Integrating Communications Into Engineering Courses: Dimensions Of A New Paradigm

Engineering students must develop the ability to communicate effectively. To address this need, a growing number of engineering programs are integrating communications into technical coursework. Writing and other forms of presentation can be central to engineering education for both pragmatic and conceptual reasons: (1) The ability to communicate effectively is crucial to the success of engineering projects and careers, and (2) Language is a powerful instrument for learning. As William Zinsser notes, “Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us to find out what we know—and don’t know—about whatever we’re trying to learn.”1 This presentation examines a variety of creative and successful strategies for incorporating written, oral, and visual communications into engineering classes. It discusses how engineering and writing/communications teachers can collaborate in helping students to master simultaneously the technical subject matter and communications tasks. This talk also assesses potential obstacles to an integrated approach.