Proficiency in technical writing is a highly desirable attribute for engineering graduates, and improvement of communication skills among undergraduate engineering students can help enhance the competitiveness of U.S. technical talent in an increasingly global engineering market. This project responds to the need for improved communication skills in engineering by directly addressing challenges associated with incorporating writing-based instructional techniques in traditional technical classes. More specifically, the goals of this project are to develop, validate, and disseminate high-impact, scalable techniques for integrating writing in existing engineering courses and curricula. The project addressed common instructor-level challenges that often preclude the inclusion of writing in engineering coursework. This project is primarily focused on required, large-lecture engineering courses where writing typically does not occur, and where ample opportunities exist to train faculty to implement simple, scalable writing activities, exercises, and related assessments. This study involves systematic investigation of how such activities can potentially enhance student learning of both writing and course-specific technical skills. The project also surveyed faculty and staff at multiple institutions to evaluate current attitudes toward writing in engineering, while identifying the most scalable and sustainable writing interventions from the standpoint of instructors and institutions.

Collaborators

Brent Jesiek, Josh Boyd, Purdue University; Becca Essig, Purdue University Fort Wayne; Natasha Trellinger Buswell, University of California-Irvine.

Funding

National Science Foundation, Engineering Education

Selected Publications

Adventures in paragraph writing: The development and refinement of scalable and effective writing exercises for large-enrollment engineering courses
Essig, R., C. Troy, B.K. Jesiek, J. Boyd, and N.M. Trellinger In Proceedings of the 2014 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, June 15-18, 2014 PDF  Online Article

Engineering faculty on writing: What they think and what they want
Trellinger, N.M., B.K. Jesiek, C.D. Troy, J. Boyd, and R.R. Essig In Proceedings of the 2016 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, New Orleans, LA, June 26-29, 2016 PDF  Online Article

Something to write home(work) about: An analysis of writing exercises in fluid mechanics textbooks
Trellinger, N.M., R.R. Essig, C.D. Troy, B.K. Jesiek, J. Boyd In Proceedings of the 2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Seattle, WA, June 14-17, 2015 PDF  Online Article

Writing to learn engineering: Identifying effective fechniques for the integration of written communication into engineering classes and curricula (NSF RIGEE project)
Troy, C.D., R.R. Essig, B.K. Jesiek, J. Boyd, N.M. Trellinger In Proceedings of the 2014 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, June 15-18, 2014 PDF  Online Article

Writing to learn engineering: Identifying effective techniques for the integration of written communication into engineering classes and curricula (NSF RIGEE project)
Troy, C.D., B.K. Jesiek, N.M. Trellinger, and R.R. Essig In Proceedings of the 2016 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, New Orleans, LA, June 26-29, 2016 PDF  Online Article