Memo

Technical Communication Project

EGR 186

Fall 2015-16

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Task: To identify, research, and present (in both written and oral formats) a topic in engineering that is currently the focus of ongoing (within the past 5 years) research, investigation, and/or development. The topic must come from the National

Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenges for Engineering: http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/.

Rationale: Technology is developing at a rapid pace: computers are advancing at astonishing rates, new energy sources are in the development phase, crushing transportation issues require solutions, and new manufacturing methods are revolutionizing

consumer products. As a professional engineer, you will need to continually educate yourself about advances in technologies to

remain competitive, and this project introduces important information literacy skills to aid in your ability to educate yourself.

This project also shows different ways of defining and solving complex problems depending on the perspective of the team.

Process

1. Read about the NAE Grand Challenges of Engineering and select 1 challenge to research using the library database Compendex (Engineering Village) – see HW06 for details, and remember that you cannot select the last Grand Challenge (“Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery”).

2. During your research, select 2 journal articles and/or conference papers that approach the challenge using different strategies. The journal articles/conference papers should be related (similar specific topics).

3. Read the articles and take notes, specifically look problem identification, proposed solution, methods, data, conclusions, and/or future work identified in both articles/papers.

4. Write a short compare and contrast paper informing the audience how the authors began to solve the complex problem stated within the NAE Grand Challenge, again focusing on problem identification, proposed solution,

methods, data, conclusions, and/or future work.

5. Repeat the process of selecting and researching a Grand Challenge for Memo #2 and the Presentation.

Content of Submissions (both written and oral):

1. Briefly, describe the NAE Grand Challenge, focusing on the need for this research or development. 2. Compare and Contrast the approaches presented in your sources (problem identification, proposed solution, methods,

data, conclusions, and/or future work).

3. Identify your sources with properly formatted citations. A minimum of 3 sources are required; 2 must be the journal articles/conference papers. The third reference may be the NAE Grand Challenges website; additional sources (but not

Wikipedia) may be used in your brief description of the Grand Challenge. You must use the IEEE citation style.

Written Format Requirements: Prepare a compare/contrast paper.

x 500 to 600 words x 1” margins x double spaced x font: 12 pt. Times New Roman or 11 pt. Calibri x include graphics

Oral Format Requirements: Prepare and practice. x dress well x 4 to 5 minutes (no substantial videos) x must be prepared using PowerPoint x must be submitted by midnight the night prior

(submission link will close)

x graphics are required Note: You will be selecting 2 Grand Challenges. The first will be used in the writing assignment; the second will be used for the presentation.

Technical Communication Project

EGR 186

Fall 2015-16

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Grading Scheme: Complete Assignment Points Possible Points Earned Memo #1 50

Paper #1a 100

Peer Critique 200

Paper #1b 250

Reflection 100

Memo #2 50

Presentation 250

SUBTOTAL 1000 Bonus 100 (max)

TOTAL

Paper / Presentation Points Possible Points Earned Format 50

Grammar & Spelling 75

Organization & Clarity 75

Technical accuracy 50

TOTAL 250

Schedule: This assignment has several milestones.

Date (MoWe) Description Deliverables

Written portion using

Topic #1

Sept. 28 Technical Writing & Presentation

Assignment memo (see details below) assigned

??? Library Visit HW6 - Due

Oct. 1 Memo #1 – Due memo (see details below) Oct. 5 Paper #1a – Due 2 hard copies & electronic submission

Oct. 12 Peer Critique – Due coversheet & drafts with feedback

Oct. 19 Paper #1b – Due electronic submission;

both drafts with peer feedback

Oct. 23 Reflection – Due electronic submission

Presentation portion using

Topic #2

Nov. 2

Memo #2 – Due memo (see details below) Developing Presentation Schedule (in

class)

Nov. 25, 30

Dec. 2, 7 Presentations

upload slides by midnight the night

prior to your presentation

Descriptions of Deliverables:

Memos (2, with different due dates and different topics)

You will select two different topics (NAE Grand Challenges) for this project (due dates are posted in the

table): one for the written portion and a second for the presentation.

In memo format, provide the following information:

1. List the NAE Grand Challenge selected. 2. A short description (paragraph) about the NAE Grand Challenge selected:

i. How does it relate to engineering (what field(s))? ii. Why is it important?

3. A list of the 2 journal articles/conference papers you will analyze (upload both to BBLearn).

Technical Communication Project

EGR 186

Fall 2015-16

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i. Use proper citation format following IEEE guidelines. ii. Indicate the type of publication (journal article or conference paper).

4. Create a table with the following information: i. Web Searching

1. Do some web searches to see if you can find more background information about your grand challenge or a method for tackling your grand challenge. What

keywords did you use to search?

2. Do any of the websites you found provide you with information you’d like to cite in your paper? If so, list your website citations here, using IEEE citation

style.

ii. Library Catalog Search 1. Do a search in the Library’s Catalog to see if you can find any books that might

be relevant to your Grand Challenge. What keywords did you use to search?

2. If you find you any that you intend to use as a sources for your paper, list them here using IEEE citation style.

iii. Compendex 1. Search Compendex to find research papers or articles relevant to your paper.

What keywords did you use to search?

2. Find two articles that are research articles. You can identify research articles because they will have some or most of these sections: Introduction, Methods,

Results, Discussion, Conclusion. List at least two research articles or papers you

intend to use for your paper. Use IEEE citation style.

Paper #1a

Paper #1a will be peer reviewed by your classmates; the grade is dependent upon a complete

submission by the deadline. Full credit is earned by submitting an electronic copy on Bb Learn and

bringing two hard copies to class on the due date. In class, Paper #1a will be traded with two individuals

for peer review.

Peer Critique

Each student will peer review two papers and will be graded on the quality of their critique and

completion of a coversheet. Examples of poor and excellent critiques and a coversheet template will be

provided on Bb Learn.

Paper #1b

Technical Communication Project

EGR 186

Fall 2015-16

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Paper #1b is a revision of Paper #1a based on the feedback provided by your peers. In addition to Paper

#1b, you will also submit both peer reviewed copies of Paper #1a.

Reflection

Answer a list of questions about the library visit / resources and your research process for the written

portion of the assignment. The list will become available after Paper #1b has been submitted.

Presentation Schedule

Priority for choosing a presentation date and time will be based on attendance and memo submission

(per timestamp in Bb Learn):

1. Present and turned in a memo 2. Present, but no memo 3. Absent, turned in a memo 4. Absent, no memo

Presentation

For the presentation, a second topic is required. The purpose of researching a second topic is to further

develop your abilities to find technical publications and then organize that information for an audience.

You should apply the critiques from the paper when preparing and practicing the presentation,

specifically those comments regarding: 1) format, 2) grammar and spelling, 3) organization and clarity,

and 4) technical accuracy. Lastly, you should practice your presentation several times to make sure you

know what you are saying and stay within the 4 to 5 minute range. Practicing alone may be beneficial,

but the nervousness, anxiousness, and/or excitement of presenting in front of a group can be a source

of many mistakes.

Bonus

Up to 100 points may be awarded to individuals that provide evidence of preparing the presentation at

least 1 week prior to the scheduled presentation date. A generic outline will be awarded little to no

bonus points whereas a completed presentation with a script may be awarded the full bonus points.

Tips for an excellent paper:

Technical Communication Project

EGR 186

Fall 2015-16

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x The 500-600 word limit will require concise writing. In technical writing, the emphasis is on being brief, clear, and concise – not poetic. If you have done your research properly, you should have a very difficult time reducing your writing down to a single page – shorter is harder than longer.

x The paper should be technically accurate – use good sources and good information. Popular media and Wikipedia are often unreliable sources.

x The paper should be presented in your own words – nothing should be quoted from another source or student (if copied text is found, you will receive a 0 on the report).

x Your paper should be free from spelling and grammatical errors. x Your paper should not be written in the first person (using pronouns such as: I, we, my, our). x Your paper should be free from slang, colloquialisms, and informal language. x Use appropriate headers (i.e., Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusion) x Pictures are worth 1000 words… use graphs, pictures, drawings, etc. to help elaborate the text of your paper. x Make sure to use appropriate figure/table captions and reference them in the body of the paper. x If you have a difficult time reading your own paper (out loud), resulting from awkwardly written sentences and

unclear statements, it will be near impossible for the audience. Your grade will reflect this.

Tips for an excellent presentation:

x Practice, practice, practice! o Practice what you want to say by yourself. o Practice with a video recording device. o Practice with a small audience.