ABET outcome (4): Engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain an ability to “communicate effectively with a range of audiences.” (www.abet.org proposed for 2016-2017)
In my future career I expect to become well practiced in various forms of technical writing, specifically memos, lab reports, and oral presentations. Memos are quick and easy ways to share information informally with coworkers, which will be useful when collaborating on a project with others. A formal report is almost mandatory for any research or project conducted while working. These reports summarize projects in an organized manner and present all relevant data, information, and observations. They allow others to learn from your experiences as well as provide valuable background information for future projects. Oral presentations will be useful in presenting projects or research either currently being conducted or that have been completed to peers, superiors, and the general public. It is important to share this information with these audiences in order to receive or continue funding, receive feedback, and share ideas with others that are in similar fields.
When presenting to coworkers or peers, presentations should use more technical terms and have more detail about the project. The people of this audience typically have the background knowledge that would allow them to easily understand the intricacies of a particular project and their feedback would be useful in making improvements. If presenting to a boss or other superior, a presentation should be less detailed. This audience, although most likely capable of understanding the more complicated aspects of the project, does not want a detailed description, and would prefer a broad overview. The general public should receive the most simplified and concise presentation due to the variety of educational backgrounds and desire to receive information quickly.
During my time as an engineering student, I’ve had to read numerous lab reports and scientific journals. With this experience, I have come to appreciate straightforward writing that does not use unnecessary large words or technical terms. Even with all the things I’ve learned in school, I prefer more simple writing that presents information clearly and concisely.
The assignment chosen to fulfill the ABET outcome (4) is a formal lab report completed in ENG 1182 for the AEV project. This report summarizes our entire project, from the initial design process to evaluating the success of the final design. This document demonstrates proficient knowledge of how to both present data and findings as well as write technically. To write an effective report, my team and I had to organize our data and information and present it in a logical manner, provide relevant illustrations and explain said illustrations, and provide adequate background information.