Engineering students can benefit from intentional development and reinforcement of technical communication (TC) skills throughout their undergraduate studies. In this paper we will present a flow chart that captures all TC instruction currently taking place in the mechanical engineering (ME) undergraduate curriculum at Rose-Hulman. This flow chart reveals information and patterns that have existed for years but have never been assembled in an easy-to-access format. We document the process of collecting this information and gathering feedback from colleagues. We then consider how the flowchart might help the department improve the way we teach TC. Using memos as a test case, we develop threshold concepts that could help faculty more intentionally scaffold writing experiences across the curriculum. We conclude by outlining next steps for implementation.
Rebecca Bercich is Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She received her BS, MS, and PhD degrees in biomedical engineering from Purdue University in 2016. Her doctoral research focused on the development of wirelessly powered implantable devices to record and stimulate bioelectric activity. She currently teaches in in the areas of mechatronics, measurements, and engineering design. Address: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803 Phone: (812) 877-8121 E-mail: bercich@rose-hulman.edu.
Sarah Summers earned her PhD in Rhetoric and Composition at Pennsylvania State University and joined the Rose-Hulman faculty in 2014. Her most recent scholarly work focuses on using design thinking to teach writing. She teaches advanced writing courses including technical writing, grant writing, and digital writing as well as courses in disability studies and visual rhetoric.
Phillip Cornwell currently teaches at the United States Air Force Academy and is an Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1989 and his present interests inc
James Mayhew is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He teaches courses in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, measurement systems, and aerospace engineering. He was a USAF officer for 13 years before joining Rose-H
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