Students could be required to take a technology literacy course if the Ball State University Core Curriculum for the 21st Century is approved. Both the Student Government Association and the University Core Curriculum subcommittee of University Senate have discussed this issue.
SGA passed legislation Wednesday that encouraged the university to add a specific course in technology literacy to UCC-21.
"There's enough research and information that you could actually say it deserves to be a course," Matt Walker, SGA senator and UCC subcommittee member, said.
If a designated course were added to the curriculum, it would increase the credit hours in UCC-21 to 42 hours, he said. This would be more hours than the current core curriculum, and Walker said students told him they did not want more hours added.
"I think 42 [hours] is acceptable, but I'm not sure all students would agree with me," he said.
Ray Shackelford, professor of industry and technology and UCC subcommittee member, introduced an amendment to the original UCC-21 suggesting a technology literacy course be added to the new core. After much discussion, the subcommittee decided that it would be more appropriate for technology literacy to be part of the WISER requirements, which are designations that must be placed on some core courses.
In UCC-21, students would be required to complete one course in five designations: Writing (W), International Awareness (I), Service and Civic Engagement (S), Environmental Awareness and Sustainability (E) and Respect for Diversity Among Peoples and Cultures (R).
The subcommittee voted that a T - Technology Literacy - be added to these designations, requiring students to take courses to fulfill these six areas. Courses would be permitted to carry more than one designation, so students could receive credit for one course and meet the requirement for more than one designation.
Walker said this might not be enough to teach students everything they need to know about technology literacy. Technology is about how to teach problem solving, which is very important in the learning process, he said.
Shackelford said making technology literacy a part of WISER just wasn't the right fit.
"I'm not sure that's going to meet the needs that were set forth by the proposal in student government," Shackelford said.
Walker said he also saw this disparity and was willing to stand up for students' opinions.
"We've got to get to a compromise, but we might have to put our foot down and say, 'Hey, this is important,'" he said.
Shackelford said the university's stance on technology should emphasize the importance of a technology literacy course.
"To pride itself so much in the use of technology but not to significantly address it in curriculum is contradictory to some degree or another," he said.
However, the UCC subcommittee is not the best place to try to add a specific course, Shackelford said. If the UCC subcommittee approves the UCC-21 structure, the proposed core will move on to the Undergraduate Education Committee of University Senate.
"I think the best opportunity to reintroduce the concept will be at UEC," Shackelford said.
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