A Comprehensive Engineering College-Wide Program for Developing Technical Communication Skills in Students

Authors

Ronald S. Harichandran, University of New HavenFollow
David J. Adams
Jean Nocito-Gobel, University of New HavenFollow
Eric Brisart, University of New HavenFollow
Nadiye O. Erdil, University of New HavenFollow
Michael Collura, University of New HavenFollow
Samuel Bogan Daniels, University of New HavenFollow
David Harding, University of New HavenFollow

Author URLs

Dean Harichandran's Faculty Profile

Professor Nocito-Gobel's Faculty Profile

Professor Brisart's Faculty Profile

Profesor Erdil's Faculty Profile

Professor Collura's Faculty Profile

Professor Daniels' Faculty Profile

Professor Harding's Faculty Profile

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Subject: LCSH

Technical writing, Engineering--Study and teaching

Disciplines

Civil Engineering | Engineering Education

Abstract

The Project to Integrate Technical Communication Habits (PITCH) is being implemented in the Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven across seven engineering and computer science undergraduate programs. PITCH develops written, oral and visual communication skills in students starting in the very first semester and continuing through all four years of each program. Communication instruments encompass technical memoranda, poster presentations, oral presentations, laboratory reports, proposals, and senior design reports, including the use of tables and graphics in each. Advice tables, annotated sample assignments and grading rubrics are being developed for each instrument to assist students in their work and facilitate consistency in instruction and assessment across multiple instructors teaching different course sections. Within each of the seven programs, specific courses that span all four years are targeted for implementation and assessment of technical communication skills. The different communication instruments are distributed across courses as appropriate, and the skills are developed at deeper and deeper levels as students progress through the years. A critical feature of the project is that technical communication skills are integrated into the content of regular engineering courses and are taught by regular engineering faculty.

Comments

(C) 2014 IEEE.

DOI

10.1109/FIE.2014.7044018

Repository Citation

Harichandran, Ronald S.; Adams, David J.; Nocito-Gobel, Jean; Brisart, Eric; Erdil, Nadiye O.; Collura, Michael; Daniels, Samuel Bogan; and Harding, David, "A Comprehensive Engineering College-Wide Program for Developing Technical Communication Skills in Students" (2014). Civil Engineering Faculty Publications. 17.
https://digitalcommons.newhaven.edu/civilengineering-facpubs/17

Publisher Citation

Harichandran, R. S., Adams, D. J., Nocito-Gobel, J., Brisart, E., Erdil, N. O., Collura, M. A., Daniels, S. B., and Harding, W. D. (2014). “A comprehensive engineering college-wide program for developing technical communication skills in students.” Proceedings, Frontiers in Education Conference, Madrid, Spain, 182-189.