Educational Viewpoints
The perception of the education of an electrical engineer is usually conceived differently at different stages in the educational process. As I speak to IEEE Student Chapters around the country, I find that most of these students entered their engineering education system with some fundamental misconceptions about what it takes to form the basic education of an electrical engineer. As an entering freshman in college, most students I have encountered believed that their ‘education’ would comprise a four-year course of classes and laboratory experience, with some required humanities courses (that they try to avoid, if possible).
With graduation and entry into the workplace, they will find that their technical education only partly prepared them for their work. They will almost immediately find themselves enrolled in more courses, seminars, or workshops to help fill the gaps. It is with some dismay that they find that employers place a significant value on their engineers’ ability to communicate (writing, speaking, presenting), much more value than the student would have thought reasonable when trying to avoid those ‘humanities’ courses in school.
As working engineers encounter more engineering responsibility, we discover that we are forced to return to classes to gain an understanding of project scheduling, cost accounting, team management, personal interactions, leadership, ethics, etc., not to mention the seminars and symposiums on new developments in our particular technical field and related fields with which we must interact. The ‘broadening’ courses we tried to avoid in school become the sought-after classes for continuing our education.
Role Models
I know that senior high school students entering engineering are told they will need to develop their language skills (speaking and writing), which will form part of the foundation of their engineering education. I know because I remember the speech when it was given to me several times! Yet, it never stuck. It was not until I was a working engineer and found myself writing reports, giving presentations, and interacting with other engineering team members that it became obvious how much value I SHOULD have placed on my humanities courses.
I was told. It was true. I ignored it. So did most of my fellow students in college. Oh yes, we took the courses. But we all knew which courses we should really study hard. We all knew that it was the ‘hard’ science courses that really mattered. Yeah. Sure.
Somewhere along the way, we had all developed a mental role model of what an engineer REALLY was like. Somewhere along the line, we all came to believe that engineers were only required to be accurate, not articulate.
I think that what may have happened was that we formed a mental role model of what engineers are, how they are educated, and what they do. I have seen this role model expressed in colleges and universities again and again. It is not a pretty picture. I think we have all seen the stereotypical cartoons of the techno-nerd who isn’t fit to be seen in public and cannot form coherent sentences. Is this representative of the engineers our school graduates? I don’t think so. Yet, the model persists and continues to foster a false image of engineers. Why? Could it be that we all bought the image that Hollywood has given us of the engineer as a techno-nerd?
False Image
Who do you suppose created this situation? Certainly not the schools. Despite our internal role models, as students, we tend to take any course except those that will improve our social skills. Our schools still manage to turn out engineers who speak and write well and work well in team situations.
No, it is not the schools. But how many of us working engineers ever take time from our direct job responsibilities to speak to local groups and classes in local schools about what we do and how much fun it is? When writers finish a new book, they are immediately sent out on tour to talk to their readers about the book, how much they enjoyed writing it, and how much they believe their readers will enjoy it.
A painter who finishes a new series of canvases doesn’t hide them in a closet but arranges a showing in a local gallery to meet the public and talk about their passion for the work. An actor starring in a new play strives to get interviewed by the local newspaper to boost interest in attending the play.
How many of our companies finish a new engineering project and then send the engineering team out to speak about the developments beyond the technical papers they might present at narrowly focused technical symposia or the sales staff that only visits potential customers?
No, it is not the schools we have to blame for the situation. To quote Walter Kelly,
“We have met the enemy, and he is us!”
What To Do
Is it possible to change this erroneous perception of the engineering profession? How could we go about it if we decided to remake the image of an engineer?
If we work for an aerospace firm, wouldn’t it make the flying public feel more secure about the safety of the planes they fly if they can talk with the engineers who are improving the planes on which they will fly? How about the people in the community where you work? Wouldn’t they enjoy knowing what goes on in the engineering labs? I know that any time an engineering firm holds an ‘open house,’ it attracts many visitors from the local community.
Why not offer to provide speakers to local community groups as well? Surely, you can explain what you do in layperson’s terms. (After all, you explain it to your managers.) And your managers explain it to the companies’ stockholders! If you can explain what you do in simple terms, couldn’t you also explain what you do to a high school physics or math class? Think about how much a young student might benefit from a short presentation demonstrating the use of some math and science they have been studying for so long but do not understand what it can be used for.
A technical paper you gave to a society meeting last year could be redone for a local group of citizens and perhaps display the excitement you felt while developing the concepts. If you think back, the speakers who let their enjoyment of their work show through in their presentation were probably the ones that you most enjoyed listening to. All you need to do is adjust the math and technical jargon to fit the audience.
Change the World
As each engineer gives only one talk to a student or community group each year, we will touch everyone on the planet with the joy we find in our work. You can change the role model for engineers from the bumbling, mumbling techno-nerd to a concerned and responsible worker toward positive change.
You can do it!
Your local IEEE Section, Education Committee, wants to help you to make that difference. They can help you connect with university Student Branches and HKN Chapters at our eight local engineering institutions. Make your plans to give that talk.
There is a future engineer out there who needs to hear from you!
