Abstract
Although Error Analysis (EA) has been broadly used in Foreign Language and Mother Tongue learning contexts, it has not been applied in the field of engineering and by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students in a systematic way. In this interdisciplinary pilot study, we applied the EA methodology to a wide corpus of exercises and essays written by third-year students of mechanical engineering, with the main purpose of achieving a precise diagnosis of the students’ strengths and weaknesses in writing skills. For the analysis to be as exhaustive as possible, the errors were typologized into three main categories (linguistic, mathematical, and rhetorical–organizational), each of which is, in turn, subdivided into 15 items. The results show that the predominant errors are rhetorical–organizational (39%) and linguistic (38%). The application of EA permits the precise identification of the areas of improvement and the subsequent implementation of an educational design that allows STEM students to improve their communicative strategies, especially those related to the writing skills and, more precisely, those having to do with the optimal use of syntax, punctuation, rhetorical structure of the text, and mathematical coherence.
Highlights
This study explored the application of the methodology of Error Analysis, most commonly used in the context of second-language acquisition (SLA), to the written production of engineering students
We present and discuss the results obtained, after applying the Error Analysis (EA) methodology to the tasks submitted by the seven groups of students participating in the study
The main aims of this research were to find out whether the data would confirm the need to include rhetorical–organizational, linguistic, and mathematical analysis in the assessment or STEM students and to test the suitability of EA when it comes to identifying the specific needs of students regarding writing skills
Summary
This study explored the application of the methodology of Error Analysis, most commonly used in the context of second-language acquisition (SLA), to the written production of engineering students. We have observed that students in technical branches are prone to believe that oral and written communication are subsidiary to the accuracy and correctness of the technical content of their subjects. This leads to carelessness in their written (and oral) production. In order to tackle this problem, it is first necessary to make a precise diagnosis of the students’ needs. EA may be a useful tool to identify and analyze their errors in order to eventually propose didactic solutions. Some theoretical background on EA is in order
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