Taking Engl 21007 (Writing for Engineering) has been an experience that has taught me the role of effective communication within engineering. Writing is, and always has been, a fundamental skill that allows engineers of many fields (including my field, biomedical engineering) to articulate their ideas, designs, and solutions with clarity and conciseness. This is actually shown in my discussion posts. In one of them, I reflected on my experience listening to the David Hurlbut podcast and emphasized the importance of writing in the engineering field, specifically in relation to business and communication. 

I point out that the podcast emphasizes the role of communication in the business side of engineering, and I mention the challenges faced by managers in obtaining approvals and writing proposals. This is like the concept of technical writing, where clear and concise communication is crucial for successful collaboration in the workplace. Also, I have come to realize that different roles within the engineering field require varying forms of writing (email, proposal, explaining concepts, etc). 

I also refer to my experience with lab reports and acknowledge the relevance of formal writing in the engineering context. For example, there is a similarity between proposals and abstracts, as well as the need to communicate data, similar to the results section of a lab report. This recognition indicates my understanding of how the skills developed in writing lab reports can be applied to real-world scenarios. For example, I wrote for my lab report, “The purpose of this lab experiment is to observe the change in the normal force of the elevator while accelerating and hypothesize that the weight shown on the scale will increase when accelerating upward, decrease when accelerating downward, and remain constant when at a constant velocity.” The intention of this statement is to demonstrate clear research objectives and hypothesis formulation, which will be valuable in various engineering contexts.

Additionally, the lab report highlights the importance of providing accurate technical explanations and using appropriate terminology. It states, “Newton’s 2nd law, F = ma, relates force, mass, and acceleration. Scales measure the normal force, which is the force exerted by the scale pushing up on the object.” This showcases the ability to explain complex concepts concisely and accessible. Effective communication of technical concepts is crucial in engineering writing for various purposes, including project management, technical documentation, and client communication.
The technical description builds on this as well, as it provided a unique experience for me, distinguishing it from other assignments in different classes. Unlike assignments focused on analysis, this particular task emphasized the delivery of solid facts in a concise, factual, and ethical manner. By incorporating the necessary genre elements such as definition, introduction, overview, function, and description, I was able to provide a comprehensive portrayal of the object under consideration. Additionally, the conclusion addressed crucial aspects like the object’s history, price, and potential hazards.
I recall the funny YouTube video, “Exact Instructions Challenge – THIS is why my kids hate me. | Josh Darnit” in which we had to do a discussion post. This post was meant to assist in the writing of the technical description, and it emphasized the importance of clear and concise instructions. This will help to ensure that the person or people you are giving instructions to understand what you want them to do. For example, when making PB&J, Josh Darnit’s kids tell him to “get two pieces of bread out,” but Josh interprets this as “get two pieces of bread out of the bag.” This small misunderstanding leads to Josh making a sandwich with two pieces of bread that are still attached to the bag. It is not only enough for one to be able to have these skills for myself, but ensure that other group members or coworkers are able to complete the assigned tasks, and communicate this well, just like in the engineering proposal. Through gantt charts, timelines, and detailed project plans, an engineering proposal facilitates effective task delegation and coordination among group members or coworkers. It ensures that everyone understands their assigned tasks, deadlines, and dependencies, promoting seamless collaboration and project execution. Clear communication is essential in conveying the project’s scope, objectives, and methodologies to stakeholders, enabling them to make informed decisions. The engineering proposal serves as a roadmap, outlining the project’s key milestones, deliverables, and anticipated outcomes. For example, in our project, we attempted to complete key milestones of our proposal to construct a bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan, which was quite challenging to execute in retrospect. In addition, if some group members put comments on each others’ work, it is quite challenging to keep track of this without effective communication between the group members.
Let’s not forget the importance of the engineering proposal rough draft. This sets a template for what we did wrong as a group, as well as how to improve on working collaboratively so that each group member is able to contribute as much as they can do the project, with no one contributing too little and no one contributing too much. This was the importance of the gantt chart in the rough draft – to stay on track no matter how many pitfalls you may face as a group.
This is where the “Backyard Squirrel Maze 1.0- Ninja Warrior Course” discussion post based on the YouTube video comes into play. The video taught me how it is important to be creative and persistent when trying to solve problems. Mark Rober had to come up with many different ideas and solutions in order to create an obstacle course that the squirrels could not defeat. Also, one peculiar fact I learned is that it is important to have a sense of humor when dealing with difficult situations. Mark Rober was able to find humor in the fact that the squirrels were able to defeat his obstacle course, and he shared his experience with others in a way that was both entertaining and educational. This is exactly the same attitude one should have in the workplace, so that coworkers do not come across you as gloomy and downcast everytime you want to complete a project by a deadline.