Engineering Information Foundation Awards Loyola Grant

Loyola University Maryland Assistant Professor of Engineering, Raenita Fenner, PhD, and Professor of Writing, Peggy O'Neill, PhD, have been awarded a collaborative grant from the Engineering Information Foundation (EiF) to improve the technical writing instruction of current and future Loyola undergraduate engineering students.

The project, "Developing Writing into Engineering Labs: Developing Curriculum, Supporting Faculty, and Creating a Writing Fellows Program," improves instruction of technical writing by focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration and instruction.

"Right now, the writing department offers a technical writing course, but due to course load many engineering majors do not currently have the time to take it," said Raenita Fenner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Engineering. "What ends up happening is technical writing is taught by engineering faculty, often within laboratory classes."

Faculty hope to improve upon current instruction with the development of a three-pronged approach, beginning with the training of engineering faculty in the instruction of technical writing. Second, by looking at the curricular framework, which may be used in conjunction with existing laboratory classes that integrates technical analysis with quality instruction in writing. And lastly, with peer instruction via technical writing fellows.

"The writing fellows will be engineering students trained in technical writing and coached on how to assist their peers," said Fenner.

The Engineering Information Foundation's mission is to improve worldwide engineering education and practice through information technology and the recruitment of women.

For more information on EiF or the grants they fund, visit their website, eifgrants.org