Extended Abstract: An Alternative to Technical Communication Textbooks for Teaching Engineering Communication that is Made to Stick

Technical communication textbooks, while comprehensive, often fail to engage engineering students in integrated design courses due to their length, cost, and lack of immediate relevance. Made to Stick, a best-selling business management text by Chip and Dan Heath, offers an alternative by emphasizing six memorable principles for effective messaging. This presentation explores the book's alignment with rhetorical and technical communication pedagogy, examining its effectiveness through student surveys, interviews, and instructional team discussions. Findings suggest that while students retain the core concepts, their application can be inconsistent. Despite these challenges, Made to Stick provides a compelling, accessible framework for improving engineering communication instruction.