Philosophy of technology in engineering education

In reflecting on the philosophy of engineering education as a distinct field, questions from other fields of philosophy are encountered. Among these, in addition to philosophy of education, are: ethics, epistemology, ontology, philosophy of science, and philosophy of technology. Within the philosophy of technology, a discussion of ldquophilosophy of engineeringrdquo has been pursued in recent years. In this paper, the areas described and questions raised by philosophy of technology, specifically philosophy of engineering will be briefly presented. The importance of philosophy of technology for the philosophy of engineering education will be developed. In Teaching About Technology (2005), Marc J. de Vries identified four reasons for engineering educators to become acquainted with philosophy of technology. The reasons are: (1) philosophy of technology can yield insights into curriculum development, (2) it can provide a conceptual basis for understanding technology, (3) it helps position the teaching of engineering among other subjects, and (4) it is helpful in identifying the research agenda in engineering education. Included in this paper will be a discussion of the literature in the discipline of philosophy of technology.