An assessment of development education resources in technology: their effectiveness and some issues arising

This paper summarises an assessment of development education resources that have been used by teachers of technology. It shows that such resources can significantly enhance students' understanding of technology and their awareness of values issues surrounding the subject. Impressions gained by this study suggest such benefits are dependent on the perspective of the teacher and in many cases where these resources have been used negative stereotypes of other cultures and technological development within them have been reinforced. This paper suggests reasons for the varied impact of these resources and the implications for publishers and technology education.