We engineers are in general not the best communicators nor the best at appreciating arts. These are not really topics of interest during university studies in Engineering Schools around the world. This was the theme of a latest editorial in
Ingenia, the magazine of the Royal Academy of Engineering, where Dr Steedmand said "
Engineers are rarely taught about public engagement and as a result are
often criticised for lacking communication skills. A few engineers,
through their work, do spend time with the public, but this is not
enough. We need much more public engagement if we are to raise the awareness and
understanding of engineering and its role in society".
I wanted to build on this in the two courses I teach at Imperial College, ME2
Heat Transfer and ME4
Combustion. I also wanted to boost somehow students' motivation. So I organized Creative Contests at the beginning of the new academic year. The instructions to participate were the following:
"I have three extra copies of the textbook to give away. If
interested, send me a poem, comic, drawing, painting, song, video, or anything
creative that explains why you are taking this course. Art, wit and humour are
allowed".
And I gave them one week to submit their pieces. I received several submissions and found three winners for each course. Congratulations to the winners, hope you use extensively your new gifted textbooks.
Submissions to the 2013 Fin's Creative Contest in ME2 Heat Transfer:
(first three are the winners. Each received a hardcopy of Incropera's
Foundations of Heat Transfer)
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| by Keon - Heat transfer is not a lie - Click for song . Click for lyrics. |
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by Hugh - Amazing Heat Transfer Acrostic
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By Eifion - Heat Transfer Limericks
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