Essay – written october 2002 – Part 1
In this essay I will examine some of the issues surrounding the teaching of history and theory in secondary schooling. In particular, I will refer to my own field of graphic design, which falls under the subject area of Technology. Since this field was recognized as a distinct subject area in Australian schools relatively recently, there is a need to identify exactly what needs to be taught in terms of history and theory.
While it is important that some reference is made to history in explaining why we do certain things in certain ways, it is equally important for technology educators to consider the relevancy of what they teach. Technology is seen to be very much a practical and modern discipline, and in teaching history without emphasizing exactly what relevance this topic has to the broader outcomes of becoming technologically literate, educators run the risk of losing their audiences interest. Pressley and McCormick (1995, p.99) state that “People pay more attention to content that is interesting” and while this statement may indeed seem very obvious, it is surprising how many educators fail the simple task of motivating their learners to become interested in what they teach.
One of the underlying goals of technology education is the development of technological literacy, which is the ability to be generally conversant in the use of technology. With the rapidly growing application of computing systems to all facets of everyday life, there is an increasing need for people who are well educated in technology and design principles to create and operate these systems. Lewis (1999) argues that “All high school graduates ought to be technologically literate, meaning that they can understand the nature of technology, appropriately use technological devices and processes, and participate in society’s decisions on technological issues"
To be relevant, history and theory must be made an integral part of this technological literacy, allowing choices to be made and justified in the context of previous outcomes. The South Australian Curriculum Standards and Accountability (SACSA) framework reflects on the necessity for drawing on previous experiences in the teaching of technology. “Today it is recognised that technologies are not just ‘made’. They exist because of human purpose, intention and decision-making. People bring together knowledge, experience, resources, ideas and values to create products, processes and services for a variety of reasons.” (2002, p.2)
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