Embedding communication in an interdisciplinary project-based upper-level engineering design course

Our experience working with junior and senior students in a two-quarter, interdisciplinary project-based design course taught by teams of engineering and communication faculty suggests that providing students with instruction and coaching in communication—particularly internal, team-based communication—contributes directly to students’ mastery and understanding of the design process. In the course, students receive instruction in many facets of communication: writing, presenting, interacting with experts and clients. However, one hallmark of the course is that students write and talk about design decisions beginning very early in the design process. Because the course requires our students to articulate their ideas so often and so early, the students perceive gaps in their own reasoning and design work that they must then address. When teams must communicate, critique, and then rework their own ideas, it leads to stronger, better thought-out designs.