OBJECTIVE 6 0 Develop abilities to communicate effectively

OBJECTIVE 6. 0 Develop abilities to communicate effectively in a technological world

Objective 6. 01 § List the parts of a technical report § Describe the purpose of a technical report § Describe how to prepare and deliver a presentation

Technical Reports § Are used to convey technical information to other people. § Usually consist of six (6) elements. Elements pertains to information the reader generally wants to know.

Elements of Technical Reports 1. Introduction – What can be gained from reading the report? Method - Was the process or procedure sound? 2. 3. Results/Discussion - What was the results of 4. 5. 6. the process or procedure, and how are the results interpreted? Conclusions - What is important about the results? Recommendations - What can be changed or improved? References - What other sources of information are included in the report?

Introduction § Provides a focus for the report. It: (1) describes the reason for the report (2) states the main points of the report (3) provides background information

Method of Obtaining Facts § Describes how the technical process or activity was developed. Specifically it: (1) describes the research and/or design process (2) describes the tools and/or procedures used

Results or Discussion § The results of the technical process or procedure are described and discussed. § Data is presented in one (1) of two (2) ways: (1) With tables and graphs (usually with graphs information can be interpreted quickly) (2) In sentence form

Conclusion § The importance of the results is established in this section. As part of the conclusion: 1. The meaning of the results are explained in relation to the original research question or problem. 2. Conclusions are expressed using general statements based on results obtained from the research, process, or procedure.

Recommendations If recommendations are appropriate, they should be based on the conclusions of the results or data. Recommendations are important to readers. They can help readers avoid duplicating work that has already been done. If there are no recommendations this section can be omitted.

References Credit is given to other sources of information used in the report. Work by others should be: 1) Acknowledged in the text of the report 2) Listed in this section in proper form. The failure to credit resources in a technical report is known as plagiarism.

Visual Aids They can be an important part of a technical report. When used correctly, visual aids can provide more information than written words. Types of Visual Aids: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. drawings photographs tables diagrams charts graphs

Rules for Using Visual Aids 1. Use visual aids where they will achieve the communication objectives. 2. Use visual aids appropriate to the objective. 3. Use visual aids that are not complicated and are pleasing to the eye. 4. Make visual aids a part of the text.

Oral Presentations Writing the presentation 1. Topic - make sure the topic is narrow and can be fully covered within the allotted time for the representation. 2. Research - Thoroughly research the topic and properly document resources. a. Use current and scholarly resources. b. Place pertinent information on note cards for future reference. 3. Approach - choose your focus: a. Describing or explaining a subject b. Presenting a point of view 4. Outline - using your note cards from research, organize your thoughts in a written format. a. Introduce the subject b. Make major points c. Conclusion

Preparing for the presentation 1. Practice the presentation several times. 2. Select appropriate attire. 3. Visit the site of the presentation to become comfortable and familiar with the surroundings. (a) Ensure that equipment and materials are available if needed. 4. Make visual aids - visual aids can be in the form of handouts, transparencies, film strips, video, chalkboard, or butcher paper. Visual aids should meet the following criteria: (a) Easily read by the audience (b) Help the audience gain a better idea of what you are talking about (c) Emphasize a point

Giving the presentation 1. Posture - stand up straight. Limit movement 2. Eye Contact - look into the eyes of people in the audience 3. Voice - loud, clear, articulate 4. Speech - use proper grammar and pronunciation

SAMPLE REPORT The Flash Metric 500 Racer by John Doe and John Smith May 3, 1996 Fundamentals of Technology Period 2

OUTLINE 1. Introduction 2. Method a. Material and Equipment b. Design c. Prototype d. Testing e. Production f. Competition 3. Results and Discussion a. Testing Prototype b. Testing the Production Model c. Competition 4. Conclusions 5. Recommendations

INTRODUCTION The Fundamentals of Technology class has studied problem solving, Metric measurement, sketching and drawing, computer-aided drafting (CAD), design systems, and model materials and processes. As a culmination of these activities, the class was given the assignment of designing, building and testing Metric 500 Racers. The Metric 500 Racer is a model car made of wood which is powered by a CO 2 cartridge. For this assignment, the class was divided into groups of two. Each group was given the required materials and instructions to produce a car. We were also provided with specifications for the CO 2 Racer and race rules. METHOD Materials and Equipment For this project, we were given the following materials to use in producing a winning CO 2 car: Drawing materials (paper, drafting tools, etc. ) 1 Styrofoam blank 1 CO 2 car blank made of bass wood 2 axles 2 rear wheels 2 front wheels 1 drinking straw 4 washers 2 eyelet screws In addition to the materials listed above, we were given access to the necessary tools and equipment for building a car.

Design Our first step in producing a winning CO 2 racer was to put our design on paper. To do this, we had to agree on a design. We applied the problem solving process to come up with our design. We produced a drawing of our car that includes a top, side, and front view. We were very careful to follow the specifications for a legal racer. Prototype Once the drawing was complete, we transferred the drawing to the Styrofoam blank to produce a prototype of our car. We used saws and sandpaper to shape the Styrofoam into the car we hoped to produce. Testing We placed the finished prototype in a wind tunnel to test the aerodynamics of our design. We used smoke to find areas on the car that could produce unwanted drag. We modified our design several times until we had a prototype that seemed to produce minimum drag. Production We modified our drawings based on the tested prototype. Next, we transferred our revised drawing to the wood blank. We drilled the axle holes in the body using a drill press and then used saws, sandpaper, and a Dremil tool to shape our racer. We used very fine sandpaper to produce a smooth finish on the body of the car. Next, we installed the wheels and eyelet screws. We tested our car in the wind tunnel and recorded the drag measurements. Other groups did the same. The class did this so we could compare race times against drag measurements to identify body styles that perform the best. Competition We raced our car against other groups using a standard double elimination race format. Two cars at a time were raced on a 60 foot track. The racers were computer controlled, and the race times were recorded for future reference.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results The following table lists the race times for all groups in the class. Our group is Group 3. As indicated, our CO 2 car placed 2 nd. Race Results Group # Race Time (Sec. ) 6. 965 3. 993 1 1. 03 5 1. 21 8 1. 49 2 1. 50 4 1. 58 7 2. 03 The following table lists the results of the wind tunnel test for each car which was conducted prior to the race. Drag was measured in grams using a spring scale attached to the front of the car being tested. The higher the reading on the spring scale, the greater the drag on the car body. Drag Test Results Group # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Drag (grams) 21 32 18 35 26 16 46 28

Discussion The race results and drag test results were compared to determine if drag had a definite effect on race times. The following is a table showing the correlation of race time to drag test measurements. A definite relationship between drag and race times was found to exist. Race Time to Drag Analysis Group # Race Time (Sec) Drag (grams) 6. 965 16 3. 993 18 1 1. 03 21 5 1. 21 26 8 1. 49 28 2 1. 50 32 4 1. 58 35 7 2. 03 46 CONCLUSIONS Cars with lower drag measurement had better race times. Persons with access to drag measurements could closely predict the race outcome. Testing cars in the wind tunnel is an important part of building a winning car. Building and testing a prototype from Styrofoam enabled us to refine our design without wasting wood blanks. RECOMMENDATIONS Anyone designing and building a car to race should follow the specifications closely to prevent disqualification. Also, they should produce a Styrofoam prototype and test it in a wind tunnel. This will allow them to make changes to their design without wasting wood blanks. Teams should test their final car in a wind tunnel to determine its drag. We recommend keeping the results of the drag test a secret to prevent others from predicting the race results. Teams should research previous race data to determine drag measurements and race times of better performing cars.