Core Courses

This page provides short summaries of our core courses and course involvements within the engineering curriculum for all departments.

Civil Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Alan Chong, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream

CIV282 Engineering Communication

Key principles of effective engineering communication - written, oral, and visual - are taught in lectures and activity based tutorials, then applied to two technical reports and one group oral presentation tied to their Introduction to Civil Engineering and Urban Engineering Ecology courses.

 

CIV382 Engineering Portfolio

With the help of a communication instructor, students collect pieces of civil engineering work from their industry, academic, and extra-curricular experiences to build a portfolio in preparation for their entry into the profession.

 

CIV331 Transport I

In this course, students compose a position paper on a local transportation topic and a poster on the economic, social, and environmental impact of a large scale infrastructure project, supported by lectures on argument structure and poster design.

 

CME368 Engineering Economics

In this course, students write an in depth analysis of green growth and its role in sustainable development, supported by lectures on relevant rhetorical strategies relevant.

Chemical Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Lydia Wilkinson, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream

CHE204 Applied Chemistry Laboratory I

Written deliverables in this course are supported by instruction in CHE299, where students complete and revise the project lab report through classroom activities and iterative feedback.

 

CHE230 Environmental Engineering

Our involvement in this course is focused on the environmental consulting project, in which students work in groups to devise and propose an environmental site assessment plan.

 

CHE299 Communication

Students develop written, verbal and visual communication skills through two activity-based tutorials a week, in which team and individual exercises support current projects in the core curriculum.

 

CHE430 Plant Design

In addition to providing TA training for this course, we give feedback on student presentations during their project management meetings, and offer practice sessions in advance of the final presentations.

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Ken Tallman, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream

ECE297 Communication and Design

Students work in teams of three on a term-long software design project that last the entire term. Communication Instructors meet student teams on a weekly basis, guiding them in their written and oral communication.

 

ECE496 Capstone Design

Communication Instructors provide written and oral feedback to student teams for a Draft Proposal assignment and for practice oral presentations.

Engineering Strategies and Practice

Communication Coordinator: Ted Nolan, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream

APS 111/112/113/111T/112T Engineering Strategies and Practice

ESP is a foundational design course sequence that uses the engineering design process as a context for developing skills essential to the practice of engineering: team dynamics, problem solving, independent learning, communication, systems thinking. This two-course sequence – ESP I in the Fall term and ESP II in the Winter term – challenges students to design engineering solutions for a client’s everyday problem, taking into account factors outside of the technical such as environmental, societal, ethical, and human factors. In reporting a solution, students make use of effective written, oral, and graphical professional communication.

Industrial Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Dr. Deborah Tihanyi, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream

MIE240 Human Centred Systems Design

We support the multiple assignments associated with the term-long design project by training TAs in effective grading practices and providing students with regular in-tutorial instruction on designing more effective, discipline-specific reports and presentations.

 

MIE350 Design and Analysis of Information Systems

We support the term-long design project by helping to run a Requirements workshop, providing instruction on the progress report and final presentation, and training TAs on effective grading practices.

Materials Science Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Jennifer Lofgreen, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream

MSE298 Communications

Students develop oral and written communication skills through reporting on self-selected areas of research in the Materials Science and Engineering field.

Mechanical Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Dr. Deborah Tihanyi, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream

MIE221 Manufacturing Engineering

Our involvement focuses on the labs, integrating communication components into the lab assignments and training TAs to teach and evaluate these components.

 

MIE243 Mechanical Engineering Design I

In addition to a term project, students begin creating a design portfolio in this course that documents and analyzes their professional competencies. Students receive instruction on professional communication and teamwork in a design setting.

 

MIE301 Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines

Here, we collaborate with the course instructor and TAs on developing assignments and assessment tools for the term project, as well as providing training on working with student teams and giving effective feedback.

 

MIE315 Design for the Environment

In this course, we work with the course instructors and TAs on developing assignments and assessment tools for the term consulting project, as well as providing training on working with student teams and giving effective feedback. We also deliver two lectures on effective communication within a consulting context.

 

MIE490 Capstone Design

In this course, we facilitate communication of design projects through a team of Communication Instructors (CIs). We work with course coordinators to develop the Student Guide, assessment tools, and a series of workshops and resource materials.

 

MIE491 Capstone Design

In this course, we facilitate communication of design projects through a team of Communication Instructors (CIs). We work with course coordinators to develop the Student Guide, assessment tools, and a series of workshops and resource materials.

Mineral Engineering

Communication Coordinator: Alan Chong, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream

MIN250 Surface Mining

Through lectures on principles of argument, writing, and oral presentation that they apply to a paper and a group presentation on Special Topics in Surface Mining. This assignment supplements the core theoretical and practical content of the course, giving students an opportunity to learn how to apply these principles to communication in and about the mineral industry.

 

MIN430 Mining Environmental Management

We provide consultations on communicating their group environmental assessment through a report, poster and presentation.

 

MIN466/67 Capstone Design

Students develop posters for their pre-feasibility studies, including an initial mine design, supported by consultations and a lecture on visual rhetoric and poster design.