Enhancing Technical Communication in CHE Unit Operations Lab

1. Acknowledgement This project was funded by NSF Grant #EEC-0080484. Integrating Teaming, Writing, and Speaking in CHE Unit Operations LabDave Kmiec, Chris M. Anson, Paula Berardinelli, Lisa Bullard, Deanna P. Dannels, Steven Peretti, James J. SpiveyNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC Goal: to provide instruction intechnical writing, oral presentation, and teaming within the context of a laboratory course Motivation Program Components Typical Schedule Since appearing in the required ABET competencies in EC 2000, fragments of teaming, writing, and speaking education have been distributed, sometimes haphazardly, across the core courses in engineering departments nationwide or delegated to service departments. Searching for an alternative method of integrating these new competencies, a team of researchers at North Carolina State University has constructed a junior-level discipline-specific teaming, writing, and speaking (TWS) module and consultation series. The TWS instruction is a discipline-specific module and consultation series designed to complement a junior-level chemical engineering laboratory survey course. • Modules • Class meets 4 times per semester with consultant • Develop collaborative oral and written technical • communication skills • Address preparation of oral & written lab reports • Identify and resolve issues related to writing, speaking, • and interpersonal interaction • Consultations • Team meets 4 times per semester with consultant • Discuss reports or presentations in progress • Facilitate application of communication concepts & • collaborative techniques taught in the module. • Assignments • Maintain project management charts and notebooks • Recorded meeting and assignment information • Reflections on teaming efficiency In addition to a weekly statistics and experimental design lecture, students have a dedicated 3 hour weekly lab time. The TWS module is conducted on non-lab weeks during this lab time. Consultations are scheduled individually. The table below shows one possible semester schedule. Core Competencies In addition to a weekly statistics and experimental design lecture, students have a dedicated 3 hour weekly lab time. The TWS module is conducted on non-lab weeks during this lab time. TWS Consultations are scheduled individually. The table below shows one possible semester schedule. Results Website By the end of the semester, students randomly selected to participate in the TWS module series were performing significantly better on writing and speaking tasks than students in a control group. (TWS students’ teaming performance is still being analyzed.) For instructional materials, implementation suggestions, and performance data, visit the website at http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/ lockers/project/actionagenda/ index.html.