Written Communication and Reporting 

To prepare engineers for the writing tasks employers expect them to perform in academia and industry, writing should be embedded in engineering education. In this chapter we show how engineering programmes should design education in written communication. Since the launch of generative AI may impact education in writing, we also discuss how to deal with the influence of generative AI in engineering writing education. After defining written communication in engineering and discussing theories of writing and writing education, we present three evidence-based principles for the design of education in written communication: embedding writing in the discipline, using realistic, authentic genres, and applying active learning. In addition, we recommend that teachers in communicative skills collaborate with engineering teachers to develop writing education. Finally, we suggest the use of rubrics and mitigated criticism for practical and effective assessment of writing. We provide examples of study programmes that have applied these principles.