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Writing in Engineering

Writing in Engineering. Sandra Knight. Something to think about…. (a) Why is “communication” an essential measure of ABET accreditation for the NAU Engineering program?

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Writing in Engineering

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  1. Writing in Engineering Sandra Knight

  2. Something to think about… (a) Why is “communication” an essential measure of ABET accreditation for the NAU Engineering program? (b) Why was I sought out by NAU Engineering course coordinators to emphasize communication practices throughout the D4P sequence? [1]

  3. Agenda • Employer Expectations for Future Engineers • Future Industry Trends • Who is getting hired? • Current Engineering Duties • How much time do engineers spend communicating? • An Interview with Dr. Robert Lane • Advancing in Your Engineering Career • Leading Engineering Programs • Testimonials

  4. Engineer of 2020 • NAE Committee on Engineering Education Initiative • Engineer curriculums = Needs of new era • NAE encourages educators develop curriculums: • Recognizes & celebrates diversity • Engages with multi-disciplinary stakeholders • How can we satisfy this without comm. skills? [2]

  5. Attributes of the 2020 Engineer • Keen analytical skills • Strong communication competencies —oral, written, cultural • Sharp business, management,& leaderships skills • Practical ingenuity • High ethical standards and professionalism • Creativity, agility, & flexibility [2]

  6. Engineering Megatrends • Partnering, or “Technical Alliance” • Pooling resources • Engineering, marketing, manufacturing, etc. “To compete, engineers must collaborate” -Dr. Jordan Lewis, Engineer Industry Analyst [3]

  7. “Most Needed Skills” • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) • Participants: Industry Mechanical Engineers • Survey: What are the “most needed skills” for success? • Survey style: open-ended questions [4]

  8. ME Survey Results [4]

  9. What Employers Wish You Learned • New grads lack “soft skills”: • Interpersonal abilities that go beyond technical knowledge • Lack of “soft skills” affect the bottom line • “A big part of what we do as engineers is write reports and specifications for out plans, and we find that writing isn’t really something that is taught to engineers” -Recruiting Director Civil Engineering Firm: George, Miles, & Buhr [5]

  10. Engineering Industry Employer Needs • Study funded by National Science Foundation • Interview with Engineers & Managers: • Mismatch: Employer needs vs. Engineer skills • Consistent reports of “communication skills deficit” • Engineer grads have great technical skills “Our research suggests that the most essential upgrading of engineering education needed to ensure U.S. technological competitiveness is less a deepening of specific technical skills than it is imparting communication skills” [6]

  11. An Interview with Dr. Robert Lane • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGw8nHPM36A • Questions: • Are effective writing skills essential in the engineering industry? • How much time did Dr. Lane spend writing while working in the industry? • How do engineers “win” attention from above? • What advice does Dr. Lane have for engineers who “hate writing and want to avoid it”? [7]

  12. How Much Writing Do Engineers Do? • Radford University Research Study (2011) • 185 participants • Time spent by engineers and architects on reading, writing, and evaluating information products [8]

  13. Survey Questions [8]

  14. Results of Study • See results on Word Document • Table 4 – Percentage of responses per category • Figure 9 – Graphical representation of mean • Other results: Professionals in engineering and technology careers spend between 40% - 70% of their time writing [8]

  15. Advancing in your Engineering Career • Article: How to Increase your Engineering Salary? • Learn how to present information • Learn how to write effectively • Learn your business [9] “Reports are the most widely used tool for job promotion.” “The higher in the corporate field you go, the more writing skills and communication skills are required.” [10]

  16. Leading Engineering Programs • Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA • Stanford University Stanford, CA • Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA • Cornell University Ithaca, NY • University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX • Purdue University--West Lafayette West Lafayette, IN [11]

  17. Testimonials MajdChaaya Mechanical Engineer w/ an MSC in Solar Energy SunEdison- Berlin, Germany - Project Manager • First language is English; Speaks Arabic &German • How did you achieve being a Project Manager? Strong verbal & written communication skills • What percentage of communication is done writing? 85% - Proposals, Technical Reports, Correspondence “Engineers who cannot communicate effectively are disposable.”

  18. References [1] “ABET.” Internet: http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx, 2013 [November 2, 2013] [2] Vest, Charles M. “Educating Engineers for 2020 and Beyond.” Internet: http://www.nae.edu/Publications/Bridge/ReformingEngineeringEducation/EducatingEngineersfor2020andBeyond.aspx, [November 2, 2013]. [3] “Engineering Megatrends.” Internet: http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=213053, 1995 [November 2, 2013] [4] ASME. “The State of Mechanical Engineering Today and Beyond.” Internet: http://files.asme.org/asmeorg/Campaigns/MS/2012/32754.pdf, 2011 [November 3, 2013] [5] Stone, Adam. “What Employers Wish You’d Learned in College.” Internet: http://www.onlinedegrees.com/degree360/workplace/what-employers-wish-youd-learned-in-college.html, 2012 [November 3, 2013].

  19. References [6] Salzman, Hal & Leonard Lynn. “Engineering and Engineering Skills: What’s Really Needed for Global Competitiveness.” Internet: http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/salzman/EngineeringDemandSkills-SalzmanLynn2010APPAM-vx.pdf, 2010 [November 4, 2013]. [7] “Dr. Robert Lane, Writing in Engineering.” Internet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGw8nHPM36A, 2010 [November 3, 2013]. [8] Cunningham, Don & Jill Stewart. “Perceptions and Practices: A Survey of Professional Engineers and Architects.” Internet: http://www.radford.edu/dacunning/articles/IPCC%202011%20Paper%20ID%2044.pdf, 2011 [November 4, 2013]. [9] Waters, Jeff. “How to Increase Your Engineering Salary.” Internet: http://lifeupfront.com/2012/11/15/how-to-increase-your-engineering-salary/, 2012 [November 4, 2013]. [10] “Engineers: Communication and Writing Skills.” Internet: http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=22752, 2013 [November 3, 2013]. [11] “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs.” Internet: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering, 2013 [November 4, 2013].

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