Higher education research

Publication Date

2026

Subjects

Communication skills, Engineering education, Graduate attributes, Writing skills

Abstract

We present an approach to defining minimum standards of written communication for engineering graduates based on the evaluation of writing samples by industry personnel. Communication skills are widely recognised as core graduate capabilities; however, universities often lack explicit, evidence-based standards aligned with industry expectations. This study applies the borderline group method of empirical standard setting to elicit judgement from industry professionals who supervise graduate engineers. Participants evaluated samples of student writing in two common engineering genres, technical report executive summaries and emails, using dichotomous acceptability judgements supported by evaluations of structure, content and expression. We present a validated framework, supported by written examples, that describes levels of performance ranging from clearly proficient to not proficient. The findings highlight the importance of the intended audience in shaping expectations of written communication and demonstrate the feasibility of using industry judgements to inform the definition of communication standards. The framework provides a method for aligning assessment, teaching and feedback in a way that is credible to students.

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