Storytelling for Engineers
Who is not drawn in by those words?
Professor Mihai Marasteanu enjoys talking with colleagues and students, and he observed that people who are good at telling stories seem to excel in all kinds of situations: teaching, winning proposals on engineering projects, networking, even dating. After determining storytelling skills could bring an advantage to his students, Marasteanu developed a class to help them do just that. This fall Marasteanu debuted a Special Topics course, CEGE 4160 Storytelling for Engineers.
Storytelling for Engineers helps students identify, define, and solve problems as they learn to think through problems and express their ideas in a logical and connected way. Telling a story about a problem or a project is a good way to demonstrate understanding, and storytelling skills will help engineers communicate clearly with project teams, residents, city planners, or other stakeholders.
The two-credit course uses storytelling activities and techniques to help students develop their communication skills. They focus on oral communication, with additional material on written and visual communication. Faculty and guest speakers cover topics such as types of story lines, how storytelling is used in engineering, speaking to various audiences, and using visuals and video. Students practice their oral communication skills in class. Marasteanu also brings in alumni to share their experiences with how storytelling impacts their engineering careers.
Course Description
Special Topics Course: Storytelling for Engineers
Develop communication skills using storytelling activities. Focus on oral communication, with additional material on written and visual communication. Faculty and guest speakers will cover topics such as: types of story lines, how storytelling is used in engineering, alumni sharing experiences with storytelling in engineering, speaking to various audiences, visual and video stories.
