Environment

The surroundings of, and influences on, a particular item of interest.

Electronic Environment

Electronic environments can be defined as functional combinations of hardware and embedded software in the real world, that is, circuits, prototypes or products. 

See: Knowledge of Electronic Environments 

Sociocultural Environment

(In Technology) The combination of the social and cultural (including historical) context within which a technological outcome is developed or used.

Physical Environment

In Technology, physical environment can commonly refer to the location of the specific practice or the place where a final outcome will be located 

Example: Abel Tasman Sewage Management – This Techlink Technologists' Practice case study focuses on materials and waste management systems of Abel Tasman Park. It includes a detailed explanation of the constraints of the physical environment and the impact of socio-technological environment. Levels 4-8.

Social Environment

(In Technology) The context of a group or groups of people and their interaction with a technological outcome and/or its development. (A subset of sociocultural environment.) 

Example: Parkway Playground– This Techlink Classroom Practice case study looks at a playground development project undertaken by students for the Hutt City Council, and the implications of the physical and social environment in which the outcome is to be located. Level 8.

Socio-technological environment

The context(s) created by the interaction of technological outcomes and non-technological entities and systems. 

Socio-technological environments include such things as communication networks and hospital transport systems. Exploration of these environments shows how technological outcomes (products and systems) and non-technological entities and systems (people, natural environments, political systems etc) interact together.

Examples:

Abel Tasman Sewage Management– This Techlink Technologists' Practice case study focuses on materials and waste management systems of Abel Tasman Park. It includes a detailed explanation of the constraints of the physical environment and the impact of socio-technological environment. Levels 4-8.

Auto anchor– This Techlink Technologists' Practice case study examines an automated mooring system, and looks at the technological outcome as both a product and a system with a functional nature and the socio-technological environment within which it is used. Levels 4-8.