2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The role of writing in supporting an increase in self-awareness and meta-cognitive ability in practitioners has long been known. Self-awareness and increased meta-cognitive ability feature prominently in the most effective learning environments. Researchers have also investigated another role, the one writing can play in training the next generation of engineers. Yet since 2015 little work researching the intersection of those two roles has been reported in the literature. Even less work has been reported with respect to the role writing can play in teaching engineering statics, one of the most fundamental of all undergraduate engineering courses. This paper provides an investigation of the role which increased meta-cognition as provided by a regular writing assignment in an engineering statics course can play in improving student performance in that course. The writing assignment is counted as a part of the homework grade for the course; it asks the student after the completion of each homework assignment to reflect upon the challenges in completing that assignment and how the student can improve learning when approaching future assignments. Research data come from two engineering statics courses taught in successive semesters at the same community college — the first semester without a regular writing assignment (Spring 2023, which serves as the control) and the second semester with a regular writing assignment (Fall 2023, which serves as the treatment). Student attitudes regarding the role of writing in engineering education are also assessed via surveys administered at the start and end of the second semester as well as with interviews conducted at the end of the semester. A positive difference between the control and the treatment is expected, but how much of a positive difference will there be? And what differences will be shown when separating the results based on race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic background, and previous grade point average? This paper documents the research to answer those questions.