Understanding Technology Assessment essays

Understanding Technology Assessment essays The purpose of this report are intend to describe WHAT is Technology Assessment, HOW it was evolved, and justifications on WHY theres needs for Technology Assessment. The report briefly covers the definition of the major Technology Assessment paradigms, and attempt to analyze the differences between Eijndhoven and J. Schot/A. Rips views on Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA) paradigm. Four major technology assessment tools and methods will also be introduced together with its useful applications and limitations. The last section of the report deals with how different engineering disciplines incorporate technology assessment into their decision-making processes with real examples from todays engineering world. The section finishes with judgments on how far are we in incorporating CTA into decision-making processes, and whats the future holds for current technology assessment paradigms. Why do we need technology assessment? Why technology assessment is considered to be an essential part of todays modern engineering activity and technological development? Because being an engineer we are not only engineering the technology but we are also engineering the society. And often, many of the negative and undesirable byproducts of such activities are being poured into our society due to the lack of insight investigation. Engineers also have to realize that technology is not simply the rational product of scientists and engineers. It is often the product of the public perceptions and speculation[1]. Technical artifacts and process do not operate in a vacuum. [1] During the early stage of the technology assessments establishment, the motives behind it were to serve as an early warning system intended for decision-makers to avoid unwanted side effects from the new the technologies [2]. But it was then realized the early warning system lacked nei...