Developing Cross-Cultural Communication Skills

Engineers have traditionally focused on hard-skill knowledge acquisition, but the increasingly multicultural work practices of professional engineers now demand better soft-skill proficiency, such as foreign language ability, communication confidence, and cross-cultural experience. Students and staff within a university engineering department were surveyed to identify how cross-cultural language use potentially impacted academic and communication performance. The results indicate that engineering faculties may be concentrating on subject content at the expense of facilitating the development of soft skills. The findings suggest that students do experience problems with communication skills that may be exacerbated when studying in a second language. Lecturers need to become more energized to introduce innovative curriculum schemes, more proactive in developing challenging learning approaches, and more willing to integrate cross-cultural, language, and communication skills training into traditional engineering contexts. This case study has implications for any university engineering department where students are taught either partially or solely in a second language and where issues of communication and culture are recognized as impacting the professional development of engineers for the global workplace.     

Organizational Distortions and Failures: A Method to Expose Them

As engineers, we pride ourselves on being problem solvers. The paper, however, defines a class of problems that are serious, pervasive, and largely ignored. These are complex human problems that include widespread distortion of information. A methodology is presented to expose such problems. It draws upon two abilities long practiced by engineers: We learn from experience and draw sketches. Through this methodology, the paper describes how information can be distorted with catastrophic consequences even though the individuals involved are normal and well adjusted people who see their own behaviors as proper and reasonable. Blaming individuals often misperceives such problems. The paper provides an alternative to blame. The methodology has potentially widespread application for the study of accidents, failures, and environmental degradation.     

Introducing Students to Professional Practice in Civil Engineering

This paper describes a module that was introduced into a civil engineering degree program with the help of professional engineers. The aim was to develop a bridge between the world of learning and professional practice by putting students in the role of consulting engineers working with industry to produce a feasible solution to a real inquiry from a client. The module is placed in context by comparing the goals of accredited civil engineering programs in the United Kingdom and America, by describing how it is linked to the degree program and by explaining the matrix developed to identify the skills the students needed to demonstrate their ability to practice as professional engineers. Details of the module are given with examples of student work and feedback.     

Preparing Civil Engineers for International Collaboration in Construction Management

Economic globalization is increasingly affecting both the construction industry and academia. It is changing the traditional roles of civil engineers and construction managers. Cross-cultural collaboration and communication skills, multinational team management skills, the ability to overcome the social challenges of geographically distributed teams, and familiarity with construction materials, standards, and methods of foreign countries are vital for modern construction professionals. However, the traditional skills and education style of engineers and construction managers do not equip them to successfully deal with such issues. This paper describes the experiences of a university course International Collaborative Construction Management that was developed to educate the next generation of civil engineers to be more internationally savvy. Throughout the three years that the course has been conducted to date, students in Turkey, the United States, Israel, and Brazil were grouped in multinational teams. They collaborated to develop construction schedules, cost estimates, risk assessment plans and response strategies and to prepare bid documents for actual construction projects. Within the context of this course, students were introduced to the different challenges of cross-cultural collaboration and improved their technical/managerial skills through direct involvement in hands-on experiences.     

Cultivating Research and Information Skills in Civil Engineering Undergraduate Students

The ASCE’s body of knowledge for the 21st century and vision for civil engineering in 2025 outline skills and capabilities necessary for civil engineers to create a sustainable world. An undergraduate course at Georgia Institute of Technology introduces undergraduates to a systems-sustainability approach to civil and environmental engineering, applying systems methods to analyze decisions over the life cycle of large-scale civil-engineered facilities. This paper discusses voluntary and systematic improvements introduced in the course over a 2-year period to develop research and information skills in the students. A workshop on information sources and skills was developed, offered and assessed over multiple semesters using a team-based course project. The term project requires students to select one or two large-scale civil-engineered facilities, evaluate them using the integrated systems-sustainability framework presented in the course, and develop a written report and oral presentation to present their work to their peers at the end of the semester. The paper discusses integration of the information and library skills workshops with the course and presents results that underscore the importance of formally cultivating research and information skills in civil engineering undergraduate students.     

Motivating Technical Writing through Study of the Environment

Today’s engineers must be more than just technically competent. To be successful in our increasingly global economy in which teamwork and interdisciplinary interaction are the norm, engineers must have excellent communication skills. In recognition of industry needs, the San José State University College of Engineering redesigned its technical communication course to ensure that students graduate with writing and speaking skills that will transfer readily to their career needs and the global arena. The course aims to motivate students through exploring topics that are meaningful to them and using communication formats that they will see in the workplace. Combining technical communication with study of the environment broadens the course to meet multiple Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology outcomes. This paper describes the course goals, organization, management, selected assignments, and assessment. Assessment data indicate that at the end of the semester students, on average, have gained between 0.8 and 1.1 points on a 12-point evaluation rubric and have gained an appreciation of the unique characteristics of and need for technical writing.     

Secretion of plasminogen activator by cultured rat endometrial stromal cells from uteri differentially sensitized for the decidual cell reaction

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether patient-centered communication skills can be taught to residents in Internal Medicine by using a time-limited behaviorally oriented intervention. METHOD: Residents working at the Department of Internal Medicine were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG; N = 19) or a control group (CG; N = 23). In addition to 6 hours of standard medical education per week, the IG received specific communication training of 22.5 hours duration within a 6-month period. Initially and 10 months later, participants performed interviews with simulated patients. Interviews were rated by blinded raters who used the Maastricht History and Advice Checklist-Revised. RESULTS: Compared with the CG, the IG improved substantially in many specific communication skills. Both groups improved in the "amount of medical information identified" and in the ability to "communicate about feasibility of treatment." CONCLUSION: Patient-centered communication skills such as those presented in this intervention study can be taught. The ability to gain medical information and the readiness to communicate about aspects of medical treatment seem to improve with more professional experience; however, they also profit from the intervention.     

Soluble CD8 and ICAM-1 in serum and CSF of MS patients treated with 6-methylprednisolone

This article presents the author's personal reflection on how her nursing practice was enhanced as a result of losing her voice. Surprisingly, being unable to speak appeared to improve the nurse/patient relationship. Patients responded positively to a quiet approach and silent communication. Indeed, the skilled use of non-verbal communication through silence, facial expression, touch and closer physical proximity appeared to facilitate active listening, and helped to develop empathy, intuition and presence between the nurse and patient. Quietly 'being with' patients and communicating non-verbally was an effective form of communication. It is suggested that effective communication is dependent on the nurse's ability to listen and utilize non-verbal communication skills. In addition, it is clear that reflection on practical experience can be an important method of uncovering and exploring tacit knowledge in nursing.     

Construction Management Program

The typical limitations of the existing construction management programs are the lack of an integrated approach to managerial decisions in real life construction environment, not enough emphasis on engineering design, construction methods and communication skills, and poor coordination between the undergraduate and the graduate studies. An effective construction management program should. integrate teaching on undergraduate and graduate levels and research. On the undergraduate level it should provide the students with a good insight into all managerial tasks in civil engineering projects. On the graduate level it should allow specialization in the various areas of interest both to the practicing engineers and also to students who wish to pursue an academic career. The program should strongly interact with research and engineering practice.     

Innovative Final-Year Undergraduate Design Project Course Using an International Project

This paper describes the organization and conduct of a 4th year capstone project for civil engineering students at the University of Calgary that embodied a very significant international component and the difficulties inherent to that component. The project design education process results in numerous contributions to university, industry, and society by permitting students to develop innovative design solutions that reflect multicultural influences, while also recognizing that Civil Engineering design is universal. This paper explains the novel approach adopted for the final-year civil engineering design course in 2002–2003 using the largest urban renewal project currently underway in Europe, for which the students had the opportunity to develop designs. The concept, structure, challenges, and contributions as well as the successful outcome of the civil engineering design course are also explained in the paper. Overall, this design project provided the students with valuable experience in communication, design, professional practice, and organizational skills that will be useful in their future careers, in addition to the challenges of dealing with a real and international client of a complex project.     

Teaching senior oncologists communication skills: results from phase I of a comprehensive longitudinal program in the United Kingdom

PURPOSE: To determine the communication difficulties experienced by clinicians in cancer medicine and to develop, implement, and evaluate communication skills training courses. METHODS: One hundred seventy-eight senior clinicians attended 1 1/2- or 3-day residential courses designed to enhance skills development, knowledge acquisition, and personal awareness. Course content included structured feedback, video review of interviews, interactive group demonstrations, and discussion in groups of four led by trained facilitators. The main outcomes were self-rated confidence in key aspects of communication, attitudinal shift toward more patient-centered interviewing, perceived changes in personal practice, and initiation of teaching programs for junior staff. RESULTS: Less than 35% of the participants had received any previous communications training. Time, experience, and seniority had not improved skills; before the course, oncologists expressed difficulty with 998 different communication issues. Primary problems concerned giving complex information, obtaining informed consent, and handling ethnic and cultural differences. Confidence ratings for key communication areas were significantly improved postcourse (P < .01). Three months postcourse, 95% of the physicians reported significant changes in their practice of medicine. Seventy-five percent had started new teaching initiatives in communication for junior clinicians. Clinicians showed positive shifts in attitude toward patients' psychosocial needs (P=.0002) and were more patient centered (P=.03). The courses were highly rated and 97% would "definitely" recommend them to colleagues. CONCLUSION: Oncologists are hampered by inadequate communication skills training and will give up time to correct this. Subjective improvements reported immediately postcourse were maintained at 3 months. Resources for educational initiatives are needed to help both patients and their physicians.     

Toward a Broader Technical Education for Engineers

Engineers are educated with significant technical depth in their chosen engineering discipline. Yet almost exclusively engineers work in teams made up of those educated in many different disciplines. And the design tasks that engineers face are becoming much more complex requiring engineers with a broader technical education to develop innovative solutions. Due to the increasing complexity of modern engineering projects, successful engineering leaders must have some degree of competence in more than one engineering field. Educators should recognize that modern engineers require this diversity in technical skills, and should identify in engineering courses the “connections” in topics that are common to more than a single discipline. In addition, engineering students should be required to work in multidisciplinary teams before they graduate.     

Outcome of 5 mm resection of one medial rectus extraocular muscle for recurrent exotropia

Linking natural and social sciences is required in engineering to communicate and solve problems. However, this linkage can be difficult to achieve in engineering education and difficult to reflect on in professional practice. Due to the difficulties, methods to bring social sciences into the engineering curriculum should be presented. This paper describes a project to construct a bridge in rural Guatemala. Engineers, students, and others volunteered to construct the bridge while learning about the culture. The study goal was to determine how the service activity supported social science and engineering education. Data including participant responses to written, free-response, and Likert scale questions were collected after project completion. The project was a positive experience for North American engineering participants in that they gained an increased understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. The experience enhanced the engineering profession, increased nonengineer’s appreciation of engineering, and supported educational items, such as increased understanding in engineering solutions in a societal context and the ability to function on a multidisciplinary team. Socioeconomic differences, food and diet, and the importance of infrastructure, for not only developing but also developed countries, is described. The bridge project also provides information regarding the positive, ethical work of engineers and serves as a pilot for developing new international engineering projects.     

企业内部的有效信息沟通

目前中国企业中存在的一些因为不良信息沟通而出现的问题，阐述了有效信息沟通所需要的技巧，并通过一些国外知名企业的成功案例，说明有效信息沟通在企业中的作用。     

Model for Faculty, Student, and Practitioner Development in Sustainability Engineering through an Integrated Design Experience

Sustainable development and the green building movement have been adopted faster than any recent movement in the engineering field. With over 40% of the total U.S. energy usage servicing the operation of commercial and residential buildings, this trend is well founded. Recent surveys of the industry indicate that within 4 to 5?years, a vast majority of engineering firms expect their business will be significantly dedicated to green building designs. In contrast, current academic institutions are not well positioned to prepare young engineers for this challenge, and current faculty are not well trained in the tenets of sustainability or the roles of engineers in this movement. Change must occur if the engineering and design professions are to remain relevant and responsive to societal needs. To accommodate this challenge, the writers have designed and implemented the Integrated Design Experience (IDeX), a capstone course in which undergraduate and graduate students interact with faculty and practitioners on real projects with challenging needs in sustainability. The course is designed to provide an actual and virtual space for the multitude of disciplines to interact on real designs to foster both improved research and outreach efforts. Expected outcomes from the course include both student and faculty learning on the methods and value of sustainable design as well as the development of an interdisciplinary network of faculty and practitioners involved in sustainable design. Learning is being evaluated using a continuous authentic assessment of design products. First-year results indicate that students learned interdisciplinary teamwork and communication skills, and they see substantial value in the authentic design experience. In future years, the development of the interdisciplinary network will be tracked by using social networking tools and by assessing faculty attitudes toward involvement in IDeX. Both metrics will be investigated using the diffusions of innovation framework. The combined evaluation will lead to an in-depth understanding of how the IDeX model can be scaled and replicated at other institutions.     

Radiographic and endoscopic evaluation of the upper GI tract

As the U.S. population grows increasingly diverse, health care professionals will need to develop skills that allow them to provide quality care to patients from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Chief among these skills is the ability to communicate effectively. This article discusses the demographic shifts occurring in the United States today and reviews the concept of cultural diversity. It also presents information about how to communicate with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds.     

Communication patterns of adult deaf.

Interviewed 162 former students of 2 Ontario residential and 1 urban day school for the deaf who were living in Toronto about their communication habits. In communicating to and from hearing people, most use speech, but they feel that, on average, only about half of what they say can be understood by a hearing person. Writing and even some manual communication is also used. Most communicate with other deaf manually. Day school students use speech more than residential school students, although there is no evidence of greater oral skills. A comparison with other studies indicates that schools differ more in their ability to motivate deaf students to use speech than they do in their ability to provide students with speech and speech-reading skills. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training adolescents in self-disclosure and empathy skills.

Conducted a study to develop, implement, and evaluate a communication skills training program for adolescent high school students. 25 students were given 16 hrs of training in the skills of self-disclosure and empathy, and 23 other students served as a contact control group and received no formal skills training. Ss completed both a behavioral and paper-and-pencil assessment prior to and immediately following training. Ss who received training demonstrated significantly higher self-disclosure and empathy skill levels than did the untrained Ss. Results are discussed in terms of the high skill level attained by Ss and the implications for training adolescents or younger populations in communication skills. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Onychomycosis: strategies to reduce failure and recurrence

Nursing students often do not get the chance to practice the skills they need as nurses prior to graduation. Many of the required skills are difficult to teach using traditional classroom or clinical teaching methods. Peer leadership is one teaching method that may provide alternative learning opportunities for enhancing these professional nursing skills, and it encompasses the notions of peer teaching and peer supervision simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to describe what junior baccalaureate nursing students perceived as the benefits of a peer leadership experience, using Loving's Competence Validation Model as the theoretical framework. Twelve junior nursing students participated during their adult medical-surgical rotation and completed self-evaluations following the peer leadership experience. From analysis of these self-evaluations, responses were categorized into five perceived benefits: practice in prioritizing, enhancement of critical thinking skills, enhancement of technical skills, realization of peers as resources, and development of management skills.