Communication Across the Curriculum and in the Disciplines: Speaking in Engineering

Abstract

This study embraces a communication in the disciplines (CID) theoretical framework and explores meanings associated with speaking competently as an engineer. Using qualitative methodology, I analyze faculty lectures and evaluations, student dress and final presentations, and course materials from a senior design series and describe emerging features of speaking competence in engineering. Results indicate five important features of speaking in engineering: simplicity, persuasiveness, results-oriented, numerically rich and visually sophisticated-all of which invoke the skill of translation. Ultimately, this study makes theoretical contributions that suggest orality as a site for disciplinary knowledge construction, disciplinary socialization, and negotiation of disciplinary tension.

Keywords:

• Communication Across The Curriculum
• Speaking Across The Curriculum
• Situated Learning
• Communication In The Disciplines
• Situated Pedagogy
• Communication In Engineering