Talking About the Rhetorical Situation of Classroom Problem Documentation

Engineering degree programs train students to become skilled in classroom-style problem solving. A correct answer is usually the goal-the result of a prescribed procedure with appropriate diagrams and a few correctly applied equations. This style of documentation brings students into a discourse community. Students are comfortable here, but don't see how rhetorical ideas inform their documentation habits. This brief paper shows a way of talking to students about the often unstated rhetorical situation of classroom problems and the expected solution documentation. I present strategies for explicitly talking about the rhetorical situation of engineering work in the wording, structure, and assessment of classroom problem assignments.