An integrated course in fundamental engineering and English composition using interactive and process learning methodologies

At the University of Arizona, the electrical and computer engineering faculty teamed up with English composition instructors and used process-oriented teaching strategies to teach a combined English/engineering course to freshmen. The six credit-hour course combined three credit hours of introductory engineering and three credit hours of English composition, both required courses in the curriculum. The combined course is a creative problem-solving class that emphasizes the use of critical reading, thinking, and writing as appropriate learning strategies for technical material. The authors found that the seminar/lecture/laboratory approach produced an increased awareness of learning processes and resulted in more collaborative learning and holistic thinking