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The world of work is being impacted by a fourth industrial revolution, transformed by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. With forecasts suggesting large shares of workers, displaced by automation, in need of upskilling/reskilling, the design of active skills policies is necessary. Conventional methods used to anticipate technological change and changing skill needs, such as skill surveys and forecasting, have limited scope to provide insights into emerging trends. With the increasing use of big data and AI methods, analysts have new 'real-time' tools at their disposal. Skill foresight techniques are also increasingly used to gauge in-depth stakeholder information about future technologies and skill needs. A series of Cedefop guides aims to inform analysts and policy-makers about available skills anticipation methods used to navigate through the uncertainty of changing technologies and skill demands. This second practical guide focuses on automated skills intelligence methods: big data and AI-driven analyses. [Cedefop wishes to acknowledge the research and services of its contracted institution, the Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini (FGB) (lead partner) in consortium with Economix Research and Consulting, Cambridge Econometrics Ltd, and Panteia B.V. For Cedefop Practical Guide 1, see ED613871. For Cedefop Practical Guide 3, see ED613874.]

The Calculator Controlled Robots activities are designed to engage students in hands-on inquiry-based missions. These activities address National science and technology standards, as well as specifically focusing on mathematics content and process standards. There are ten missions and three exploration extensions that provide activities for up to one semester. These activities are geared towards using a graphing calculator with a Norland Research calculator robot. Best results for student engagement have been obtained with each student having her/his own CalcBot (calculator + robot) to use in class. The curriculum is suited for mathematics, science, technology, or after-school classes. Appended are: (1) Where to Find Specific Mathematics Content; (2) National Content Standards for Mathematics: Grades 6-8; (3) National Process Standards for Mathematics: Grades 6-8; (4) National Content Standards for Science: Grades 5-8; (5) National Educational Technology Standards for Students; and (6) Standards for English Language Arts.

This package consists of course syllabi, an instructor's handbook, and a student laboratory manual for a 2-year vocational training program to prepare students for entry-level employment as manufacturing technicians. The program was developed through a modification of the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) technique. The course syllabi volume begins with the MASTER (Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology Educational Resources) Program Consortium competency profile with 12 duties (and supporting technical workplace competencies): practice safety; apply mathematical concepts; interpret engineering drawings and control documents; recognize different manufacturing materials and processes; measure/inspect; perform conventional machining; perform advanced machining; program using CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) system; use computers; participate in total quality and SPC (statistical process control) activities; maintain electrical devices; and maintain hydraulic/pneumatic devices. The first volume contains the justification, documentation, and course syllabi for the courses. Each syllabus contains the following: course description; prerequisites; course objectives; required course materials; methods of instruction; lecture outline; lab outline; Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills competencies taught; and appropriate reference materials. The two-volume instructor's handbook consists of technical training modules that include some or all of the following: time required; duty; task; objective(s); instructional materials list; references; student preparation; introduction; presentation outline; practical application; evaluation; summary; and attachments, including handouts, laboratory worksheets, and self-assessment with answer key. The handbook is arranged by duty grouping, with technical modules developed for each task box on the competency profile. The student laboratory manual contains a DACUM chart and learning modules for duties A-L. Each module in the student manual includes some or all of the following: objectives, outline, laboratory exercises, laboratory aids, and handouts. (MN)

This package consists of course syllabi, an instructor's handbook, and student laboratory manual for a 1-year vocational training program to prepare students for entry-level positions as advanced computer numerical control (CNC) and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) technicians.. The program was developed through a modification of the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) technique. The course syllabi volume begins with the MASTER (Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology Educational Resources) Program Consortium competency profile with 9 duties (and supporting technical workplace competencies): practice safety; apply mathematical concepts; interpret engineering drawings and control documents; recognize different manufacturing materials and processes; measure/inspect; perform conventional machining; perform advanced machining; use verification and communication systems; and program using CAM [computer-aided manufacturing] systems. The first volume contains the justification, documentation, and course syllabi for the courses. Each syllabus contains the following: course description; prerequisites; course objectives; required course materials; methods of instruction; lecture outline; lab outline; Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills competencies taught; and appropriate reference materials. The instructor's handbook consists of technical training modules that include some or all of the following: time required; duty; task; objective(s); instructional materials list; references; student preparation; introduction; presentation outline; practical application; evaluation; summary; and attachments, including handouts, laboratory worksheets, and self-assessment with answer key. The handbook is arranged by duty grouping, with technical modules developed for each task box on the competency profile. The student laboratory manual contains a DACUM chart and learning modules. Each module in the student manual includes some or all of the following: objectives, outline, laboratory exercises, laboratory aids, and handouts. (MN)

This package consists of course syllabi, an instructor's handbook, and a student laboratory manual for a 1-year vocational training program to prepare students for entry-level employment as automated equipment repair technicians. The program was developed through a modification of the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) technique. The course syllabi volume begins with the MASTER (Machine Tool Advanced Skills Technology Educational Resources) Program Consortium competency profile with 10 duties (and supporting technical workplace competencies): apply science to solve industrial problems; use drawings to analyze and repair systems; use calibrated measuring instruments to test/calibrate components; resolve system failures with critical thinking, troubleshooting theory, and metrology; use techniques to isolate malfunctions of electrical/electronic systems; measure/isolate malfunctions of mechanical/fluid power systems; apply computer science to computer controlled industrial equipment; correct malfunctions in PLC [programmable logic controllers] controlled industrial equipment; resolve malfunctions in computer systems controlling manufacturing processes; and assemble/disassemble mechanical, electrical, electronic, and computer systems. The first volume contains the justification, documentation, and syllabi for the courses. Each syllabus contains the following: course description; prerequisites; course objectives; required course materials; methods of instruction; lecture outline; lab outline; Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills competencies taught; and appropriate reference materials. The instructor's handbook consists of technical training modules that include some or all of the following: time required; duty; task; objective(s); instructional materials list; references; student preparation; introduction; presentation outline; practical application; evaluation; summary; and attachments, including handouts, laboratory worksheets, and self-assessment with answer key. The handbook is arranged by duty grouping, with technical modules developed for each task box on the competency profile. The student laboratory manual contains a DACUM chart and learning modules. Each module includes some or all of the following: objectives, outline, laboratory exercises, laboratory aids, and handouts. (MN)

This guide helps teachers use the 15th season of the television program "Newton's Apple" in the classroom and lists show segments on asthma, car engines, glacier climbing, glass blowing, glaucoma, gliders, gold mine, greenhouse effect, kids on Mars, lightning, "Lost World" dinosaurs, mammoth dig, NASA robots, Novocain (TM), pack behavior, pet food, phases of the moon, proteins, robots, scuba diving, smiles, sunken slave ship, white-water rafting, wilderness training, wind blow, and zoo vet. Each topic features one main activity and several mini-activities related to the scientific concept it covers. Background information and additional resources are also listed. (WRM)

With this Career and Technologies Studies (CTS) curriculum guide, secondary students in Alberta can do the following: develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives; refine career-planning skills; develop technology-related skills in electro-technologies; enhance employability skills, especially in electro-technologies industries; and apply and reinforce learning developed in other subject areas. The curriculum is organized in strands and modules. This guide encompassing the electro-technologies strand contains 37 modules that define what a student is expected to know and be able to do (competencies). The guide is organized in the following parts: (1) program rationale and philosophy, learner expectations, program organization, curriculum and assessment standards, and types of competencies in career and technology studies; (2) strand rationale and philosophy and strand organization for electro-technologies studies; (3) planning for instruction for career and technology studies and for electro-technologies courses; (4) module curriculum and assessment standards for introductory level electro-technologies competencies; (5) module curriculum and assessment standards for intermediate level electro-technologies competencies; (6) module curriculum and assessment standards for advanced level electro-technologies competencies; (7) assessment tools; (8) linkages and transitions; (9) learning resource guide; and (10) sample student learning guides. Modules cover the following broad topics: electro-assembly; conversion and distribution; power supply; digital technology; control systems; analog, electronic, and radio communication; security systems; robotics; circuit wiring; electro-optics; magnetic control; electronic servicing; generation/transformation; microprocessors; amplifiers; motors; and control applications. (KC)

These teaching guides are meant to supplement the seventh season (1996-97) of the PBS Series "Scientific American Frontiers". Episode 701 is entitled "Inventing the Future: A Tour of the MIT Media Lab" and the teaching guide contains information and activities on a virtual pet dog, computers of the future, a smart car designed to prevent accidents, wearable computers, and an interactive opera using hyperinstruments. The teaching guide for Episode 702, entitled "Science Safari: A Scientific Expedition through South Africa", includes information and activities on controlling malaria, hominid fossils found in South Africa, a 16th-century royal burial site, wildlife management in South African nature parks, and attempts to save wild plants from extinction. Episode 703 is entitled"Pieces of Mind: Inside the Human Brain" and features information and activities on split-brain patients, the emotional aspects of memory, false memory, REM sleep, and language learning. Episode 704 is entitled "Going to Extremes: Testing Nature's Limits" and contains information and activities on funnel web spiders, the physiology of mountain sickness, the biomechanics and physiology of the cheetah and the pronghorn antelope, frogs and fish that survive extremely cold temperatures, and new ocean species discovered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Episode 705 is entitled "Robots Alive! Robots with Minds of Their Own" and presents information and activities on robots that navigate mazes and clean tennis courts, a van that drives itself, teaching a robot to walk on two legs, the attempt to create artificial intelligence, and the Aerial Robotics Competition. (WRM)

This document, which is intended for technology educators in Mississippi, outlines a technology discovery course in which a modular instruction approach allows ninth graders to experience various workplace technologies within four career cluster areas: agriculture/natural resources technology, business/marketing technology, health/human services technology, and engineering/industrial technology. Presented first are a course description, list of course goals, and course outline. The remainder of the guide is divided into two sections. Section I, which is the actual curriculum framework, lists suggested behavioral objectives to enable students to master the 30 competencies addressed in the course. Section II consists of outlines for 16 units on the following topics: course overview; introduction to technology; aerospace, audio/video communications, biomedical, computer-aided design and drafting, computer imaging, electrical, engineering structures, environmental, laser, manufacturing management, production/processing, robotics, satellite communications technologies, and emerging technologies. Each unit outline contains suggested time on tasks, competencies and objectives, teaching strategies, assessment strategies, and resources. A student competency profile is appended. (MN)

This document, which is intended for use by community and junior colleges throughout Mississippi, contains curriculum frameworks for the following eight programs in the electricity/electronics/related engineering technology cluster: automated manufacturing technology; communications electronics repair technology; computer servicing technology; electrical technology; electronics technology; instrumentation technology; robotics technology; and telecommunications technology. Presented in the introductory section are a program description and suggested course sequence for each program. Section I lists baseline competencies for the electrical programs and the electronics programs. Section II consists of course outlines for each course in the following six sequences: automated manufacturing technology; communications electronics repair technology; computer servicing technology; electrical technology; telecommunications technology; and related vocational/technical courses. Each course outline contains some/all of the following: course name and abbreviation; course classification; course description; prerequisites; and competencies and suggested objectives. Recommended tools and equipment are listed in section III. Appended are lists of related academic topics and workplace skills for the 21st century and student competency profiles for both courses. (MN)

Thematic units, the basis of organization for this guide, work in many ways toward the dual goals of language and content area instruction. The thematic units presented here address topics of high interest to limited English-proficient (LEP) students, including: robots; using a computer data base; activities with plants; building terrariums; architecture; and cooking. In order to provide LEP students with an active role in the learning process, the units incorporate many opportunities for them to play games, participate in movement activities, enter into role playing, create art works and constructions, cook and manipulate materials. To bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world, the units incorporate field trips and other activities that provide LEP students with motivational experiences to facilitate their learning of the new culture as well as the new language. To help LEP students toward full literacy, the units use a whole language approach, including many experiences with rich literature, and opportunities to develop writing skills. In addition, the units are planned to incorporate the language, math, and science objectives of the Georgia Basic Curriculum. Each of the units in the guide includes an introductory statement of purpose, learning objectives, key concepts, a brief outline of activities, grade levels for which the unit is intended, and a list of suggested resources. Each unit addresses a range of several grade levels. Georgia Basic Curriculum objectives for each activity are displayed on a grid. Each activity includes recommended grouping and teacher role, a list of materials needed, detailed procedures, suggestions for evaluation, and possible extensions of the activity. (KR)

This document consists of teacher's and student's guides for approximately 10 days of instruction that introduces robotics. The teacher's guide contains the following: an introduction; a daily lesson plan outline; a pretest; answers to the pretest and posttest; a list of student competencies; unit objectives and terms; definitions of terms; transparency masters on identifying robot parts and types of robots; information for discussions on end-effectors and on pick and place; information on how to conduct student activities on building a low-cost sorting robotic arm and transporting objects using pneumatic and hydraulic power; questions for class discussions on the social and environmental impact of robots; lesson plans on point-to-point function, continuous path function, and maintenance; a posttest; and 19 references. Contents of the student guide are as follows: (1) module instructions; (2) a list of 27 competencies; (3) a student information sheet that covers defining robotics, terms, related careers, what a robot is, why and how robots developed, types of industrial robots, parts of the robot, and issues surrounding robots; (4) a student review worksheet; (5) information on how to use a programming sheet; (6) information on student activities designed to show students how to determine, for instance, degrees of freedom and the horizontal and vertical reach of the robot arm; and (7) information and student worksheets on robotic coding. (CML)

This student manual for the Miller MRH-5 welding robot contains nine modules on how to: safely operate the MRH-5 robot; recognize different types of data; weld a part programming the MRH-5; re-teach an already taught program; weld various joints with the MRH-5 robot; weld a desk plaque with the MRH-5 robot; perform editing functions; check/edit system data; and perform functions in edit mode. Each module may contain the following: number; task; estimated time; overview; outline; objectives; study guide; lesson; assumptions; summary; examples; and guidelines. Module 10, blank sequence sheets, is not included. (NLA)

Introduces a project for elementary school students in which students build a robot by following instructions and then write a computer program to run their robot by using LabView graphical development software. Uses ROBOLAB curriculum which is designed for grade levels K-12. (YDS)

Describes projects using conventional technologies--incorporation of relatively inexpensive visual control with mobile robots using a simple remote control vehicle platform, a camera, a mirror, and a computer. Explains how technology teachers can apply them in the classroom. (JOW)

This learning activity describes how a robot moves and the systems that power robots. Provides detailed information about XBOT, which uses modified servomotors to power its wheels. (JOW)

Describes a unit on robotics that includes problem solving, working together, and constructing and programming a robot. Provides students with an opportunity for critical thinking. (JOW)

Describes an interdisciplinary unit on robotics that includes teaching parts of a circle, constructing and programming robots, and incorporating language arts. (JOW)

This training module on the troubleshooting of an electromechanical system, The Westinghouse Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) controlling a pneumatic robot, is used for a troubleshooting unit in an electromechanical systems/robotics and automation systems course. In this unit, students locate and repair a defect in a PLC-operated machine. The module contains a description, objective, content outline, student activities, methodology, and nine resources. The content outline contains the following units: safety procedures; determining normal system operation; determining point of system failure; analyze data; use PLC override to confirm determination; did something occur to change drum data; repair; verification of repair; and troubleshooting report. There are eight student activities: take pretest; read chapter; read a section in the equipment manual; attend lecture/demonstration; perform laboratory exercises using supplied worksheet; complete report; take posttest; and complete evaluation. The following materials are provided: student packet, student worksheet evaluation for exercise, and eight pages of machine-specific reference data useful in troubleshooting the system. (NLA)

The project described in this report was conducted at the Community College of Luzerne County (Pennsylvania) to develop, in conjunction with area vocational-technical schools, the second year of a competency-based curriculum in automated systems/robotics technology. During the project, a task force of teachers from the area schools and the college developed courses and competencies for both secondary and postsecondary robotics programs. The task force also developed materials and equipment lists, supervised the layout of the laboratory in a new Advanced Technology Center, created a competency-based catalog of proposed courses, and implemented the program. Most of this document consists of the curriculum materials, including competencies for eight automated systems/robotics courses, recommendations for equipment/software selection, and recommendations for articulation. Attachments include a list of task force members, task force data and recommendations, the Advanced Technology Center brochure, a program brochure, and specifications for three pieces of equipment. (KC)

This guide is intended to assist adult educators in designing and adapting curricula to conform to technological changes in the workplace and to meet the learning needs of adults. The first part deals with the changing workplace and its effect on postsecondary education and with developing programs that respond to change (responses to technological change, strategies for identifying emerging skills, and steps for creating successful high-technology programs). The second part consists of six chapters that detail the following stages in the curriculum development process: assessing needs (assessing business, industry, labor, program, and staff development needs), defining objectives (using information to define needs and goals and establishing priorities), identifying resources (information resources for vocational-technical education and small group techniques for gathering information), developing curricular content (occupational analysis, the Developing a Curriculum Process [DACUM] approach, and the use of adult development information in curriculum development), implementing a curriculum (planning, overcoming resistance, and updating teacher skills), and monitoring and evaluating implementation (developing an evaluation system). Appendixes include descriptions of exemplary high-technology programs and curriculum guidelines and specifications for computer-assisted design, computer-assisted manufacturing, and robotics programs. (MN)

Baseline data on engineering programs, faculty, and students in selected and rapidly developing engineering specialties are presented, based on a survey of engineering schools. The specialties of interest are: computers, materials, microelectronics, robotics, manufacturing, and biotechnology programs. National estimates are derived from the responses of 96 engineering schools. Attention is directed to the availability of qualified faculty, including the supply of doctoral students, in emerging engineering areas. Information is presented on: the total number of faculty recruitments in progress and completed during the 1983-1984 academic year; sources of qualified applicants and their citizenship; the organization and location of the engineering programs; how programs at public and private colleges compare; programs at the top 50 institutions that granted the largest number of doctoral degrees in engineering in 1981-1982; and programs at the top 50 institutions ranked highest in terms of research expenditures. It was found that in 1983-1984, there were 470 operational programs in emerging engineering areas, averaging nearly four programs per institution. Appendices present the questionnaire, information on survey methodology, and technical notes. (SW)

A project was conducted at the Community College of Luzerne County (Pennsylvania) to develop, in cooperation with area vocational-technical schools, the first year of a competency-based curriculum in automated systems/robotics. Existing programs were reviewed by the task force and a list of sample competencies was developed and sent to area manufacturers for a rating of task importance. The results of these efforts and the curriculum itself are presented in three sections. The first section covers general business/industry trends; Automated Systems/Robotics Technology curriculum; articulation; and a proposed second-year course listing. The second section of the curriculum guide lists educational specifications for the robotics laboratory and the fluid power laboratory, and the final section lists equipment specifications. Appendixes to the report list the task force members, describe the literature search, and provide a task listing with manufacturers' ratings. Sample task force letters complete the report. (KC)

This curriculum guide is designed to assist industrial arts teachers, counselors, and administrators in improving instruction in the areas of electricity and basic electronics. Included in the first part of the guide are a course flow chart, a course description, a discussion of target grade levels and prerequisites, course goals and objectives, an introduction, and a course outline. The next major section is a unit teaching guide consisting of units on the following topics: safety, mathematics skills, the nature of electricity, meters and measuring, residential electricity, direct-current circuits, magnetism, test equipment, alternating-current circuits, semiconductors, electronic devices, circuit fabrication, computers, robotics, industrial electricity and electronics, and careers. Appended to the guide are sample tests, a tool list, information on fire extinguishers, safety recordkeeping forms, a math review, formulas and conversions, worksheets on Ohm's Law and the Power Law, a tool identification sheet, instructions on house wiring and reading meters, sample lab exercises, and information sheets on robotics and the effects of current on the body. (MN)

This guide is designed for use in helping junior and senior high school students explore the field of electricity and electronics as a potential career area. Included in the manual are the following materials: definitions, a key to the organization and numbering code and symbols used in the lists of objectives, lists of general and program objectives with recommended instructional levels, a flow chart detailing the organizational pattern of the course of study to prepare students for careers in electricity and electronics, descriptions of pertinent required and elective courses, suggested facilities layouts, guidelines for classroom safety and health, a discussion of strategies for mainstreaming disabled students through the development of individualized educational programs (IEPs), a competency profile for vocational teachers instructing sensory and physically impaired students, a self-assessment evaluation form for teachers, a sample certificate of completion, and a brief list of basic textbooks. (MN)

This training package is designed for use by staff of the U.S. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training who are participating in a course dealing with apprenticeship in the future. Addressed in the individual units of the course are the following topics: employment trends of the future (computers, robotics, communications, growth and declining occupations, future employment projections, and the effects of each of these factors on apprenticeship); apprenticeship training, job analysis, modular training, computer-based training); and marketing apprenticeship (using techniques of marketing, marketing campaigns, conducting a briefing, performing a cost/benefit analysis, and researching). Each unit is subdivided into a series of modules containing reference materials (the content of the course lectures, supplementary articles, bibliographies, and sources of further information); exercise materials; and an apprentice training resource guidebook (charts, forms, and summaries of the most important information from the module). The final section of the package is designed for use as an on-the-job desk guide. (MN)

This volume of the final report for the Robotics/Automated Systems Technician (RAST) curriculum project is a curriculum planning guide intended for school administrators, faculty, and student counselors/advisors. It includes step-by-step procedures to help institutions evaluate their community's needs and their capabilities to meet these needs in the area of RAST training. Chapter I describes robotics/automated systems technology. Brief explanations of the components of robots and automated systems are provided. The special capabilities distinguishing these systems from traditional manufacturing equipment are listed and described. Current applications are catalogued briefly. Chapter II provides information about the expected future demand for RASTs and recommendations for conducting local and regional needs surveys. Chapter III provides a job description and task analysis for the RAST. Chapter IV describes the rationale, structure, and content of a recommended RAST training program. The core curriculum approach is explained and the national model for a RAST curriculum is described. Course descriptions, outlines, and a suggested sequence are included. Recommendations and information regarding program planning and implementation are contained in chapter V. Facilities and equipment, staffing, costs, and entrance guidelines are considered. Appendixes include specialty course outlines and a listing of textbooks and references. (YLB)

This task analysis report for the Robotics/Automated Systems Technician (RAST) curriculum project first provides a RAST job description. It then discusses the task analysis, including the identification of tasks, the grouping of tasks according to major areas of specialty, and the comparison of the competencies to existing or new courses to determine the suitability of the course to a new curriculum for robotics/automated systems. Division of courses into modules is also discussed. A sample seven-quarter RAST program course sequencing chart is provided. Following the five-page narrative are extensive appendixes. Appendix A lists the competencies--both terminal and enabling--required of a RAST. Appendix B, Section 1, contains course descriptions for the core of courses common to several areas of specialty. A description of each specialty course is included in Appendix B, Section 2. Each course is described by a brief narrative stating purpose and goals for student learning. Course outlines, a listing of student competencies, and a list of recommended texts follow. Sample modules are provided for specialty courses. Appendix C contains brief descriptions of physics modules changes to include principles required for RAST training. (YLB)

The six new robotics and automated systems specialty courses developed by the Robotics/Automated Systems Technician (RAST) project are described in this publication. Course titles are Fundamentals of Robotics and Automated Systems, Automated Systems and Support Components, Controllers for Robots and Automated Systems, Robotics and Automated Systems Interfaces, Robotics/Automated Systems at Work, and Automated Work Cell Integration. This information is included for each course: a course description, course outline with number of classroom and laboratory hours per week, laboratory activities, and a list of student competencies. Each course is further amplified by the inclusion of suggested modules and module outlines (an introduction, topic outline, and a list of instructional objectives) to support that course. The module outlines could be used as a guide by instructors wishing to write their own text material and laboratory manuals. (YLB)

This document contains suggestions for integrating the elements of robotics into technology education courses from elementary through junior high and high school levels. Eighteen courses into which robotics instruction can be incorporated are listed. They include the following: exploring industry and technology, introduction to industrial and technological systems, communication systems, electronic communication systems, construction systems, electromechanical systems and servicing, construction planning and design, constructing and servicing structures and systems, manufacturing systems, manufacturing materials and processes, product and production system design, manufacturing production systems, transportation systems, technical elements of transportation, planning and designing transportation systems, human and product transporting systems, research and development, and entrepreneurship. For each course title, grade level and size of school are given; robotics learning activities are detailed in a step-by-step fashion. A brief bibliography is included in the guide. (KC)

This teacher's guide is designed to help high school industrial arts teachers plan activities to develop their students' awareness of technology in our culture and the variety of related careers available to them. Discussed first are the objectives, scope, and sequence of industrial arts. Next, the special characteristics and needs of adolescents, women in industrial arts programs, disadvantaged or disabled students, and students from various ethnic and racial groups are examined. Discussed in the next two chapters is the need to incorporate basic skills and entrepreneurship education activities into industrial arts curricula. The fifth chapter consists of a series of program goals, course goals, and suggested activities for use in covering the following subject areas in an industrial arts curriculum: graphic communications, energy and power, materials and processes, academic skills, employment opportunities and career choice, safety, multicultural awareness, and entrepreneurship. Provided next are a series of course outlines devoted to the following topics: graphic communications, entrepreneurship, robotics, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, nondestructive testing, properties of materials, manufacturing processes, energy and power, voice synthesis, fiber optics, and optoelectronics. The final chapter discusses various resources available to industrial arts teachers, including advisory committees, student organizations, publishers, regional coordinators, journals, professional associations, and curriculum and resource centers. (MN)

A framework for curriculum design and a set of guidelines for curriculum development in gifted education are presented. The major dimensions guiding curriculum development for gifted students are: content, process, product, and learning environment. Curriculum content should be developed in such a way that it becomes more abstract, complex, varied, organized in larger chunks, economical with regard to details, comprehensive, and relevant for the future. Processes should include questioning strategies, open-ended activities, discovery learning, reasoning, student freedom of choice, active interaction among students, contact with mentors, fast pacing, and a constant varying of methods. Products should address real problems, communicate to real audiences, transform information, and be evaluated from several points of view. The learning environment should be student-centered, designed to foster student independence, open to new ideas, accepting, complex, and highly mobile. A series of teaching activities is described illustrating implementation of these educational principles in the areas of economics, historical research, and robotics. Includes five references. (JDD)

This model instructional unit was developed to aid trade and industrial education teachers in Louisiana in preparing students for careers in the field of power mechanics. Students are provided experiences related to the design, theory, construction, and appropriate uses of the power systems, as well as the maintenance and repair of the more common industrial power systems. The guide provides model performance objectives, current technology content, sources, and lists of supplemental materials. Following a course description and rationale, the guide contains 11 instructional units covering the following topics: introduction; safety; tools and equipment; mechanical power systems; external combustion engines; internal combustion engines; fluid power systems; electrical power systems; automated systems and robotics; careers; and special projects. Each unit consists of introduction; competencies; general performance objectives/goals; specific performance objectives and mastery criteria; methodology; suggested interest approaches; unit outline; subject-matter content related to specific performance objectives and learning activities; activity sheets; transparency masters; test with answer key; evaluation and testing methods; and equipment and supply list. (KC)

This model instructional unit was developed to aid industrial arts/technology education teachers in Louisiana to teach a course on microprocessors and robotics in grades 11 and 12. It provides guidance on model performance objectives, current technology content, sources, and supplemental materials. Following a course description, rationale, and content outline time schedule, the guide contains 12 instructional units covering the following topics: review of basic electricity/electronics; past and future of computing; digital electronics; microprocessors; introduction to computer hardware; introduction to software; introduction to robotics and automation; classification of robots; interfacing; application of robots; impact of robotics on society; and teaching microprocessors and robotics through competitive events. Each unit consists of an introduction; competencies; general performance objectives/goals; specific performance objectives and mastery criteria; methodology; suggested interest approaches; unit outline; subject matter content related to specific performance objectives and learning activities; activity sheets; test with answer key; evaluation and testing methods; and equipment and supply list. (KC)

Discusses the use of games and toys in teaching fractions, independent thinking, and organizational skills to elementary students. Explains the basis of the method in a constructivist approach. (JOW)

Outlines how a course in robotics can be taught at the undergraduate level with specific experiments that can be used for incremental learning in programming a mobile robot or by simulating the actions of a robot. Contains 14 references. (Author/ASK)

Presents activities for K-4 students that explore two areas of body mechanics--bones and joints--with an emphasis on the human hand. Relates knowledge of how the body functions to comparable examples in robotics such as the "hand" of the Canadarm of the space shuttle. Activities are geared for students in pairs. (AIM)

Discusses a variety of sensors--specifically those of the NASA Mars Pathfinder Lander--and identifies other kinds of sensor technologies used in the industrial and scientific world. Suggests that using sensors to solve technological problems is limited only by one's creativity and imagination. (JOW)

This Technology Learning Activity (TLA) for control robotics programming technology in grades 6-10 is designed to teach students to construct and program computer-controlled devices using a LEGO DACTA set and computer interface and to help them understand how control technology and robotics affect them and their lifestyle. The suggested time for this activity is 8 days. Introductory materials provide an overview of technology education and information on using the two parts of the TLA: the instructor's guide and the student guide. The instructor's section provides the following: an overview of technology education, a list of high priority academic student skills specific to the TLA, a summary of activities and supplies needed for students to complete the TLA, a resource list, an instructional sequence (daily lesson plans with suggested daily assignments; equipment, tools, and supplies needed for each student; column for facility requirements or modifications), a supplies and materials worksheet, pretest and posttest, written exam answer sheets, and evaluation summary for the TLA. The student's section provides daily activities for each of the 8 days. Within the daily activity pages are these components common to all TLAs: summary of activities, pretest instructions, list of assignments to turn in, goal, glossary, list of priority academic students skills reinforced by this TLA, list of objectives, related Technology Student Association competitive event(s), and academic and workplace applications. (YLB)

Provides insight into the exciting future of robotics. Includes a student quiz and possible student outcomes. (JOW)

Compares and reviews currently available brands of steel construction sets that are useful to physics teachers for building demonstrations, prototypes of mechanisms, robotics, and remote control devices. (ZWH)

This book, presented as a conversation among its three authors, offers strategies for theme exploration in whole language classrooms and focuses on the first and fourth grades. The book asserts that exploring a theme with students is the epitome of whole language teaching because students develop language and literacy best when they use language to gain understanding of a wide range of topics, themes, and concepts. The book's first section describes how a unit on robots became a journey of theme exploration; offers a definition of whole language principles and goals; and describes one teacher's journey from a basal to a whole language approach. The following section details the development of a fourth-grade theme exploration project about improving the world by focusing on environmental, social, and technological issues. The next section outlines a first grade theme exploration project titled Metaphors and Meteorology. The two final sections are retrospective assessments of both the fourth- and the first-grade projects. A 67-item bibliography of children's fiction, nonfiction and poetry books, an extensive bibliography of professional books and articles, and an equally extensive bibliography designed to aid teachers' selection of children's books are included. An appendix titled "What is whole language"; a second appendix titled "The fourth-graders' play"; and a third appendix titled "Selecting theme books" are also attached. (SAM)

This teaching guide was developed to help technical education teachers present courses including robotics to junior and senior high school students. The guide contains six units of instruction. Each unit includes some or all of the following basic components of a unit of instruction: objective sheet, suggested activities for the teacher, answers to assignment sheets, answers to written test, written test, unit evaluation form, teacher supplements, transparency masters, information sheet, assignment sheets, student supplements, and job sheets. Information included only in the teacher's edition includes information on use of the publication, a competency profile, an instructional review and task analysis, a list of related academic and workplace skills, a list of tools, equipment and materials, and a list of eight references. Topics covered in the units are as follows: orientation, nonservo robot operations, servo robot operations, sensors, end-of-arm tooling, and flexible manufacturing. (KC)

This guide contains 36 learning modules intended for use by technology teachers and students in grades 7 and 8. Each module includes a student laboratory activity and instructor's resource sheet. Each student activity includes the following: activity topic and overview, challenge statement, objectives, vocabulary/concepts reinforced, equipment/supplies, introduction and step-by-step procedure, and evaluation. Among the elements included in the instructor resource sheets are the following: activity topic, essential elements, overview, challenge statement, systems model, critical thinking skills reinforced, teaching tips, instructional strategy, equipment/supplies, evaluation key, support materials, modifications for special needs students, and illustrations. The following are among the module topics: technology as building blocks, technological assessment of new innovations, telecommunication, news production, standards, energy states, chemical energy, power transmission systems, magnetism, superconductors, infrastructures, self-sustaining habitats in alien environments, engineering materials and material properties, hazardous materials, bridge construction, devices to assist disabled persons, robots, and cleanup. Also included are guidelines for using the laboratory activity materials, instructional planning outlines and worksheets, and the common essential elements of an introductory technology course. Many of the modules are also appropriate for high school technology programs. (MN)

This document contains the materials required for presenting an 8-day competency-based technology learning activity (TLA) designed to introduce students in grades 6-10 to advances and career opportunities in the field of robotics-control technology. The guide uses hands-on exploratory experiences into which activities to help students develop basic skills have been incorporated. The document consists of an introductory section, instructor's guide, and student's guide. Presented in the introductory section are an overview of Oklahoma's technology education program and guidelines for using the instructor's and student's guides. The instructor's section contains the following: background information, expected learner outcomes, suggested learning activities, lesson plan, summary worksheet, pretest, posttest, test answers, evaluation summary, and bibliography. The student's guide contains one section for each of the TLA's 8 days. Each section includes some or all of the following: summary of activities and basic skills covered, goal, word list, expected learner outcomes, objectives, academic and workplace applications, information sheets, step-by-step learning activity outline, diagrams, handouts, and career search activity. An optional activity that could be used for solving problems or reinforcing learning is included. (MN)

Discusses a child-centered science project in which first-grade students integrate design drawing, construction, mathematics, and language arts to solve engineering problems related to constructing robots. Describes the construction of the robots, follow-up activities, and educational research that supports this approach to teaching. (10 references) (MDH)

This publication on Aerospace Programs is a special edition of "Technology Education" featuring descriptions of 15 select aerospace education programs from diverse localities spanning the full range of instructional levels. Following introductory material, the monograph contains the following largely unedited program descriptions: (1) summaries of 16 elementary school science projects; (2) review of a high school technology education curriculum focusing on instructional strategies useful to interdisciplinary conceptual integration; (3) report of the middle school activities comprising a study unit on satellites; (4) outline of a hands-on, self-directed junior high school project on model rocketry; (5) description of an introductory program for technology within a district-wide industrial arts curriculum; (6) an examination of various career options encompassed within an aviation/aerospace high school course; (7) a high school report on space station simulations; (8) profile of the space applications involving activities included within a former high school industrial arts program; (9) outline of the organization and the educational objectives involved in Moonbase America, and the specific efforts underway at Copley High School, Ohio; (10) overview of cooperative activities included in a high school aerospace technology curriculum; (11) explanation of the 8-step problem-solving procedure utilized in a high school aerospace and technology program; 12) discussion of the central project concept to focus technological instruction and high school activities; (13) detailed review of the central concept as a practical approach to interdisciplinary high school education; (14) report on the objectives, mission plan, and classroom setup for a mock, space shuttle flight at a community college; and (15) narrative of the role of graduate students involving the development of the Hubble Telescope during a practicum in an industrial arts class. Contact addresses for each author are included. A resource guide by Rob Campbell for educational services and materials available from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, organizations supporting aerospace activities, educational suppliers, and industry is included. (JJK)

This document contains technology-based learning activities for the Illinois communication technology course at the orientation level (grades 9 and 10). This packet includes a course rationale, course mission statement, course description, course outline, suggested learning objectives for each of the transportation areas, and suggested learning experiences. The packet also contains 32 developed learning activities. The content can be presented through short lectures, discussion, media, demonstrations, or hands-on activities. The course units can follow either a 9- or an 18-week format. There are six units in this course: introduction to communication technology, drafting and design, photography, graphic arts, processing and communicating information with computers and computer applications, and telecommunications technology. Each unit may contain suggested learning objectives and learning activities. Each activity within a unit contains some or all of the following sections: introduction, materials and supplies list, activity procedures, activity analysis, various kinds of drawings and other graphics, teaching aids, and student handouts. (NLA)

This volume of Resources in Technology contains the following eight instructional modules: (1) "Processing Technology"; (2) "Water--A Magic Resource"; (3) "Hazardous Waste Disposal--The NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) Syndrome"; (4) "Processing Fibers and Fabrics"; (5) "Robotics--An Emerging Technology"; (6) Machine Vision--Giving Eyes to Robots"; (7) "Crossing Over...Bridge Technology Comes of Age"; and (8) "Manufacturing Processes--New Methods for the Materials Age." Each article may contain some or all of the following: information on the social/cultural impacts of the technology, construction activities, possible student outcomes, a student quiz, acknowledgements, a glossary, and references. (NLA)

This production systems guide provides teachers with learning activities for secondary students. Introductory materials include an instructional planning outline and worksheet, an outline of essential elements, domains and objectives, a course description, and a content outline. The guide contains 30 modules on the following topics: production materials; production processes; production organization; the enterprise system; material testing; structure classification; company management--construction and manufacturing; product development; simulation of automation; space production systems; human-powered vehicle; the tower of pasta; materials assembly; using robots in industry; consumer goods; name that material; types and grades of production materials; calculating quantities and costs of production materials; basic robotics; introduction to problem solving; advanced problem solving--teamwork; rafter lengths for roof construction; concrete design and construction; a structural framing model; basic blueprint reading--architectural plans; designing and building an aluminum can crusher; building a home recycling center; exploring space-based construction; foundation structures; and structures and forces of nature. Each module includes an instructor's resource sheet and the student laboratory activity. Each instructor's resource sheet may include the following elements: module number; activity topic; estimated time; essential elements; objectives; activity summary; teaching tips; instructional strategy; equipment/supplies; evaluation key; and support materials. Each student activity may include the following elements: module number; activity topic; activity overview; objectives; vocabulary/concepts reinforced; equipment/supplies; introduction; procedure; evaluation; and support materials. (NLA)