A Writing Kit for Engineering Design Reports
Date
2010
Authors
Pritchard, Peggy A.
Lubitz, David
Moussa, Medhat
Hundleby, Margaret
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Abstract
Targeted writing instruction is introduced into a third year design course in a series of four required courses in engineering design at the University of Guelph. A variety of writing resources are gathered and adapted to the needs of students required to deliver a 40-page Design Report for a client-based project. The Writing Kit uses a multi-layered approach, including online and print resources and composing workshops explaining writing for analytic purposes, and makes rubrics available for self-evaluation by student writers. Instruction focuses on the relationship of written documentation to design work and the importance of outcomes for evaluating the success of the work as well as for producing it.
Description
The “Writing Kit for Engineering Design Reports” is a suite of tools designed to support the development of improved technical writing skills in undergraduate engineering students. Originally created for integration into a third-year design course that requires students to prepare a 40-page design report for a client-based project, the kit can be adapted to other writing assignments and academic levels. The kit is available in a zipped file that contains four elements: Writing guidelines, supplemental support materials on effective writing (workshop slides), Assessment Rubrics (for self- and peer evaluation), LaTeX templates (for formatting the reports).
Details of the development of the writing kit and its integration into the third-year design course at the University of Guelph (Canada), were presented at the first annual conference of the Canadian Engineering Education Association, held June 7-9, 2010 at Queen’s University, Kingston,ON, Canada. https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.v0i0.3161
Details of the development of the writing kit and its integration into the third-year design course at the University of Guelph (Canada), were presented at the first annual conference of the Canadian Engineering Education Association, held June 7-9, 2010 at Queen’s University, Kingston,ON, Canada. https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.v0i0.3161
Keywords
writing, engineering design
Citation
Hundleby, M., Moussa, M., Lubitz, W. D., & Pritchard, P. (2010). A Writing Kit for Engineering Design Reports. Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.v0i0.3161