Engineering And The Media: Building A New Relationship

Today’s youth are tightly integrating into their lives the use of digital media such as television, radio, computers, the Internet, and cell phones. Given the affinity of “digital natives” for such technologies, new media presentations as well as educational games that incorporate engineering design and/or analysis simulations may provide a way to bridge the gap between abstract concepts or theoretical knowledge and practical skills. This paper reviews images of engineering presented in videogames and in narrative television series. It also reports on the results of an October 2007 workshop that looked at the viability of using digital media as a means of engaging pubic audiences.