Engineering Design and Communication: The Case for Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Penny L. Hirsch; Barbara L. Shwom; Charles Yarnoff; John C. Anderson; David M. Kelso; Gregory B. Olson; J. Edward Colgate

Engineering Design and Communication: The Case for Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Penny L. Hirsch^*, Barbara L. Shwom, Charles Yarnoff, John C. Anderson, David M. Kelso, Gregory B. Olson, J. Edward Colgate

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

87 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper describes an innovative, interdisciplinary, project-based freshman course at Northwestern University - Engineering Design and Communication (EDC). The course fully integrates engineering design with freshman communication and is taught collaboratively by faculty from Engineering and from Arts and Sciences. Working on real projects for real clients, students acquire skills in communication, design, and teamwork and also come to see design and communication as complementary parts of the same iterative and creative problem-solving enterprise. We argue that this interdisciplinary approach improves the teaching of both communication and design and provides students with an exceptionally solid foundation for their future engineering courses and careers.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	342-348
Number of pages	7
Journal	International Journal of Engineering Education
Volume	17
Issue number	4-5
State	Published - 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Education
General Engineering

Cite this

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title = "Engineering Design and Communication: The Case for Interdisciplinary Collaboration",

abstract = "This paper describes an innovative, interdisciplinary, project-based freshman course at Northwestern University - Engineering Design and Communication (EDC). The course fully integrates engineering design with freshman communication and is taught collaboratively by faculty from Engineering and from Arts and Sciences. Working on real projects for real clients, students acquire skills in communication, design, and teamwork and also come to see design and communication as complementary parts of the same iterative and creative problem-solving enterprise. We argue that this interdisciplinary approach improves the teaching of both communication and design and provides students with an exceptionally solid foundation for their future engineering courses and careers.",

author = "Hirsch, {Penny L.} and Shwom, {Barbara L.} and Charles Yarnoff and Anderson, {John C.} and Kelso, {David M.} and Olson, {Gregory B.} and Colgate, {J. Edward}",

year = "2001",

language = "English (US)",

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pages = "342--348",

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AU - Kelso, David M.

AU - Olson, Gregory B.

AU - Colgate, J. Edward

PY - 2001

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N2 - This paper describes an innovative, interdisciplinary, project-based freshman course at Northwestern University - Engineering Design and Communication (EDC). The course fully integrates engineering design with freshman communication and is taught collaboratively by faculty from Engineering and from Arts and Sciences. Working on real projects for real clients, students acquire skills in communication, design, and teamwork and also come to see design and communication as complementary parts of the same iterative and creative problem-solving enterprise. We argue that this interdisciplinary approach improves the teaching of both communication and design and provides students with an exceptionally solid foundation for their future engineering courses and careers.

AB - This paper describes an innovative, interdisciplinary, project-based freshman course at Northwestern University - Engineering Design and Communication (EDC). The course fully integrates engineering design with freshman communication and is taught collaboratively by faculty from Engineering and from Arts and Sciences. Working on real projects for real clients, students acquire skills in communication, design, and teamwork and also come to see design and communication as complementary parts of the same iterative and creative problem-solving enterprise. We argue that this interdisciplinary approach improves the teaching of both communication and design and provides students with an exceptionally solid foundation for their future engineering courses and careers.

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Engineering Design and Communication: The Case for Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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