Learning to Communicate in Science and Engineering: Case Studies from MIT (MIT Press) by Mya Poe

by Mya Poe

To many science and engineering students, the task of writing may seemirrelevant to their future professional careers. At MIT, however, students discoverthat writing about their technical work is important not only in solving real-worldproblems but also in developing their professional identities. MIT puts intopractice the belief that "engineers who don't write well end up working forengineers who do write well," requiring all students to take"communications-intensive" classes in which they learn from MIT facultyand writing instructors how to express their ideas in writing and in presentations.Students are challenged not only to think like professional scientists and engineersbut also to communicate like them.This book offers in-depth case studies andpedagogical strategies from a range of science and engineeringcommunication-intensive classes at MIT. It traces the progress of seventeen studentsfrom diverse backgrounds in seven classes that span five departments. Undergraduatesin biology attempt to turn scientific findings into a research article; graduatestudents learn to define their research for scientific grant writing; undergraduatesin biomedical engineering learn to use data as evidence; and students in aeronauticand astronautic engineering learn to communicate collaboratively. Each case study isintroduced by a description of its theoretical and curricular context and an outlineof the objectives for the students' activities. The studies describe theon-the-ground realities of working with faculty, staff, and students to achievecommunication and course goals, offering lessons that can be easily applied to awide variety of settings and institutions.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Catherine Siemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely useful work.