Designing report writing modules for engineering courses

The author describes ways in which faculty in technical disciplines can integrate instruction in the development of communication skills into their classrooms without becoming experts in the discipline. The project discussed involves the preparation of report writing modules in about fifteen different engineering courses with the cooperation of the engineering faculty in those courses. The procedure for designing a report writing module addresses the following skills required for effective report writing: determine the report writing situation; specify the purpose of the report; identify the readers for the report; establish a required outline for the report; explain the specifications for each item on the outline; specify the format of the report; prepare a checklist for the report; provide a specimen report or two; and specify additional criteria you deem appropriate