Rhetoric of Grammar for Engineers: Developing a WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum) Workshop for Engineering Technology Students

摘要

This paper explores the ongoing development of a teaching workshop for use in engineering technology courses, which contain a significant writing component. The main purpose of the workshop (module) is to bring students up to a minimum standard of accepted grammar structure in short order through specific targeted subject areas including person, active/ passive voice and documentation. It was hoped that increased student skill in these areas will dramatically improve student effectiveness in creating readable and grammatically correct technical reports, laboratory reports and daily engineering communication appropriate for the field. Pre and post assessment instruments were employed with the workshop to measure the impact on the student learning of subject areas. Results of the assessment findings will be discussed. Lastly, the workshop has been taught both on site and from remote location by use of distance learning Web CT and Smart board technologies. Comparisons and limitations between on site and remote teaching locations are reviewed by the authors.