How can we educate citizens to be technologically literate?

When a phone app updates overnight, most of us notice only that something has changed - an icon has moved, a feature has disappeared, a new prompt asks for permission.

Rarely do we stop to consider why those changes were made, who decided on them, or what assumptions guided their design. Yet these small, everyday encounters with technology shape how we work, communicate, and make decisions.

If technological literacy means understanding technology rather than merely using it, then the question becomes clear: how do we educate citizens to think about technology in this deeper way?

Technology is not just about objects

One common assumption is that learning about technology means learning how devices work. But technology is not just a collection of objects. Educational philosophers have long argued that technology should be understood through multiple, interconnected concepts. Technology can be seen as artefacts we use every day, processes through which problems are identified and solutions developed, knowledge that blends principles with reasoning, and human activity, shaped by values, constraints, and cultural context.

Take a simple example: a reusable water bottle. It is an artefact, but it also represents design decisions about materials, insulation, cost, sustainability, and user behaviour. Understanding technology in this way helps learners recognise that design is never neutral. Choices are always being made. 

Going beyond the object

This is where Design and Technology education plays a unique role. Unlike subjects that focus primarily on explanation or calculation, Design and Technology places learners in the position of the designer.

Students learn not only what works, but why certain solutions are preferred over others. They learn, first-hand, that technological development involves compromise, creativity, and responsibility. This is precisely the kind of learning that develops technological literacy.

Design and Technology within STEM and STEAM

Much attention is currently given to STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education, often with an emphasis on science, coding, or mathematics. These are undeniably important. But technology is not simply applied science, and engineering is not only about technical optimisation. Design and Technology is particularly well-suited to serve the technology and engineering dimensions of STEM. It connects scientific knowledge and mathematical reasoning to creative problem-solving and practical outcomes.

Within a STEAM framework, Design and Technology also legitimises visual thinking, iteration, aesthetics, and creativity - elements that are essential to innovation but often overlooked. It provides a space where analytical thinking and creative judgement coexist, reflecting how technology actually develops in the real world.

From schools to professional practice

At secondary level, the SEC33 syllabus for Design and Technology introduces learners to these ways of thinking by engaging them with authentic design problems. Students learn that technologies do not simply appear fully formed; they are designed, tested, evaluated, and improved over time.

At tertiary level, this understanding is deepened through the B.Sc. Design and Technology offered by the University of Malta. The programme prepares graduates as technologists and designers - professionals who can conceptualise, develop, and critically evaluate technological solutions across a range of contexts.

These graduates are equipped not only with technical competence, but with the conceptual and reflective skills required to engage responsibly with technology in industry, design practice, and innovation-driven environments.

Educating for thoughtful engagement

Ultimately, educating technologically literate citizens is not about producing experts in every field. It is about helping people understand that technology is designed by humans, shaped by values, and open to critique and improvement. Design and Technology education offers one of the most effective ways to achieve this because it mirrors how technology functions in everyday life - messy, contextual, creative, and consequential. It teaches learners to ask better questions, not just to find faster answers.

Sarah Pule.

A country that is serious about innovation, sustainability, and future readiness must also be serious about how technology is understood by its citizens. Design and Technology provides a powerful educational bridge between everyday experience and informed technological engagement.

Sarah Pulé is a senior lecturer at the Department of Technology and Entrepreneurship Education at the University of Malta.