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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1982)
Conference reports Liberal arts students are in the dark on technology By Ann Portal Of Iff Emerald A small but growing number of educators feel liberal arts students aren’t getting the skills they need to deal with an in creasingly technological socie ty Students cannot be “strong and whole" human beings with out learning how to think in an alytical and quantitative terms in their liberal arts courses, suggest the results of a recent conference on "technological literacy" held in Florida But the University already is moving toward meeting that need, says the dean of the arts and sciences college, although technological skills may not be as important as knowledge of their effects "We need ethics courses, philosophy courses, history courses and literature courses that force students to see the moral implications of tech nological thought," says dean Robert Berdahl "Technological thinking im plies certain moral judge ments." However, he says there's “no question that education is mov ing in some perceptible ways toward what they are referring to as technological thinking " Mathematics and computer science already are areas of growing importance at the University, Berdahl points out For example, the faculty in troduced and approved a new math requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree last year, although that requirement will not take effect until the budget can provide the neces sary faculty. (B.S students currently must only fulfill a minimum "science" requirement, which may be sat isfied with either math, com puter science or science Graphic by Max DeRungs courses) In addition, the arts and sciences college is working toward a point where "virtually everyone can get a minor in computer science," Berdahl says The overflowing computer science major may be limited to those with a 3 0-or-better grade point average, but there is a "real commitment" to allow everyone into the lower level computer courses by fall term 1983, he says "Computer science is a lan guage that is pretty important in our culture," and everyone should have a "minimum liter acy” in it, Berdahl says Students also need to learn scientific thought processes, particularly in the social sciences where new research methods require quantitative skills, Berdahl says But the University also needs to offer more courses about tech nology, stressing its impact, he says. Berdahl says he would like to see some clusters of courses built around a technological theme, with literature, econ omics and sociology courses all looking at the history of tech nology from different angles. Many implications of tech nical thought are disturbing because they're dehumanizing, he says. The language of Viet nam, which was all "quantitative terms," masked activities that were morally questionable, he says "That seems very dangerous to me We really need the kind of education that provides people with the critical understanding of language to understand what they're talking about," Berdahl says. "Nuclear exchange” is just a "nice, clean” term for nuclear holocaust, he says Yet he isn't arguing over whether technology is important and relevant, or whether it has a place in the liberal arts curriculum "There are no nuts here that think technology ought to be stopped It just must be under stood.” Preppy cuts too Hair Faire 1410 Orchard, Rm. 207 342-2165 OUTRAGEOUS! -tuition hikes IRRESPONSIBLE! ••budget slashes* AFFECT US ALL SHE Save Higher Education search supports the SURC search-»emu-m111 686-4305 "Seattle Mime Theatre Tuesday, January 26 8 p.m. EMU Ballroom Tickets available at the EMU Main Desk $350 UO Students $450 General Public $2.00 children 15 and under Free workshop in the EMU Dad's Room from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26. SPIRITED JAZZ! FI ATUKINC. CALLIOPE 9-1 am Tuesday thru Saturday Jan 29-30 2 lor 1 1 i.M'I'Y 11( U K 11 id i> :«i 259 FAST FIF TH AVKNUK • 343-8498 Across from 5lh Strrct Public M.irkcl "read the? ODE ^ _S mm You must remember this A kiss is just a kiss.A sigh is just a sigh The fundamental things apply As time goes by. And when two lovers woo They still say I love you, On that you can rely. . . Let your sweetheart know the fundamental things still apply with an ODE Heart Throb on Feb. 12. 15 romantic words for $1.50 If placed by 1 p.m. Feb. 11 at ODE, 300 EMU, UO Bookstore or EMU Main Desk
