The value of failure
A few weeks ago I met with a student team to coach them on their final report for their senior design project. The students were discouraged because they’d spent two […]
Engineering education
Surprise endings
As a fan of detective stories, I see plenty of surprise endings and plot twists. They can make good entertainment, but they don’t belong in technical writing. Recently I read […]
Student learning objectives
When developing a curriculum, one should have an eye to accreditation. In the US, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits STEM curricula at universities. Graduation from an […]
Adult learning
After I got my master’s degree, I spent about a year working on the design of an oil exploration structure for the North Slope of Alaska. That project led to […]
Models help you understand how it works
In teaching engineering, I’ve come to realize that it’s essential to help students intuitively understand how it works. A lot of engineering instruction revolves around using formulas to calculate things. […]
When to say, “I don’t know”
We’ve discussed the “safety, health, and welfare” aspect of the NSPE Code of Ethics in several previous blogs. That’s the first fundamental canon of the engineer’s code of ethics. The […]
What is accelerated bridge construction?
According to the Federal Highway Administration, accelerated bridge construction “uses innovative planning, design, materials, and construction methods in a safe and cost-effective manner to reduce the onsite construction time that […]
Older and wiser?
As the presidential election approaches, the question of age keeps coming up: how old is too old? Certainly we can point to public figures who should have retired sooner—and commend […]
The importance of making mistakes
In my 20s I had two jobs that shaped the rest of my career. My supervisors had very different attitudes about making mistakes. The first was quick to point out […]
The post hoc fallacy
The post hoc fallacy is the logical error that because event B followed event A, A must have caused B. It comes from the Latin post hoc ergo propter hoc, […]