Michael Kenward wrote:
>
> With such illustrious company here, I would not dream of adding a
> definition
> of engineering beyond saying that it goes far beyond technology.
>
Could I ask MK to enlarge on how 'engineering goes far beyond
technology'?
This is news to me, and also (more significantly) to the editors of
the Oxford English Dictionary who we may suppose know a thing or two
about definitions. They propose that technology be defined thus:
"Scientific study of practical or industrial arts; practical arts
collectively; terminology of particular art or subject.." I can't
think of anything significant that engineers do that would fall
outside this definition.
If you're more modern, and prefer Wikipedia to the OED they suggest
that "Technology is the usage and knowledge of tools, techniques,
crafts, systems or methods of organization." Again this arguably
broader definition seems to subsume engineering within it.
And the Malpas report's definition of technology as quoted by Roland
Jackson is, I'm afraid, meaningless because it is tautological:
"Technology is an enabling package of knowledge, devices, systems,
processes and other technologies, created for a specific purpose." ie
Technology is technology. With insights as profound as this I'm
surprised that the Malpas Report didn't make it to the top of the
best-sellers list!
But the one thing technology is not is using computers in schools,
which is how the word is often intended to be understood when uttered
by educationalists and their political masters!
Cheers
Richard.
Richard Ellam
L M Interactive
Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff
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