scholarly journals Teaching Technical Communication to Engineering Students: Design, Implementation, and Assessment for Project-based Instruction

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Gao
Keyword(s):  
Technical Communication ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Based Instruction

scholarly journals DESIGNING RUBRICS FOR COMMUNICATION COURSES IN ENGINEERING: A Work in Progress

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Parker ◽  
Aidan Topping
Keyword(s):  
Technical Communication ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Capstone Design Courses ◽  
Capstone Design

This paper will focus on the rubrics that we have developed for the technical communication course and the senior (capstone) design projects. As part of the C.E.A.B.’s and our own Faculty of Engineering’s mandate to more clearly define the goals of each course, the learning attributes associated with course content, and how these are assessed, we first developed rubrics that would help us track and assess students’ communicative competence. However, we soon learned that our presentation of the information impacts how well students assimilate it. Consequently, in our rubrics for the senior (capstone) design courses, we began to phrase the assignment requirements as action items, as something that must be done; for example, a document’s “layout and document design” must use “clear markers to create a visually appealing document,” and the illustrations must “communicate design elements and results.” In this way, students are encouraged to reflect on their individual performance, and one outcome for them is the opportunity to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the professor. One outcome for the professor is having the means to indicate a student’s position on a spectrum of performance. Finally, although linking attributes to learning objectives and determining “competency levels” can be very challenging, we hope to show how the rubrics we have designed may indeed make the task less daunting and more manageable for all stakeholders in the education of our engineering students.

scholarly journals Developing the Metalinguistic Competence of Engineering Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 136-147
Author(s):  
Roza Bogoudinova ◽  
◽  
Ekaterina Tsareva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Technical Communication ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
International Study ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Language Training ◽  
Metacognitive Skills ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Knowledge Cultures

The paper discusses the socio-communicative function of the engineer’s foreign language training in which content is based on materials relating to the latest global technological advances and understanding of the essence of production culture in different countries. It discusses the structure and content of foreign language training taking into account the potential of multilingualism, technical communication and metalinguistic competence. Foreign language training contributes to the formation of linguistic, communicative and metacognitive skills. It sets out the modern international requirements in an engineering university, identifies the contradictions and features of pedagogical forms, methods and tools, and sets out the content and structure of multilingualism, technical communication and metalinguistic competence. A methodology for the implementation of foreign language training in combination with multilingualism, technical communication and metalinguistic competence is proposed and proved through the realization of group international study trips. Here, the students showed an understanding of technologies in foreign languages and a metalinguistic awareness focusing on the cultural traditions of the region and local features of production. The article argues for a conscious approach to deeper linguistic knowledge, cultures of different countries and technologies with advanced language and communications requirements in the field of science and technology, combining linguistic and engineering thinking in the human mind for a more complete understanding of the essence and content of engineering education.

Cutting Computation Time and Mastering the Underlying Science of Introductory Thermodynamics

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido W. Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Computer Software ◽  
Computation Time ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Based Instruction

Traditionally, the teaching and learning of introductory undergraduate Thermodynamics in Mechanical Engineering programs stressed the manipulation of formulas and the use of property tables. At present, the use of computer-based instruction is becoming more common in the classroom and it is proving to be a valuable tool for enhancing the educational experience of students. In teaching Thermodynamics, for example, much of the tedious manipulative and computational work encountered while solving problems can now be effectively and quickly executed by computer software. This approach leaves ample time for instructors to emphasize concepts and principles instead of procedures, and to foster an environment that helps students to master the underlying science of the discipline while minimizing computational burden. A comparative study between teaching introductory Thermodynamics using a traditional approach versus using the software EES (acronym for Engineering Equation Solver) as a computational tool is presented in this paper. A statistical comparison of academic performance in introductory Thermodynamics between two groups of engineering students of comparable academic level and capability but enrolled in different schools is also part of this study. Qualitative and quantitative results suggest that students can achieve a clearer understanding of concepts, definitions and principles of introductory Thermodynamics when using computer software as a tool in their learning process.

Teaching Technical Communication at the Graduate Level: An Interdisciplinary Approach

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet H. Potvin ◽  
Robert L. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Technical Communication ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Foreign Student ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Graduate Level ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Technical Writer

Native and international science, engineering, and humanities graduate students at The University of Texas at Arlington experience real-world communication situations in an interdisciplinary, projected-oriented technical communication course team-taught by a technical writer and a mechanical engineer. The course simulates the writing requirements of industry and helps students prepare theses and dissertations. A special feature for international students is a supplementary weekly laboratory session devoted to intensive review of writing fundamentals. The course, which has been offered three times since 1976 with enrollments of eleven, five, and nine students, has been received well by science and engineering students for whom it was initially designed and by humanities students who now also enroll. Even though in some cases the progress that a foreign student makes in one semester is limited, all students have found the course of great benefit. The interdisciplinary team approach is an effective way of teaching graduate-level technical communication, providing engineers an opportunity to learn to express ideas to humanists and providing humanists an opportunity to learn to communicate effectively with engineers and scientists.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document