Education Seminar Series: Modeling, Mathematics and Rhetoric: The Essential Tools of Engineering

Join ISTEP for their November lecture by Dr. Sean Moseley, Associate Professor of mechanical engineering.
A big myth of engineering is that technical communication is what happens after the engineering is done. An effective design report or presentation to a novice audience clearly requires rhetorical and communication skills. These skills are also fundamentally intertwined with the underlying technical work, but are rarely noticed. The ideas of credibility (ethos), evidence and reasoning (logos), and empathy for the audience (pathos) are present in complete and correct engineering solutions of all types. Students cannot perform their engineering work without engaging in rhetorical thinking.
In this active workshop, Dr. Moseley uncovers the models, mathematics, and rhetoric that are present in engineering classroom problems. Attendees will dissect various solutions to common first-year problems, uncovering which solutions are more credible, better reasoned, and show more empathy. Discussion between engineering experts and rhetorical experts will strengthen connections between disciplines. Engineering instructors will benefit by better understanding the rhetoric within their own work. Communication instructors will benefit by better understanding how to engage engineers at their disciplinary core.
Professorial exhortations to “Show your work!” might then become more achievable when students understand the rhetorical context of their classroom problems. Further, students who encounter rhetorical ideas within their disciplinary courses might be more eager to engage with the language and perspective of communication instruction when they encounter it in more traditional contexts.rganized by ISTEP in partnership with the Engineering Communication Program.