Integration Of Critical Thinking And Technical Communication Into Undergraduate Laboratory Courses

The ability to communicate technical concepts well distinguishes an outstanding engineer from a merely competent one. Widespread consensus holds that writing should form an integral part of an engineering education, but there is considerable debate over how best to achieve this goal. Most engineering programs require courses in technical writing and oral presentations through their English departments. While these courses can provide useful instruction, they inevitably suffer from certain drawbacks. First, these courses teach students one, optimal approach to technical writing and speaking, overlooking the significant differences that exist in the ways that engineers in various domains communicate technical information. Second, the courses seldom provide students with adequate, targeted training (or exercises). Third, the courses do not address critical thinking concepts or apply critical thinking to discipline-specific issues and/or examples.