Models as artefacts of a dual nature: A philosophical contribution to teaching about models designed and used in engineering practice

Models as artefacts of a dual nature: A philosophical contribution to teaching about models designed and used in engineering practice

Ghaemi Nia, M.M.
De Vries, M.J.

Applied Sciences

2016-03-14

Although ‘models’ play a significant role in engineering activities, not much has yet been developed to enhance the technological literacy of students in this regard. This contribution intends to help fill this gap and deliver a comprehensive account as to the nature and various properties of these engineering tools. It begins by inspecting two well-known cases: the long-term policy documents of technological literacy in the USA and in New Zealand. This will help to clarify the approach of these educational documents to models, provide a primary understanding of their existing drawbacks in this relation, and realize the necessity of underpinning a well-organized account that can be used in teaching about models. Next, the discussion moves toward an attempt to develop a sound description of the nature of models. This is accomplished through an extensive review of the viewpoints of philosophers (of science and technology) about the nature and properties of these tools; models will then be argued and suggested for consideration as techno-scientific artefacts with their own dual nature: the intrinsic and the intentional. Such an account paves the way to the next step, which namely attempts to provide a well-ordered framework of the models’ various properties, through taking up those two natures and their interrelation in detail. The paper concludes by showing some initial advantages of applying the suggested approach to the intended cases, which can hopefully lead to further, more detailed inspections and extended contributions.

technological literacy
artefactual nature of models
dual nature of models
intrinsic nature of models
intentional nature of models

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:bb7159b8-83e7-464a-9d5a-04f2ca9e4c0c

Springer

0957-7572

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-016-9364-1

Iternational Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2016

Institutional Repository

journal article

(c) 2016 The Author(s)
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com