Research Initiation Grant: Writing to Learn Engineering: Identifying Effective Techniques for the Integration of Written Communication Into Engineering Classes and Curricula

精通技术写作是工科毕业生非常需要的特质，工科本科学生沟通技巧的提高可以帮助提高美国技术人才在日益全球化的工程市场上的竞争力。该项目通过直接解决与传统技术课程中结合书面教学技术相关的挑战，回应了提高工程沟通技巧的需求。更具体地说，这个项目的目标是开发、验证和传播高影响力、可扩展的技术，将写作整合到现有的工程课程和课程中。该项目特别寻求解决通常排除在工程课程中包含写作的常见教师级挑战。这个项目主要集中在必修的大型工程课程上，这些课程通常不需要写作，并且有充足的机会培训教师进行简单的、可扩展的写作活动、练习和相关评估。这项研究将包括系统调查这些活动如何潜在地提高学生的写作和课程特定技术技能的学习。该项目还将调查多个机构的教职员工，以评估目前对工程写作的态度，同时从教师和机构的角度确定最具可扩展性和可持续性的写作干预措施。拟议的项目汇集了一个跨学科团队，具有高度互补的专业知识，跨越多个学科和活动领域，包括工程（土木和电气/计算机），技术交流，主动和体验式学习以及工程教育研究。该项目提出了在其他情况下已被证明有效的写作干预的创新应用，其目标是改变工程核心课程，以提高参与学生的技术能力和写作技巧。在工程教育中增加对写作的强调也可以扩大参与并增加代表性不足的群体（特别是妇女和语言上的少数群体）的保留，包括帮助将构成当前工程课程的大部分技术课程和主题背景化并使其更相关。

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 particularly seeks to address 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 will involve systematic investigation of how such activities can potentially enhance student learning of both writing and course-specific technical skills. The project will also survey 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. The proposed project brings together an interdisciplinary team with highly complementary expertise spanning multiple disciplines and areas of activity, including engineering (civil and electrical/computer), technical communication, active and experiential learning, and engineering education research. The project proposes innovative application of writing interventions that have been proven effective in other contexts, with the goal of transforming core courses in engineering to enhance the technical capabilities and writing skills of participating students. Increased emphasis on writing in engineering education may also broaden participation and increase retention of underrepresented groups (particularly women and linguistic minorities), including by helping to contextualize and make more relevant the technical courses and topics that comprise much of current engineering curricula.