Article Gold Open Access 2022

Advancing Engineering Students’ Technical Writing Skills by Implementing Team-Based Learning Instructional Modules in an Existing Laboratory Curriculum

Education Sciences
Journal · Vol. 12 · Issue 8 · Art. 520
Abstract

Technical writing is a crucial skill for engineering students’ effective written communication, which shapes and affects their professional careers. This study designs team-based learning (TBL) instructional modules that are integrated into an existing engineering laboratory curriculum and evaluates their feasibility and effectiveness in improving engineering students’ technical writing skills. The data were collected from structured survey questions distributed to student participants and from the instructor’s independent evaluation of students’ lab reports. The effect of assigning a team leader on students’ writing performances was also evaluated. Our results indicated that students who have received TBL modules perceive a greater improvement in their technical writing skills than those who did not. A strong correlation was found between students’ perception and the instructor’s evaluation of the students’ technical writing skills. Assigning a team leader in TBL instructional modules has not played a significant role in improving engineering students’ technical writing skills. The same happens with gender. Overall, utilization of TBL instructional modules can advance engineering students’ technical writing skills. © 2022 by the authors.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Engineering education team leader role team-based learning technical writing

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Mobile, AL, United States
Department of Counseling and Instructional Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States
Dept. of Civil and Geomatics Engineering, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Wheeler, Edward D., Writing in engineering courses, Journal of Engineering Education, 89, 4, pp. 481-486, (2000)
2 Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual Effective for Reviews During the 20222023 Accreditation Cycle, (2021)
3 Malays Online J Educ Sci, (2021)
4 Transformative Dialogues Teaching and Learning Journal, (2021)
5 Cantera, Maria Asun, A rubric to assess and improve technical writing in undergraduate engineering courses, Education Sciences, 11, 4, (2021)
6 Keyser, George F., LEARNING THROUGH WRITING IN AN ENGINEERING COURSE., IEEE Transactions on Professional Communications, PC-27, 3, pp. 126-129, (1984)
7 Weissbach, Robert S., Collaborating with Writing Centers on Interdisciplinary Peer Tutor Training to Improve Writing Support for Engineering Students, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 61, 2, pp. 206-220, (2018)
8 Kim, Dave Wook, Using a Transfer-Focused Writing Pedagogy to Improve Undergraduates' Lab Report Writing in Gateway Engineering Laboratory Courses, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 63, 1, pp. 64-84, (2020)
9 Dejene, Wondifraw, The practice of modularized curriculum in higher education institution: Active learning and continuous assessment in focus, Cogent Education, 6, 1, (2019)
10 Conrad, Susan M., A Comparison of Practitioner and Student Writing in Civil Engineering, Journal of Engineering Education, 106, 2, pp. 191-217, (2017)
Quick Actions
Full Text via DOI
Citation Metrics
6
Times Cited (Scopus)

References 10
Document Identifiers