Technology is a powerful force for global change that has helped humanity progress. It is an area of study that spans all disciplines and entails a complex interplay of human activity, scientific knowledge, design and manufacturing processes. Modern technology is highly complex, often requiring large infrastructures to produce and maintain, and requires sophisticated training and education for designers, builders, and operators. The development of new technologies is driven by changes in the world around us, and those changes create a feedback loop that influences future development.
The term ‘technology’ is used in many different ways, and it can be difficult to define. This is partly due to the fact that ‘technology’ is a broad, general concept that encompasses everything from applied science to industrial arts. As a result, the word is often used in narrow, specific senses to describe certain aspects of the topic. These narrow definitions often lack cultural or social components, and they can be misleading when discussing broad areas of technological change.
There are several theories of technology, ranging from the classical definition by Volti to a more broad and expansive view like that by Joan Woodward or Haraway’s relegation of humankind to hybridized cyborgs. These theories have a common feature that they all incorporate, however: the notion of an intervening power. This is the nature of technology, its essence if you will; it is present in the sublime of planetary science and in the mundane of changing gears while driving a car or brushing teeth.
An adequate definition of technology must account for this intervening power, and it must also minimize the occurrence of false identifications of things as technology when they are not (type 1 error) and of false rejections of the qualification of something as technology that it is not (type 2 error). This definition should be both conceptually sensitive enough to allow only valid examples of technology to meet its criteria and sufficiently and accurately descriptive to avoid oversimplification and obscurity.
There are a number of ways that teachers can use technology in the classroom. One of the most popular is to post homework assignments online through learning platforms. This allows students to work at their own pace, and it can help teachers keep track of student progress. Another way to integrate technology into the classroom is through a game-based learning app such as Kahoot, which can be played on phones and computers and allows students to work in teams or individually. This type of app increases student engagement and can be a fun and exciting way to review class material. It can also be a great way to get students excited about subjects they may be dreading learning.