An Exploratory Study Mapping Approaches to Teaching Writing in Engineering

Abstract

Approaches to teaching writing to engineers vary widely across institutions, from standalone courses housed in English departments to fully integrated writing-in-the-disciplines programs, as well as a range of models in between that represent partnerships between writing and technical faculty. But little is known about how widely each approach is used, who is responsible for instruction, or what the overall goals are. In this exploratory study, we present an initial meta-analysis to map current approaches to engineering writing instruction by analyzing papers presented at American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conferences between 2012 and 2022. This exploratory study is a first step in a larger mapping project designed to better understand not only how engineering writing is taught and, perhaps more importantly, what approaches to engineering writing instruction are effective in what contexts and why. Such mapping can facilitate a deeper dialogues locally, nationally, and globally about the strengths and limitations of various approaches.