Conference Session

Integrating Engineering & Liberal Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dara R. Fisher, Harvard University; Aikaterini Bagiati, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sanjay E. Sarma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

Page 24.623.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Fostering 21st Century Skills in Engineering Undergraduates through Co-Curricular InvolvementAbstractAs engineering institutions attempt to prepare their students for today’s global, cross-disciplinaryworkplace, incorporation of 21st century “soft” skills into classroom-based engineering educationhas become the practice of many colleges and universities in the United States and elsewhere.While this method may prove effective in many cases, this paper presents an alternativeapproach to fostering these skills in engineering education: student skill development through co-curricular involvement. For this analysis, we focus

Conference Session

Critical Thinking, Leadership, and Creativity

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael L. Jones, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

but positive effects on test results [2, 27] but strongpositive effects on development of professional skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, interpersonal communication, and project management skills [15]. Given such “soft” skills are increasingly in demand by employers and accreditingagencies such as ABET[1], engineering schools have similarly warmed to an adaptedform for PBL for engineering education. Kolmos describes PBL in engineering asinvolving five key differentiating factors:Traditional Education Project-Based Learning1. Given a professional problem 1. Identify a professional project based on inclination, interest, experience or

Conference Session

The Interdisciplinary Nature of Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Cohen, Lafayette College; Jenn Stroud Rossmann, Lafayette College; Kristen L. Sanford Bernhardt, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Multidisciplinary Engineering

socio-technical concepts as away to enhance the range of skills that engineering education is intended to teach and to fosterthe status of the engineer as a professional with social responsibility and public engagement. Itasks for engineers to cultivate their identity as technology designers cognizant of foundationalattributes inclusive of technical and non-technical skills.e                                                                                                                e The spatial metaphor that helps promote this vision is important as well. Instead of proposing a radial, atomicmodel, with the core technical attributes in the nucleus and so-called “soft” skills of communication, economicattention, and cultural value awareness

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve E. Watkins, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Les Kinsler, Kansas State University, Salina; Julia L. Morse, Kansas State University, Salina; Doug Carroll, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

provide important technical and communication experiences forundergraduate and graduate students. Senior capstone, thesis, design, and other project activitiesare means to develop teamwork and communication skills. ABET student outcomes reflect thesecritical skills [1] and experiences applying soft skills in the context of project work are valuable.The process of documenting a project and presenting the results enhances one’s technicalunderstanding in ways that students do not often appreciate. Technical poster presentations area common communication mode in which effective delivery depends heavily on succinctexpression, audience analysis, and visual design. Much of the literature related to posterpresentations deals with course-level poster

Conference Session

Teaching Communication II

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nabila A. Bousaba, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; James M. Conrad, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Jean L. Coco, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Mehdi Miri, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Robert W. Cox, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

feedback over the course of the three-year design sequence. The junior designprofessor reported that “prior to this process, I viewed the teaching of such ‘soft skills assomewhat difficult and that the ability to master them was something that would come naturallyto the more ambitious students who were driven to succeed. I now feel that such skills cannot betaught effectively without some mechanism for self-reflection.”Currently, we are drawing up plans to integrate scaffolded oral communication assignments,beginning with sophomore design. To link the project to professional workplace readiness, thedesign faculty has continued the current practice of asking a panel of local engineers to evaluatethe students’ final presentations in the senior