Resources for Teaching Engineering Communication and Related Professional Skills

Below are a variety of resources for planning and implementing written, oral, and visual communication in engineering curricula, geared specifically towards Virginia Tech's College of Engineering. If you have additional resources you'd like to add, or specific topics you'd like resources for, please email Marie Paretti.

General Resources

Resources for Students - Links to a range of web resources including grammar sites, style guides, journals, and professional organizations in technical communication

Communication in Engineering Curricula - A special issue of IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication; all articles available electronically from the Virginia Tech Library for VT faculty and students.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Assessing Student Writing - resources from George Mason to help faculty assess student writing and talk with each other about what "good writing" means.

Campus Resources

Virginia Tech's Writing Center

Virginia Tech's Comm Lab

Virginia Tech's University Writing Program

Web Resources for Teaching

Technical Writing Online - an online textbook with modules on various documents and topics

Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students - guidelines for a variety of common documents

LabWrite - a very effective NSF-funded site developed at North Carolina State University to walk students through the process of writing lab reports

Sample Curricula and Programs

Analysis of the Mechanical Engineering Program (PDF)

MSE/ESM Communications Program

Professional Writing Program (English Dept)

Academic Threads: Curriculum Integration for Specific Capabilities (ISE Dept - ASEE Conference Publication)

Virginia Tech Faculty Contacts

Angelo Biviano, Mining Writing and Communications Program Coordinator

Marie Paretti, MSE/ESM Engineering Communications Program Director

Jane Wemhoener , Director of Professional Writing, English Department

University Writing Program Coordinator

Rachel Holloway, Department of Communications Chair

Marlene Preston, Comm Lab Director

Jennifer Lawrence , Writing Center Coordinator