Engineering + Information Literacy = One grand design

Abstract

Undergraduate engineering students in small institutions, like their colleagues in larger universities, need to be information literate, yet this is a skill that is not necessarily built into their curriculum. This paper will discuss a program that has been developed at Trinity University to address first year engineering students in their initial design course. It will cover the transition from largely lecture/demonstration-based instruction to a presentation that includes active learning components. An emphasis on the importance of written communication skills for engineers is a part of this program that has been enthusiastically endorsed by the engineering faculty.