Conference Session

Educating the Whole Engineer - Building Life Skills

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy Kindschi, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Patrick Eagan, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Paul Ross, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

organizations. He is now getting a Masters degree and has been told heneeds to use library resources. The library resources he has used in the past are books that hisprofessor put on reserve for his class. He’s not sure what he’s supposed to do.This scenario is common in Wisconsin and probably in many other places. Instructors andlibrarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created an infrastructure to helpengineering graduate students learn how to find and use information. The Master of Engineeringin Professional Practice (MEPP) at UW-Madison includes information literacy 1 throughout thetwo year curriculum. Some students understand the need to go beyond Google early in theprogram, but most students are gradually won over to secondary

Conference Session

Educating the Whole Engineer - Building Life Skills

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kate Thomes, University of Pittsburgh; Beth Bateman Newborg, University of Pittsburgh; Kate Joranson, University of Pittsburgh; Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh; Steven Abramowitch, University of Pittsburgh; Carol Washburn, University of Pittsburgh; Carol Baker, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

revisions by professionals throughout theuniversity. Looking back to the initial stages of ISfE, developing instructional objectives andlearning outcomes was key. Following a close reading of accreditation standards and informationliteracy standards from ABET, ACRL, and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education,the librarians articulated five objectives to guide ISfE curriculum development:1. Determine the nature and extent of information needed for a project2. Access information effectively and efficiently3. Evaluate and understand the information4. Use information ethically5. Use research to create new knowledgeABET criterion 3 on Program Outcomes and Assessment (especially parts d, f, g, h, and i)broadly state the learning objectives

Conference Session

Educating the Whole Engineer - Building Life Skills

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine Drew, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Richard Vaz, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

ensurethat students are prepared for real-world off-site projects.Information literacy (IL) skills carry over from the academic setting to professional and personallife. According to a recent report by American Association of Colleges and Universitiesinformation literacy is listed as an essential learning outcome in the area of Intellectual andPractical Skills.1 At WPI these skills become practice with the real-world projects undergraduatestudents perform as part of their degree requirements. Librarians partner with faculty to infusethese important skills for future engineers and scientists into the curriculum through a projectexperience completed during their junior year.All WPI undergraduates are required to complete a team-based project that

Conference Session

New Tools and Techniques for Information Literacy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Baer, Wichita State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

inserted into the gradebook.From its inception the project relied on cooperation between the faculty of the college ofengineering and the library. The faculty were consulted at every stage of the creation process.The feedback they provided was invaluable. Pre and post tests were used to evaluate theeffectiveness of the videos.The Plagiarism IssueEthics has always played an important role in the engineering professions. According to theCode of Ethics for Engineers presented by the National Society of Professional Engineers,“engineers are expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and integrity.”1 In fact, thedocument gives as one of its fundamental cannons that engineers should, “conduct themselveshonorably, responsibly, ethically, and

Conference Session

Engineering Librarians Boot Camp

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Curtis, Linda Hall Library

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

within theprofession by presenting papers at its meetings. Primarily due to the initiative of FrederickHutton, second secretary of the ASME, the society began publishing these papers and issuingthem to the membership. Prior to 1883, either the author or the Secretary of the Society wouldfirst read the paper in front of the assembly, then perhaps a few copies would be distributed forre-publishing by journals. According to Hutton, also an early historian of the organization,“Little argument is required to present the disadvantages of this system. The tedium of prosyreading is hard to bear. Many engineers are not trained to read pleasantly or to fill large hallswith the voice. Mathematical papers cannot be followed even by experts...”1 Hutton