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

熟练的技术写作能力是工科毕业生非常希望具备的品质，提高工科本科生的沟通能力有助于增强美国技术人才在日益全球化的工程市场中的竞争力。该项目通过直接解决在传统技术课程中融入以写作为基础的教学技巧所带来的挑战，回应了工程中对提高沟通技能的需求。更具体地说，该项目的目标是开发、验证和传播高影响力、可扩展的技术，以便将写作纳入现有的工程课程和课程。该项目特别寻求解决常见的教员层面的挑战，这些挑战往往排除了将写作纳入工程课程的可能性。该项目主要关注必修的大型讲座工程课程，这些课程通常不会发生写作，并且存在足够的机会来培训教师实施简单、可扩展的写作活动、练习和相关评估。这项研究将包括系统地调查这些活动如何潜在地提高学生的写作和特定于课程的技能的学习。该项目还将对多个机构的教职员工进行调查，以评估目前对工程学写作的态度，同时从教师和机构的角度确定最具可扩展性和可持续发展的写作干预措施。拟议的项目汇集了一个跨学科小组，他们的专业知识互补性很强，涉及多个学科和活动领域，包括工程学(土木工程和电气/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证明有效的写作干预措施的创新应用，目的是转变工程学的核心课程，以提高参与的学生的技术能力和写作技能。在工程教育中更加重视写作也可能扩大参与度，增加代表性不足群体(特别是妇女和语言上的少数群体)的留存率，包括帮助将构成当前工程课程的大部分技术课程和专题与背景联系起来，并使之更具相关性。

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.