Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy

Collection Description

This collection, from the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), provides documentation related to the revision of the Standards for Technological Literacy (STL). The STL was published in 2000 and "established content guidelines and benchmarks for learning across the K-12 spectrum for technology and engineering programs in the United States and beyond." The STL was recently revised due to technological innovations and advancements in curriculum. The revision resulted from "multiple meetings, conference presentations, and [the] preparation of reports based on an international survey conducted in Fall 2018 and, more recently, targeted reviews of literature." The revised standards are titled Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL).

Collection Contents:

This collection includes seven documents related to the revision of STL and the creation of the STEL.

The 5-page FAQs: Standards for Technological Literacy Revision Project document discusses 16 questions related to the revision. The following are examples of the included questions:

• What is the overall rationale and mission for the revision project?
• What is the scope of the revision?
• Will there be a new Rationale and Structure document?
• Will STL be renamed?
• What is the organizational structure detailing the project director, leadership committee, writers, and reviewers?

The 2-page Rationale for Revising the Standards for Technological Literacy document includes background information about the original standards and the revision. Data is provided about the use of the STL standards by PreK-12 teachers, administrators and supervisors, and post-secondary educators. 

The 64-page ITEEA Standards for Technological Literacy Project: Background, Rationale, and Structure "serve[d] as a guide and foundation for the standards revision work completed at the August 2019 Standards Revision Conference." "The report is the result of the team's efforts to more clearly define the goals, rationale, and structure of the STL Revision process." This report includes the following chapters: Chapter 1: Contrasting Technological, Engineering, and Scientific Literature; Chapter 2: The Rationale for Reducing the Number of Content Standards; Chapter 3: Mission and Vision of the STL Revision Process; and Chapter 4: Proposal Working Title and Structure for the Revised STL.

The 161-page Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy: Defining the Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education "provides an updated vision of what students should know and be able to do in order to be technologically and engineering literate. The document does not define a singular curriculum model but describes what the content of technology and engineering education should be in grades PreK-12." This resource includes a table of contents and the following chapters: Chapter 1: The Need for Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy, Chapter 2: Overview of Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy, Chapter 3: Core Disciplinary Standards, and Chapter 4: Technology and Engineering Contexts. The eight core standards are:

1. Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering
2. Core Concepts of Technology and Engineering
3. Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices
4. Impacts of Technology
5. Influence of Society on Technological Development
6. Influence of Technology on Human Progress
7. Design in Technology and Engineering
8. Applying, Maintaining, and Assessing Technological Products and Systems

Additional documents included in this collection are the 12-page Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy Executive Summary Draft, presentation slides, and a STEL Core Disciplinary Standards graphic.

The presentation slides include a short overview of the STL revision. For orientation purposes Understanding STEL 2020.pdf is provided as a separate attachment and offers a sample of the type of material included in this collection. 

Below is a list of the files included in the .zip attachment. The size of each file is included in parenthesis.

Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (8 files, 10.6 MB)

• FAQs: Standards for Technological Literacy Revision Project (FAQ Sheet – 04.04.2019.docx 30 KB)
• ITEEA Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy - Executive Summary (FINALasofJuly132000.pdf 7.6 MB)
• Rationale for Revising the Standards for Technological Literacy (Rationale for Revising the Standards for Technological Literacy-02.28.2019.pdf 129 KB)
• Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy: The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education (18193-00018_ITEEASTEL2020_FINAL_SECURITY.pdf 7.3 MB)
• STEL Graphic (STEL graphic v7.png 2.3 MB)
• ITEEA Standards for Technological Literacy Revision Project: Background, Rationale, and Structure (STL Revision Rationale 09.23.2019.pdf 1.2 MB)
• Revision of the Standards for Technological Literacy (Understanding STEL 2020 PPT.pdf 2.7 MB