2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

GIFTS: Restructuring a First-Year Engineering Course to Introduce a Variety of Technical Communication Activities

Presented at First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 2: Foundational Skills in the First-Year Engineering Classroom

This Great Ideas For Teaching (and Talking With) Students (GIFTS) paper describes a variety of technical communication activities introduced into Engineering Orientation (ENGR 1100). This first-year engineering course serves up to 820 students from all engineering disciplines a semester. Previously, this course was an introduction to college life, campus resources, facilities, academic advising, engineering departments/programs offered on campus, and a basic introduction to being an engineer. However, in Fall 2023, ENGR 1100 was restructured to help build the first-year student's engineering toolbox and make the course more engaging with topics in engineering design, problem-solving, engineering ethics, safety, teamwork, sociotechnical engineering problems, and innovation to not only better prepare the students for future engineering courses but also to be an engineer. The university felt students should be introduced to these topics from their very first semester in the program and helps meet the ABET student outcome that students should be able to communicate effectively. Before redesigning the course, a survey was sent out to first-year engineering students who had previously completed ENGR 1100 to find out what engineering competencies they felt strongest and weakest in and what topics could be implemented to suit first-year engineering students better. The majority of the students responded that their weakest engineering competency was technical communication. This is a constant weakness between first-year cohorts and consistently ranked as a weakness at the beginning of the semester survey. To improve student's competency in technical communication, a wide variety of activities were added to the ENGR 1100 curriculum to implement technical communication in all forms, from verbal to written communication. Since Fall 2023, the following activities have been introduced into the curriculum: lecture on technical communication, resume assignment, career fair visit and reflection, podcast assignment and reflection, writing a project group contract, human-centered design activity, and a semester-long design project with an oral presentation, submitted video and written design document. Since implementing these activities, students have responded overwhelmingly in their end-of-semester surveys that these activities have improved their technical communication, helping solidify essential skills needed to round out the engineering toolbox of first-year engineering students.

Authors

Dr. Matthew Thomas Garnett http://orcid.org/0009-0004-7305-7988 Auburn University [biography]

Matthew T. Garnett received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in Spring 2020 and continued his graduate work in Chemical Engineering starting in Fall 2020 pursuing his MS and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. Matthew’s research focuses on bioinspired hydrogel materials but has a true passion to teach students the fundamental engineering concepts. Matthew began co-teaching Auburn University’s Engineering Orientation (ENGR 1100) course to all first-year students in Fall 2023, teaching approximately 1300 students each year. Matthew recently defended his dissertation in February 2025 and plans to pursue a career in academia teaching first-year engineering students starting Fall 2025.
Lucila Marcela Carias Duron Auburn University [biography]

Lucila M. Carias earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Centroamericana “Jose Simeon Cañas” in El Salvador in 2018. She continued her academic journey with a Master’s in Process Engineering from the same university in 2021 and a Master’s in Integrated Management Systems from Nebrija University, Spain, in 2020. Lucila has four years of professional experience in the flexible packaging and recycling industry. In Fall 2022, she began pursuing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Polymer and Fiber Engineering at Auburn University, focusing on bio-based polymers. In Fall 2024, she took on the role of teaching assistant for Auburn University’s Engineering Orientation (ENGR 1100) course, guiding first-year engineering students. She plans to defend her dissertation in the Fall of 2026 and aims to pursue a career in academia.
Prof. Maria Lujan Auad http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-6932-5645 Auburn University [biography]

Maria Lujan Auad received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1995 and Ph.D. in Materials Sciences in 2000 from the University of Mar del Plata in Argentina. After a postdoctoral position at the California Institute of Technology in the Chemical Engineering Department, she was a research assistant at the University of Southern California in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Sciences. She joined Auburn University as an Assistant Professor in 2006 in the former Polymer and Fiber Engineering Department. She served as an Associate Professor and Interim Department Chair during her tenure in the Department. In 2015, she was appointed Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Center of Polymer and Advanced Composites (CPAC). In 2017, she was awarded full professor and served as the Charles Gavin Distinguished Professor. In 2020, she was appointed to her current position as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Faculty Development. In Fall 2023, she began co-teaching Auburn University’s Engineering Orientation (ENGR 1100) course to all first-year students, teaching approximately 1300 students yearly.

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