
what are the implications for such issues as
a right to privacy and freedom of speech? In
supplying cost effective aerosol containers,
should the destruction of the ozone layer be
considered?
Every technology teacher has overheard
students objecting to the history, economics
or government classes that they "have to
take." Such integral parts of a balanced cur-
riculum must be made relevant to these stu-
dents. Through the use of a problem solving
strategy, the study of technology can be re-
lated to social, economic, and environmental
issues. Additionally, technological topics
and similar problem solving strategies in hu-
manities and social science classes can pro-
vide students with an understanding of the
problems of our technological society that
would otherwise be elusive. We cannot afford
to have a curriculum which is too often
desultory, inconsistent and lacking in rigor
as reported in a recent issue of the Chroni-
cle of Higher Education. (DeLoughry, 1989)
Cote observes that as the specific prob-
lems assigned in a class will support the
course content, the manner in which the sol-
utions are achieved can support broader goals
related to interpersonal working relation-
ships, communication, and problem solving
skills. The role, then of the educator
should be to provide the student with appro-
priate experiences for defining and solving
problems. (Cote, 1984)
SUMMARY
A continuing challenge to educators is
to prepare broad-ranging thinkers with the
skills to confront the problems of the fu-
ture. In this endeavor, we cannot afford to
continue to isolate technology from humanity,
or we run the danger of using technology for
it's own sake, unrestrained by heritage and
careful consideration, in a society that
equates computer prowess to license.
As a curriculum in technology can be im-
proved by relating the core material to so-
cial and humanistic value systems, so might a
curriculum in the humanities or social sci-
ences be improved by a focus on the problems
and potentials of technology in an increas-
ingly complex society.
----------------
1 James Braukmann is Assistant Professor, Department of
Technology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney,
Washington. Melvin Padras is Associate Professor and
Chair, Industrial Technology Education Department,
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.
REFERENCES
Costa, A. (Ed). (1985). DEVELOPING MINDS.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Super-
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Cote, B. S. (1984). A paradigm for problem
solving instruction. JOURNAL OF INDUS-
TRIAL TEACHER EDUCATION, 21(4), 17-30.
DeLoughry, T. (1989, January 18). Study of
transcripts finds little structure in the
liberal arts. THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER ED-
UCATION. pp. A32.
Hatch, L. (1988). Problem solving approach.
In W. H. Kemp & A. E. Schwaller, (Eds.),
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION Mission Hills, CA: Glencoe.
National Science Board Commission on Pre-
College Education in Mathematics, Science,
and Technology. (1983). EDUCATING AMERI-
CANS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. Washington,
D.C.
Ornstein, R. (1985). In A. Costa, (Ed.),
DEVELOPING MINDS. Alexandria, VA: Asso-
ciation for Supervision and Curriculum De-
velopment.
Permission is given to copy any
article or graphic provided credit is given and
the copies are not intended for sale.
Journal of Technology Education Volume 1, Number 2 Spring 1990
