Technology system

Everything we do requires the use of technological systems. This happens when we play, study, work or even at home. Think about things you want to do. Does that not require using systems? For example, systems to transport you from here to there such as a car. Or perhaps systems to entertain you, for example radio or television, or musical instruments. Or perhaps

Key information

Technology sustaianbility
Technology Recursos e Constriants
Technology analysis
Technology synthesis e viabilty





The problem
The number of people living on earth has doubled over the last century. At the moment, a small number of these people use huge amounts of the earth's resources like land, energy and water. Unless we share these more fairly around the world, we are going to run out of resources.
The solution
To behave in a way that not only makes our lives better today, but also means that people in the future will be able to live well.
This is called sustainable development.
Why is technology so important?
Our lives are shaped by technology. Not just new technologies like mobile phones and computers, but also the traditional technologies that we use to make food, homes and clothes. So if we are going to live in a sustainable way, the technology that we use has to be sustainable.

By thinking about sustainability when we design, choose and use technology, we can play an important part in building a better world for the future.
Sustainable technology
Sustainable technologies are technologies which use less energy, fewer limited resources, do not deplete natural resources, do not directly or indirectly pollute the environment, and can be reused or recycled at the end of their useful life. There is a significant overlap with appropriate technology, which emphasises the suitability of technology to the context, in particular considering the needs of people in developing countries. However, the most appropriate technology may not be the most sustainable one; and a sustainable technology may have high cost or maintenance requirements that make it unsuitable as an "appropriate technology," as that term is commonly used.

Encouraging sustainability

The use of sustainable technologies may be encouraged through means such as reducing the capacity of the electrical cable supplying a home (e.g. Crystal Waters Village in Australia). In some cases the electricity supplier charges a higher rate for the energy used when the capacity of the supply is increased (for example, in Indonesia[citation nee

Technology Recursos e Constriants

Introduction

After establishing the nature of systems in Technology Activity Module 1 (TAM 1), the instructor now needs to help students evolve their thinking to focus on system inputs, outputs, resources and constraints. Things are just not as simple as TAM 1 presented.
Every system uses resources, some of which are apparent and others which may not be quite so obvious. Furthermore, all systems encounter constraints that ultimately affect their operations. Again, some of these constraints may be obvious, while others not at all so. The primary outcome of this module should be that students become able to carefully identify key system resources and constraints for technological systems.


Module overview

Building on TAM 1’s introduction of the system’s nature of technology, this new module will extend your understanding of technology with three important ideas: (a) all technology systems and subsystems have inputs and outputs, and these are the resources and products of the system; (b) all technological systems face constraints of one kind or another; and (c) all technological systems have intended and unintended outcomes that are both positive and negative.
Every system uses resources, some of which are apparent, and others which may not be quite so obvious. Furthermore, all systems encounter constraints that ultimately affect their operations. Again, some of these constraints may be obvious while others not at all so. The primary outcome of this module should be that students become able to carefully identify key system resources and constraints for technological systems. Systems may use resources that are material, energy or information in nature.
Examples of these include, respectively, steel, electricity and knowledge. The resources used by a technological system may be obvious, such as gasoline fuel, an energy resource used by cars. Of course, systems may also use resources that are not at all obvious: for example the car uses air as a material resource, but this is not readily apparent. If we were to consider the car and driver system moving down a road, another not immediately obvious resource .

Objectives
This module will teach you two very important concepts about technological systems. The first is about what resources are, and how to think about them. The second is what technological system constraints are, and how to use them in increasing your understanding of such systems.
This activity will introduce some very important ideas needed to fully understand technology. You will learn to identify the inputs and outputs of technological systems and subsystems. Then you will explore the concept of constraints and how they affect what you can do with technology. Finally, you will begin developing the most important of all technological skills, namely that of assessing technology.

Importance
Knowing about technology’s systems is not enough to understand it; in no way is this sufficient. All systems have to use inputs, otherwise where would they get the energy needed to operate, and the material needed to make their products? Without information inputs, how would they know what to do? Even more important, almost all systems require people in some way.
All systems require some form of control, some way of keeping the system from going wrong. These things do not just happen. They must be engineered into a system. Furthermore, from your own experience, you will already have seen that technology’s impacts can be both positive and negative. For example, the automobile, which has enabled so many people to transport themselves considerable distances, has had very positive consequences. However, we know that automobile accidents and pollution are also consequences of this technology.

Neither were what we wanted or envisioned when we first developed the car. But, why is it even important to know about technological system resources and constraints? Simply put, a knowledge of technological system resources is absolutely essential to designing, using and trouble-shooting such systems. For example, if you did not know that automobiles require gasoline as a resource, how would you know to fill the tank if the car stopped working? Similarly, technological system constraints are important in order to understand how efficiently and effectively these systems are operating. What keeps a system from overworking and/or breaking? Why might a system or subsystem be less than optimal?
All systems require some form of control, some way of keeping the system from going wrong. These things do not just happen. They must be engineered into a system. Furthermore, from your own experience, you will already have seen that technology’s impacts can be both positive and negative. For example, the automobile, which has enabled so many people to transport themselves considerable distances, has had very positive consequences. However, we know that automobile accidents and pollution are also consequences of this technology.
Neither were what we wanted or envisioned when we first developed the car. But, why is it even important to know about technological system resources and constraints? Simply put, a knowledge of technological system resources is absolutely essential to designing, using and trouble-shooting such systems. For example, if you did not know that automobiles require gasoline as a resource, how would you know to fill the tank if the car stopped working?
Similarly, technological system constraints are important in order to understand how efficiently and effectively these systems are operating. What keeps a system from overworking and/or breaking? Why might a system or subsystem be less than optimal?
Perhaps because of certain regulations such as pollution requirements or physical laws. For example, one cannot get more energy out of a system than what one puts into it – and usually one gets far less because of losses. The context for this module is that of technological systems as established in TAM 1. All technology consists of systems and the more sophisticated the technology, the moresystems are interlinked and interdependent. For these reasons, a solid understanding of resources and constraints is important. This module will help you understand how to control technology and how to assess it.



Key content highlights
Technological systems all employ resources to accomplish their purpose. These resources can be people, information, material or energy. Often systems employ a combination of these. Subsystems also use such resources, often getting them from another subsystem. The resources used by a system or subsystem are usually called inputs. The resources or products generated by a system or subsystem are usually called outputs. From this, it can be seen that the outputs of some systems or subsystems become the inputs of a subsequent system or subsystem.
All technological systems encounter constraints. Sometimes, for example, there is just not enough of a particular resource to be had, for example water during a drought or skilled people in times of rapid expansion. Energy, material and information could also be lacking. Sometimes constraints are based on laws, or what might be deemed socially acceptable or unacceptable. For example, today, any form of discrimination favouring one race over another is considered unacceptable. Our societies impose constraints limiting pollution, energy use, work hours and many other things. Systems may use resources that are material, energy or information in nature.
Examples of these include, respectively, steel, electricity and knowledge. The resources used by a technological system may be obvious, such as gasoline fuel, an energy resource used by cars. Of course, systems may also use resources that are not at all obvious: for example, the car uses air as a material resource, but this is not readily apparent. If we were to consider the car and driver system moving down a road, another not immediately obvious resource is the knowledge of the driver as to what the road signs mean, and how to operate the particular vehicle he/she is driving.
Similarly, when thinking about technological systems, one must consider how the resources and systems operations are constrained or restricted. This occurs to all systems. Some of the constraints are physical (i.e. material or energy) and some are informational, i.e. social values, laws, attitudes, knowledge, etc. As with resources, some constraints are obvious and some are hidden or not obvious.

Summary and review

Technology extends human capability. Technology is used to serve human needs or wants.
All technologies involve systems. Systems are developed to address a goal and consist of
subsystems that work together. Feedback is used to control a system. Systems operate in
environments.
Technology systems and subsystems employ resources as inputs. The outputs of
technology systems and subsystems often become the inputs of downstream systems or
subsystems. All technological systems face constraints that may be physical, real and/or
social and legal. Some constraints are even imaginary.
All systems employ resources that can take the form of materials, energy and
information. Resources may be obvious or not readily apparent. Resources are used by the overall system, yet each subsystem that makes up the overall system also makes individual use of some or all the resources. All systems and subsystems face constraints that also may be informational, material or energy in basis.
All technology must be assessed in terms of both its positive and negative consequences. Technologists must be careful to look for unintended consequences and not just focus on intended ones. Overall judgements about the impact of technology depend on the weighting of numerous criteria. Different weightings produce different judgements.

Glossary

Black box : An unknown portion of a system that, while we know it exists, we do not know its components. We do, however, know (or at least could speculate) the inputs
and outputs to the black box.
Constraint : A restriction, lack of resource, or other factor that prevents a system from being as efficient or effective or as extensively deployed as might be desired.
Energy : The ability to do work.
Information : Data or knowledge about something. This is another resource.
Intended consequences Outcomes that are envisioned or planned for. Typically the target goals for which the technological system was designed.
Laws Formal actions passed by the legislative authority of a nation, region or locality.
Legal Pertaining to laws and regulations.
Material Any substance such as air, water, metal, non-metal, agricultural item, natural
resource and the like.
Regulations Formal interpretations of a law by administrators. Usually regulations add detail to the laws, but must operate with the intent of the law. Some regulations are also
established by international and/or national standards setting groups.
Resources Any energy, material, information or person available to a system or subsystem.
Social Having to do with groups of people: for example, how they interact, their laws
and regulations, etc.
Society A group of people acting together
Unintended consequences Outcomes that are not envisioned or planned for. Typically these are the by-products of the main technology, or are social in nature.















Post-test 2

Provide a definition and an example of each of the following for the electrical system
That supplies your home.


Term/concept Definition Example



Constraint

Society

Energy

Material

Information

Intended
consequences

Unintended
consequences



As a take-home test question, write a one-page paper describing the positive and
Negative ,intended and unintended consequences of a technology used by your family .





Post-test 2

Instructions: Write in the answer to each question:

1. Define what resources are in the context of technological systems.


2. Name a technological system, and then give some examples of obvious resources
required by that system.


3. Identify at least one non-obvious resource for the system you named in Question 2.


4. Define what a constraint is in the context of a technological system.


5. Give an example of a technological system’s

a. Material constraint:


b. Energy constraint:


c. Information constraint:


d. Social constraint:


6. On a sheet of graph paper, draw a systems model of a technological system that
involves at least three subsystems, and

a. Identify on the drawing each resource needed by the overall system:

b. Identify the constraints faced by that overall system:


7. For each subsystem on your drawing

a. Show on the drawing each resource needed by each subsystem:

b. Identify the constraints faced by each subsystem: