CLEAR Opportunities: Technical Writing and Communication for Engineering Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditi Risbud
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Written Communication ◽  
Leadership Ethics ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
Clear Communication ◽  
The University

ABSTRACTDespite being well versed in scientific and technical concepts, engineering students often struggle with technical writing and communication. The CLEAR (Communication, Leadership, Ethics and Research) program at the University of Utah prepares engineering undergraduates for success in their careers through coursework aimed to improve oral and written communication skills, teamwork and ethical understanding. Along with an evaluation of ongoing CLEAR curricula in engineering laboratory and design classes, we are developing tools to assess student outcomes as defined by ABET criteria. These outcomes will inform how best to implement CLEAR curricula at the University of Utah, and ensure our graduates are better prepared to join the engineering workforce.

Teaching a Technical Writing and Research Course to Engineering Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-38
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Andreou
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Course Development ◽  
Engineering Profession ◽  
Engineering Programs

Training in communication skills is considered extremely important in the engineering profession. However, educational organisations and most specifically engineering programs and departments have often been criticised for failing to adequately prepare engineering students for the situations they will face in the workplace. This chapter describes a technical writing and research course that is offered as a required course to engineering students and analyses the advantages and limitations of the course pointing to changes in the course development that will enable students to perform successfully as communicators in the workplace.

scholarly journals Three Birds, One Stone: A Pedagogy and Accreditation Driven Redesign

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryson Robertson ◽  
Margaret Gwyn ◽  
LillAnne Jackson ◽  
Peter Wild
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Writing Development ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Writing Competency ◽  
The University

This paper describes a proposed redesign of the instruction and assessment of the Co-operative (Co-op) Education (or work term) components of the University of Victoria Engineering program. The redesign ensures instruction and assessment of the higher-level Graduate Attributes (GAs), such as individual and teamwork, communication skills, professionalism, impact on society, ethics and equity, economics and project management, and life-long learning, that may not be included in all of the technical courses in a traditional Engineering curriculum. Concurrently, the redesign includes a renewed emphasis on improving the technical writing competency of graduating engineers by: ‘laddering’ student technical writing development; introduction a new grading scheme; increased timeframes for report revisions; and, finally, reducing the number of pedagogically ineffective reports required to graduate.

Technical Writing Required of Graduate Engineering Students

1982 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory K. West ◽  
Patricia Byrd
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Friedman Analysis ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

Technical writing required of employees in business and industry has been investigated, but the writing demands on graduate students have not been systematically surveyed. To find out what kinds of writing are required of graduate engineering students, twenty-five engineering faculty members from the Engineering College at the University of Florida listed the kinds of writing assigned to graduate classes during the academic year 1979–80. Since the faculty members were asked to rank-order the writing kinds from most frequent to least frequent, the Friedman analysis of variance and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test were used to test for differences in the rank ordering. The tests showed that faculty assigned examinations, quantitative problems, and reports most frequently, that they assigned homework and papers (term and publication) less frequently, and that they assigned progress reports and proposals least frequently.

scholarly journals Project Based Learning in Teaching Communication Skills in English as a Foreign Language to Engineering Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Yurievna Kovalyova ◽  
Alexandra Vladimirovna Soboleva ◽  
Argen Kerimkulov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Written Communication

The aim of this paper is to consider project based learning as one of the most efficient and productive methods used in teaching English as a foreign language to engineering students of Russian technical universities. Special emphasis is put on communication skills to be mastered by future engineers through project based learning. It is of great importance to note that highly developed oral and written communication skills are valuable for engineering students wishing to become successful and competitive in the international arena. Hence, engineering students must be trained well to develop their communication skills in English in the field of professional activity, mainly in the science research area. An inter-disciplinary project designed on the basis of project based learning for the second year students of Tomsk Polytechnic University is reviewed in this work. The authors come to the conclusion that project based learning is an ideal teaching method since it allows engineering students to improve significantly their oral and written communication skills as well as apply the content knowledge in the field of their professional activity within the English language course.

Adopting a Strategy for Enhancing Generic Skills in Engineering Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelia Krassadaki ◽  
Kleanthi Lakiotaki ◽  
Nikolaos F. Matsatsinis
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
Team Working ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

It is remarkable how often academic staff discover students' weaknesses in expressing their thoughts in written and oral contexts, and in team working. To examine these weaknesses, a study was conducted in 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 of students taking an engineering course. Students self-reported an initial high level of weakness in both communication skills (writing and speaking), while expressing higher levels of confidence in their team working skills. This suggested that there was significant potential for improvement in both forms of communication skills and a lower potential for the improvement of team-working skills. On that basis the Technical University of Crete organized short training workshops based on experiential learning methods, during the academic year 2012–13. Other factors taken into account were the lack of awareness of such skills in traditionally-organized Greek universities; the inability to redesign all courses, currently dependent on a content-based curriculum, on a competency basis; and findings in the international literature, which highlight specific generic skills of engineering students as essential to their studies and future career prospects. The aim was to enhance the three skills of writing, speaking and team working. Participation was voluntary and open to students from all schools in the university. This paper assesses this initiative and analyses the contribution of the workshops to skills development.

scholarly journals Integration of Environmental Management in an industrial and logistic engineer course in Morocco

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAFIA LAMRANI
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technical Aspect ◽  
Industrial Engineering ◽  
Real Case ◽  
Project Approach ◽  
The University

This work describes a real case study of integration of Environmental Management in the training of State engineers in Industrial and Logistics Engineering, from the National Superior School of Electricity and Mechanics (ENSEM) in Casablanca to Morocco. The study focused on the particular aspect of waste management within the university institution. The principle adopted is mainly that of 3R (Reduction; Reuse; Recycling). The project approach was adopted. In addition to the technical aspect, the acquisition, by the engineering students, of managerial and communication skills was made possible thanks to this approach. A multitude of tools inspired by industrial engineering and logistics techniques have been deployed in response to the problems encountered in the field.

scholarly journals TEACHING ENGINEERING COMMUNICATION TO FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Labun
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Written Communication ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Engineering Communication ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
The University ◽  
Written Assignments

At the University of British Columbia Okanagan School of Engineering (SOE), first year engineering students take a 3-credit course in Engineering Communication. Designed to replace the traditional 3-credits of English taken by other first year students, APSC 176 introduces students to the fundamentals of engineering communication, with a strong emphasis on written communication. The paper is describes the types of assignments given to first year students, the techniques used to encourage meaningful revision of written assignments, and the methods used to evaluate written assignments. Particular attention will be paid to a two-week first term design project (such as the assignment, supplemental materials including exercises, and marking guidelines). It should be noted that the design is entirely conceptual - students are not required to develop a prototype, but rather to work with a team to develop (and subsequently, explain and market) a concept in response to an RFP.

An Innovative Approach to Training International Students in Workplace Written Communication Skills

2014 ◽  
pp. 419-431
Author(s):  
Elena Verezub ◽  
Hua Wang ◽  
Jeremy Glover
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Written Communication ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Metacognitive Reading Strategies ◽  
The University

According to the “Employability Skills for the Future” report (DEST, 2002), communication skills are one of the essential employability skills, which contribute to a productive and harmonious relationship between employees and customers. This chapter discusses an innovative approach to the design, delivery, and evaluation of the “Workplace Written Communication Skills for the Hospitality Industry” program. The delivery of the program is based on blending traditional approaches with incorporating a custom-built e-learning program in teaching how to read e-texts effectively while applying metacognitive reading strategies. The results of the program demonstrate both qualitatively and quantitatively that students improve their written communication skills required for the workplace and their success in the university study, as well as increase their motivation and self-confidence. This, in turn, has implications not only for the development and teaching of the program; it suggests new ways for the overall development of communication skills programs and training international students.

Techniques for Teaching Communication Skills to the Millennial Generation

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candice Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Generation X ◽  
Millennial Generation ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
K 12

Techniques for teaching communication skills to engineering students of the Millennial Generation are reviewed. A detailed outline of the characteristics of the Millennial Generation are described and compared to the traits of other generations. The Millennial Generation has several distinct characteristics such as developing inclusive relationships, tolerating authority, and leading by collaboration. This contrasts with the characteristics of the Baby Boomers and Generation X (the majority of professors and the students’ parents); however, the characteristics align closely with the Traditionalist Generation (higher administration and the students’ grandparents). Strategies for working among the generations are detailed resulting in the creation of an understanding of how to teach to the Millennial Generation. In order to aid the understanding, lesson plans which focus on creating a learner-centered environment are detailed. The lesson plans include objectives, strategies, content, activities, assessment techniques, and ABET alignment. The topics include team building, effective meetings, a term project, writing skills, and speaking skills. Team building illustrates why and how a team achieves its objectives. Example activities include the development of a team charter. The effective meetings lesson plan details techniques on how to teach students project management skills. Criteria for developing term projects to match the Millennial Generation characteristics are detailed, and an example which also includes K-12 outreach activities is presented. The lesson plan for speaking and writing skills defines grading rubrics for the evaluation and assessment of technical writing and presentations. This work has been in development and implemented for nearly five years in a junior level, multidisciplinary course entitled, Engineering Communications, at the University of Nevada, Reno. The lesson plans are evaluated based on course evaluations, industry interviews, case studies, and an alumni survey.

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