Revisiting communication experiences to prepare for professional practice

Abstract

The ability to communicate effectively is a critical competency for engineers. According to the future envisioned in the Engineer of 2020, 1 in ABET criteria for accreditation,2,3 and scholarship in the fields of engineering education and technical and professional communication,4 the role of communication in the work life of engineers is becoming more complex and far reaching. We need to help our students prepare for the challenges associated with this expanded role. The exploratory study reported here investigates students' conceptions of the communication of engineers by analyzing the content of portfolios created by five undergraduates in a studio setting. Responses to selected survey items were also analyzed. We found that each of the students discussed or otherwise acknowledged (1) the situated nature of communication, (2) the ways in which communication can be empowering, and (3) the importance of familiarity with a broad range of communication activities for their future professional lives. The ways in which students attended to these dimensions of communication varied greatly between students. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.