Implementing a quality control model for technical communication instruction in an engineering curriculum: an update

Abstract

Already burdened with overloaded curricula and diminishing budgets, many engineering schools are struggling to implement recent accreditation directives to (1) ensure alt their graduates have the ability to communicate effectively; (2) demonstrate these capabilities via student outcomes; and (3) develop processes for continual improvement while few, if any, argue the legitimacy of this urgent need, many engineering schools face difficult implementation challenges. To help schools analyze their current technical communication (TC) status, devise strategies to overcome specific obstacles, and incorporate suggestions for improvement from pivotal stakeholders e.g., engineering professors, recent graduates, engineering employers, TC professionals, professional engineering organizations, we offer an experience-based, quality-control (QC) model as a framework for incorporating TC instruction and practice directly into an engineering curriculum.