Use of Logical Puzzles to Promote Techeracy for Non-Science/Engineering Students

Abstract

Literacy and numeracy, introduced long ago to define the skill sets of a competent workforce, are no longer adequate for the 21st century. We need what is described by “techeracy,” which is loosely equivalent to “grasp of technology.” Just as numeracy is fundamentally different from literacy, there are key differences between the scopes and requirements of techeracy and numeracy. Achieving techeracy requires a further shift away from story-telling and word problems, used to instill literacy and numeracy, toward logical reasoning, as reflected in the activity of solving puzzles. I draw upon my experience with teaching a freshman seminar to non-science/engineering majors to convey how a diverse group of learners can be brought to understand the underpinnings of complex technical concepts. Once the basics are imparted in this manner, learners become empowered to pursue additional science and technology topics through suitably designed self-contained study modules.