A pedagogical concept of integrating multidisciplinary design and technical communication

The Engineering Clinic is an eight-semester sequence, based on the medical school model, taken by every engineering student at Rowan University. In these clinics, students and faculty from all four engineering departments work side-by-side on laboratory experiments, real world design projects and research. The solutions of these problems require not only proficiency in the technical principles, but, as importantly, require a mastery of written and oral communication skills and the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team. In the sophomore year, communication (written and oral) and design (semester long multidisciplinary design project) are integrated. The course is team-taught by faculty from the College of Communication and the College of Engineering. Students pick one of two design projects. The first is to design and build a guitar effects pedal. The second involves an economic and engineering analysis of the design and operation of a baseball stadium.