Writing center programs for engineering

Writing center programs encompass a variety of instructional and consultative services and provide effective approaches for integrating writing instruction into the engineering curriculum. A writing center program at the University of South Carolina's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) integrates both informal writing (writing-to-learn) and technical report writing instruction into the sequence of lab courses and senior level seminar courses. The ECE writing center program offers a structured program of individual consultations, group discussions, and team sessions to engage students in exploring discourse conventions of the field. These consultation processes encourage students to reflect on their experiences and guide engineering students in developing appropriate linguistic structures to communicate their findings in both written reports and in oral presentations. This presentation outlines steps for developing writing center programs in engineering, describing the collaboration necessary for successful operation and the research and assessment necessary for program effectiveness.