Teaching Technical Communication to Engineering Students: Design, Implementation, and Assessment for Project-based Instruction

Abstract

Through the project-based instruction (PBI) method, this paper described the design, implementation, and assessment of a technical communication course for engineering graduate students. The paper first addressed an increasing demand of engineering students with great communication skills through analyzing the existing literature and industry criteria. It then introduced concepts and characteristics of PBI and explained why PBI is a fit pedagogy in teaching technical writing to engineering students. Next, it elaborated components involved in the holistic design of the PBI course, including student sample, timeline, designed sections and units, and designing rationale and principles. This paper then reported the teaching effectiveness of this course through the course evaluation. Through the instructor's critical reflection, the paper finally discussed challenges in implementing and assessing a PBI method in this course and also provided insights to improve curriculum design for future scholars.