Thoughts on the Relevancy of Networked Learning in Engineering Education
Until last semester, when I took Preparing for Future Professoriate, I didn’t even know that blogging was a school thing. I asked around, and it came to my attention that the majority who did blog as part of coursework requirement were outside of engineering. The initial shock was tempered by the statistics, and it served as a beginning to my reflections on the engineering education experience.
Let me start by saying that I find blogging fun. That what I’m currently writing will be (please?) read by not just a person who assigns the grade but a collective audience that interacts. Words now have the potential for greater meaning and outreach, whereas they used to be archived and gathering digital dust after given another checkmark.
So why is blogging less prevalent in engineering education?
One reason could be that the curriculum is geared more towards problem-solving. Presently, it’s hard to imagine learning the mathematical and technical fundamentals other than through the more traditional methods (i.e. the chalk and blackboard lectures). There is also the issue of meeting ABET requirements, so that the engineering program maintains accreditation (see link below). Hence, the student contract, or the syllabus.
http://www.abet.org/accreditation/why-abet-accreditation-matters/
But there are engineering topics that cannot be taught in the traditional sense. One of my most memorable undergraduate experiences was a course about entrepreneurship in the energy sector. The class wasn’t so much a lecture as it was a discussion on why certain people, policies, technologies succeed or fail. I learned so much from my peers, who unfortunately probably didn’t learn as much from reticent me. As with all complex problems, the solution cannot be taught or given. But the problem can be discussed, and ideas can be bounced off one another, hopefully providing participants with broader perspectives that can lead to forward-moving decisions. It’s what happens in meeting rooms, conferences, political stages, where big issues are given voice. If discussions are integral to real life, why shouldn’t education reflect that?
I know a number of students who chose to go into engineering because it represented the path of least resistance – more numbers, fewer essays. Boy were they in for a surprise! Writing, and communication in general, occupy an enormous chunk of an engineer’s time. Practice makes better, and there’s no better motivator (in my opinion) than to practice writing for an actual audience. It could even be a more comfortable channel of communication for the less outspoken, such as myself. Again, it’s this element of relevancy to life that I think can enrich engineering education.
September 5, 2017 @ 9:08 am
Thank you so much for your post! I definitely agree that it is really interesting to think about ways to incorporate activities such as blogging into engineering education contexts. As you point out, much of the engineering curriculum focuses on problem-solving and developing technical competencies despite the importance of other aspects of engineering such as communication. While much of the engineering curriculum focuses on technical skills and problem-solving, it is worth further emphasizing that engineers need to be able to communicate (like you said, a lot of engineering involves communication!), understand their “professional and ethical responsibility,” “understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context,” and be able to continually engage in learning (these are from ABET student outcomes, but the Engineer of 2020 and other reports similarly highlight the need for engineers to be able to do more than technical work). As with entrepreneurship, these cannot just be told to students. Students need to be able to engage in discussions around these topics. I think blogs could be a cool way for students to have discussions related to relevant issues in engineering and practice communicating. You bring up so many great points in your post. Thanks for the post and for asking such an interesting question!
September 6, 2017 @ 2:25 pm
Yes to what Amy said! Also, you can’t imagine how much I appreciate this sentence: “Writing, and communication in general, occupy an enormous chunk of an engineer’s time. ” Yes!
September 6, 2017 @ 2:26 pm
Please adjust your discussion settings so comments aren’t held for moderation!
September 6, 2017 @ 5:47 pm
Thought you might be interested in a couple of blogs related to Engineering Ed
Dartmouth’s Engineering program (not Eng’g Ed) runs:
https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/for/current-students/student-groups/
One of the student blogs with fantastic info, photos and links
https://dherwanda.wordpress.com/
While these don’t necessarily rise to the issues you bring up about using blogs to promote communication among undergraduates, it is a good example of how undergrads (and grads) are blogging about how their experiences influence(d) their education.
I just did a quick Google search (University AND Engineering AND Blog) and found this link also:
Zen College Life 50 Top Eng’g Blog
http://www.zencollegelife.com/50-top-engineering-blogs/
this looks like a combination of school/program-based blogs and student-directed ones. I saw a couple I’m going to check out including:
FairerScience – http://www.fairerscience.org/about.html
One last one: from Univ. of Illinois | Mech. Eng’g
https://mechanical.illinois.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-blogs
September 9, 2017 @ 11:36 pm
Thank you! I will check these out.
September 12, 2017 @ 7:55 pm
Hi Grace,
I have been passively participating your blog and enjoying your novel blend of personal insight, engineering background, and elements of pedagogy for some time.
I though this blog post was neat in that it highlights your personal journey to ask/raise interesting questions and distribute information within the world of pedagogy in an engineer’s perspective. It is both encouraging and motivating.
I look forward in actively participating in your continued curiosity.