Technology and Engineering Education Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering principles of design, robotics, manufacturing systems, engineering branches, computational thinking, energy, materials, and pedagogical concepts.

Line

A path created by a moving point.

Shape

A flat, 2D enclosed area.

Form

A 3D object or the illusion of depth.

Space

The area around and between objects.

Color

The way light reflects off an object.

Value

The lightness or darkness of something.

Texture

How a surface feels (or looks like it feels).

Pitch, Roll, Yaw

The three spherical angles or degrees of freedom (DoF) defining the orientation of a robotic wrist in three-dimensional space.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A tool that secures your internet connection and protects your privacy online.

Lean Manufacturing

A methodology whose main goal is eliminating waste by cutting out anything that does not add value to the customer—such as excess inventory, waiting times, or unnecessary motion—to make processes faster and cheaper.

Green Manufacturing

A methodology aimed at minimizing environmental impact by reducing pollution, saving energy, conserving natural resources, and recycling materials throughout the production process.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

A management approach aimed at long-term customer satisfaction by involving every employee, from the CEO to the factory floor, in constantly working together to improve products, services, and company culture.

Six Sigma

A quality management approach whose main goal is eliminating defects by using data and statistics to make processes nearly perfect.

Electrostatic Wrist Strap

An anti-static strap that safely channels static electricity from your body to a grounded surface, preventing sudden static discharges from damaging sensitive electronic components.

Axial Tension

Forces pulling along the longitudinal axis of an object, causing the material to stretch.

Bending

Forces applied transversely that cause a structural member to curve.

Torsion

A twisting force applied around an axis.

Shear

A force that acts parallel to a surface, causing internal layers of a material to slide past each other.

Abstraction

The practice of hiding complex details to highlight only the essential features of a system, concept, or object.

Solar Energy

Renewable power captured from sunlight using photovoltaic panels or mirrors.

Wind Energy

Renewable electricity generated by large turbines spun by natural air currents.

Hydroelectric Energy

Renewable power produced by flowing or falling water turning generators in dams.

Geothermal Energy

Renewable heat drawn directly from hot rock and water reservoirs deep beneath the Earth's surface.

Biomass Energy

Renewable fuel created by burning organic materials such as wood, crops, and organic waste.

Input (Systems)

The resources, elements, or commands (such as energy, materials, tools, time, information, labor, or capital) that enter a system to make it start or function.

Process (Systems)

The actual actions, steps, or transformations occurring inside a system to convert inputs into outputs.

Output (Systems)

The final result, finished product, or consequence produced by a system.

Feedback (Systems)

The monitoring stage where information about a system's output is evaluated to make necessary adjustments or corrections.

Golden Mean

A design principle used to create visually pleasing, balanced proportions between elements.

Interdisciplinary

Combining two or more academic fields or branches of knowledge into one activity, project, or area of study.

Standard Deviation

A statistical calculation that measures the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of data values.

Mode

A statistical measure of central tendency representing the most frequently occurring value in a dataset.

Mean

A statistical measure of central tendency representing the average value of a dataset.

Line of Best Fit

A line expressing a correlation, trend, or relationship between two different variables.

Ceramics

Materials that maintain their structural integrity and properties under extreme heat, commonly used as electrical insulators capable of withstanding very high temperatures.

Thermoplastic

Polymers that melt and lose their shape when reheated.

Elastomer

Rubbery materials that break down, become brittle, or melt under high, sustained heat.

Insulators

Materials, such as rubber, plastic, glass, and wood, that do not allow electric current to flow through them easily because their electrons are tightly bound.

Switch

A circuit component that turns an electrical circuit on and off.

Modeling (Instructional Method)

A teaching method in which the instructor demonstrates a process or concept while students observe in order to replicate it.

Didactic Instruction

A highly teacher-centered instructional method focusing on the direct transmission of information through lectures and presentations.

Managerial (Teaching)

An aspect of teaching focusing on the organization and control of classroom behaviors, routines, and environments rather than on instructional dialogue.

Dialogic Teaching

A collaborative instructional approach that uses talk to stimulate and extend students' thinking and learning, where students actively discuss and question each other and the teacher.

Encoding

The process of converting data from one form or format into another.

Decoding

The process where a computer translates binary signals back into a human-readable format.

Closed-Loop Control System

An automatic system that uses feedback from its output to make adjustments and maintain a desired result.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A computer network restricted to a small, localized area such as a single building or home.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A computer network that covers an area larger than a LAN but is limited to a single city or town.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A computer network designed to connect computers and devices across vast geographical distances, such as different cities, countries, or continents.

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags

A technology originally used to monitor retail inventory that allows manufacturers to manage inventory and enhance equipment efficiency.

Primary Manufacturing Processes

Processes involving the direct extraction or harvesting of raw materials from the earth, such as mining, quarrying, and drilling.

Secondary Manufacturing Processes

Processes that take extracted or refined raw materials and transform them into finished or semi-finished products (e.g., molding plastics).

Haptic Feedback

The use of tactile sensations—such as vibrations, pulses, or resistance—to communicate information or confirmation to a user through touch.

Project-Based Learning (PBL)

An instructional approach centered on learning through projects that always culminates in students presenting their work to a public audience.

Inquiry-Based Learning

An instructional approach focused on the process of asking questions and discovering answers without requiring a final public showcase.

Algorithmic Thinking

The computational thinking process of developing a repeatable, step-by-step set of rules or instructions to solve a problem.

Pattern Recognition

The computational thinking process of identifying similarities, trends, or shared patterns among problems or data.

Decomposition

The computational thinking process of breaking a complex problem down into smaller, more manageable parts.

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

A rugged industrial computer that runs software to control factory machinery and assembly lines automatically.

Vertical Lift Module (VLM)

An enclosed, ceiling-high storage system that operates like an elevator to deliver stored parts directly down to an operator.

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)

A driverless mobile robot or cart that follows floor tracks or sensors to transport materials across a facility floor.

Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)

A computerized warehouse system that automatically places and fetches bulky goods from high storage racks.

Formative Assessment

An assessment practice focused on providing ongoing feedback during the learning process to guide improvement.

Summative Assessment

An assessment practice that evaluates final student learning outcomes at the conclusion of an instructional period.

Turing Test

A test proposed in 1950 by Alan Turing to determine whether a computer can replicate human thought.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A network of interconnected devices designed to make systems more efficient and intelligent.

Power

The rate at which work is done.

Displacement

The straight-line distance and direction from a starting point to an ending point, independent of the path taken.

Work

The amount of energy transferred when a force causes an object to move over a distance.

Potential Energy

The stored energy an object possesses due to its position, shape, or state.

Linear (L) Joint

A prismatic robotic joint that moves in a straight line, sliding in and out like a telescope or drawer.

Rotary (R) Joint

A revolute robotic joint that spins around an axis, rotating like an elbow, door hinge, or wheel.

Permeable Pavements

Specialized pavement systems designed to allow the infiltration of water through the surface.

Carbon Footprint

The total amount of greenhouse gases generated by a person's actions.

Optimization

The process of improving and fine-tuning an engineering design to make it as effective and efficient as possible.

Prototyping

Building an actual physical or functional version of a design to evaluate and test its performance.

Industrial Arts

The traditional school subject from which technology and engineering education primarily evolved.

Mechanical Engineering

The engineering discipline focused on designing and building moving parts, machines, and mechanical systems.

Electrical Engineering

The engineering discipline focused on designing and building systems that utilize electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.

Structural Engineering

A specialized engineering branch that ensures buildings, bridges, and large structures can support loads and resist environmental forces.

Civil Engineering

The engineering branch that designs and maintains public infrastructure and the built environment, such as roads, dams, and water systems.

Environmental Engineering

The engineering branch that applies scientific and engineering principles to protect natural ecosystems, reduce pollution, and manage waste.

Capital Cost

Expenditures on long-term physical assets, such as buildings or machinery, that provide utility over multiple years.

Fixed Cost

Recurring business expenses that do not vary based on the quantity of goods produced, such as rent and insurance.

Operating Cost

Day-to-day expenditures necessary to keep an operation running, such as raw materials, utilities, and employee wages.

Stand-Alone Cost

An individual expense considered in isolation, distinct from shared project resources or operational costs.

Controller (Robotics)

The computational 'brain' of an industrial robot system that stores programs and transmits signals to govern movement.

Manipulator (Robotics)

The physical mechanical arm structure of an industrial robot that positions tools or parts in space.

End Effector (Robotics)

The specialized tooling or 'hand' mounted to the end of a robot arm, such as a gripper, welder, or paint sprayer.

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs)

Organized extracurricular student groups that align with specialized vocational, technology, and engineering education programs.

Conditioning

A manufacturing process that alters a material's internal physical properties using thermal, chemical, or mechanical means (e.g., heat-treating steel).

Casting

A manufacturing process that involves pouring a liquid material into a hollow mold cavity to solidify into a specific geometry.

Forming

A manufacturing process that reshapes a solid material through bending, stretching, or compression without removing or adding material.

Separating

A manufacturing process that removes unwanted portions of material by cutting, drilling, or shearing to produce a final geometry.

Ergonomics

The discipline of designing workspaces, equipment, and systems to fit the physical capabilities and safety needs of the human body.

Isometrics

A method of representing a three-dimensional object in two dimensions without perspective distortion.

Biometrics

The use of unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, facial patterns, or vocal profiles, for automated personal identification.

Neoterics

Modern ideas, novel practices, or individuals who actively advocate for innovative methods.

Technology Student Association (TSA)

A career and technical student organization that supports STEM students through technical project competitions and leadership development.

SkillsUSA

A national student organization preparing members for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service fields through competitive skill events.