Pub Date : 2024-08-15DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.08.001
The purpose of this paper is to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the outlines of a Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering using active learning methodologies. The main objective of this integration is to favor sustainable human education and to increase students’ awareness and responsibility towards future generations from the chemical engineering point of view. Within the process engineering course, the students must design a chemical process using technical, economic, social and environmental criteria. Active learning methodologies were gradually introduced in different academic courses (Project-Based Learning, Collaborative Work and Flipped Classroom) and finally SDGs were implemented in the 2020–21 academic course. A synergetic effect with the active learning methodologies was observed, increasing the motivation of the students and the academics, and the complexity of the projects performed by students. The introduction of the SDGs improved academic results, which was reflected in the absence of failures and a decrease in the percentage of students passing with the lowest grade from 16 % to 10 %. Moreover, students report that this project significantly enhanced their knowledge of the SDGs related to energy and climate change; students having low or very low knowledge about SDGs were reduced to 7 % as compared to the initial 45 %.
{"title":"Integration of sustainable development goals in the field of process engineering through active learning methodologies","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The purpose of this paper is to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the outlines of a Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering using active learning methodologies. The main objective of this integration is to favor sustainable human education and to increase students’ awareness and responsibility towards future generations from the chemical engineering point of view. Within the process engineering course, the students must design a chemical process using technical, economic, social and environmental criteria. Active learning methodologies were gradually introduced in different academic courses (Project-Based Learning, Collaborative Work and Flipped Classroom) and finally SDGs were implemented in the 2020–21 academic course. A synergetic effect with the active learning methodologies was observed, increasing the motivation of the students and the academics, and the complexity of the projects performed by students. The introduction of the SDGs improved academic results, which was reflected in the absence of failures and a decrease in the percentage of students passing with the lowest grade from 16 % to 10 %. Moreover, students report that this project significantly enhanced their knowledge of the SDGs related to energy and climate change; students having low or very low knowledge about SDGs were reduced to 7 % as compared to the initial 45 %.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142095076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.07.001
Crystallization via nucleation can isolate active pharmaceutical ingredients from their crudes. While chemical engineering textbooks provide theoretical knowledge on crystallization and nucleation theories, they often fall short in providing provide practical insights on the nucleation mechanism. To bridge this gap, we introduced a virtual experiment on nucleation in second-year chemical engineering classrooms. The main goal is to educate students on crystallization procedures in research and process industries, teaching them how to analyse and manage collected data while integrating theoretical knowledge. This includes conveying the kind of information that can be obtained from a crystallisation process and instructing students on how to analyse and manage the data collected in the light of the theories learned. We devised an original chemical engineering problem on nucleation, derived directly from the raw data collected in the classroom from virtual experiments. This method differs from the conventional approach of solving standard textbook problems. The textbook problems, regrettably often lack crucial information on how nucleation rate or surface free energy are directly obtained from raw data. By the conclusion of the virtual experiment, students have acquired a comprehensive understanding encompassing both practical and theoretical aspects of crystallization, with a particular focus on nucleation. The methodologies elucidated in this study can be applied across a spectrum of chemical engineering modules, including process engineering, unit operations in chemical engineering, mass transfer, and can even be integrated into specialized courses dedicated to crystallization.
{"title":"Crystallisation: Solving crystal nucleation problem in the chemical engineering classroom based on the research grade experiments deployed in virtual mode","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Crystallization via nucleation can isolate active pharmaceutical ingredients from their crudes. While chemical engineering textbooks provide theoretical knowledge on crystallization and nucleation theories, they often fall short in providing provide practical insights on the nucleation mechanism. To bridge this gap, we introduced a virtual experiment on nucleation in second-year chemical engineering classrooms. The main goal is to educate students on crystallization procedures in research and process industries, teaching them how to analyse and manage collected data while integrating theoretical knowledge. This includes conveying the kind of information that can be obtained from a crystallisation process and instructing students on how to analyse and manage the data collected in the light of the theories learned. We devised an original chemical engineering problem on nucleation, derived directly from the raw data collected in the classroom from virtual experiments. This method differs from the conventional approach of solving standard textbook problems. The textbook problems, regrettably often lack crucial information on how nucleation rate or surface free energy are directly obtained from raw data. By the conclusion of the virtual experiment, students have acquired a comprehensive understanding encompassing both practical and theoretical aspects of crystallization, with a particular focus on nucleation. The methodologies elucidated in this study can be applied across a spectrum of chemical engineering modules, including process engineering, unit operations in chemical engineering, mass transfer, and can even be integrated into specialized courses dedicated to crystallization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772824000186/pdfft?md5=7403bb398d99b50de759d31b1ec85016&pid=1-s2.0-S1749772824000186-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141848364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.07.002
Recent years have seen the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered generative chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot. These tools have simultaneously positively surprised and taken aback people worldwide, raising the question of whether they can or should be used in education, as well as how to properly guide students and teachers on using them safely and ethically. To this end, this work provides (i) a brief overview of the current applications of AI in Higher Education (HE), (ii) a discussion of the ethical and societal concerns associated with the usage of AI models, (iii) the initial steps of the implementation of a chatbot used at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) able to perform audits for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and (iv) an investigation of the need and opportunities of AI in chemical engineering education. The latter is achieved through quantitative and qualitative analyses of the responses given by both Master’s students and academia/industry practitioners on the introduction and use of AI in education. This paves the way for discussing current perceptions, expectations and concerns of AI models, as well as their limitations and the opportunities they could provide.
{"title":"Towards Education 4.0: The role of Large Language Models as virtual tutors in chemical engineering","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Recent years have seen the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered generative chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot. These tools have simultaneously positively surprised and taken aback people worldwide, raising the question of whether they can or should be used in education, as well as how to properly guide students and teachers on using them safely and ethically. To this end, this work provides (i) a brief overview of the current applications of AI in Higher Education (HE), (ii) a discussion of the ethical and societal concerns associated with the usage of AI models, (iii) the initial steps of the implementation of a chatbot used at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) able to perform audits for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and (iv) an investigation of the need and opportunities of AI in chemical engineering education. The latter is achieved through quantitative and qualitative analyses of the responses given by both Master’s students and academia/industry practitioners on the introduction and use of AI in education. This paves the way for discussing current perceptions, expectations and concerns of AI models, as well as their limitations and the opportunities they could provide.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772824000198/pdfft?md5=f50414df641fe41deb31f389c5c26ace&pid=1-s2.0-S1749772824000198-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141838511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study addresses the critical need for realistic emergency training in industries where non-stationary conditions can quickly escalate into accidents or incidents. Real-life training is often impractical due to safety concerns and cost constraints. Consequently, incorporating immersive technologies into training curricula becomes crucial. This research explores participants' self-reflection on safety readiness during virtual reality (VR) emergency training and investigates the impact of interactive versus passive exposure to emergency situations in VR.
Three distinct exposure methods were developed, varying in the degree of participant involvement. Surprisingly, no statistically significant differences were found among the groups, indicating a positive perception of VR emergency training regardless of the exposure method. Participants valued the opportunity to safely make mistakes, witness consequences, and repeat procedures in VR. They believed such training enhanced their real-life emergency responses by fostering calmness, quick thinking, and prudent reactions.
However, some participants expressed skepticism, suggesting that VR training might not accurately simulate real-life stress conditions. Future research should explore the impact of photorealistic VR experiences on operators' perceptions and assess the benefits of additional efforts in VR development for emergency training.
{"title":"Benefits and impact of emergency training in a VR environment","authors":"Sofia Garcia Fracaro , Yusra Tehreem , Ryo Toyoda , Timothy Gallagher , Jarka Glassey , Kristel Bernaerts , Michael Wilk","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study addresses the critical need for realistic emergency training in industries where non-stationary conditions can quickly escalate into accidents or incidents. Real-life training is often impractical due to safety concerns and cost constraints. Consequently, incorporating immersive technologies into training curricula becomes crucial. This research explores participants' self-reflection on safety readiness during virtual reality (VR) emergency training and investigates the impact of interactive versus passive exposure to emergency situations in VR.</p><p>Three distinct exposure methods were developed, varying in the degree of participant involvement. Surprisingly, no statistically significant differences were found among the groups, indicating a positive perception of VR emergency training regardless of the exposure method. Participants valued the opportunity to safely make mistakes, witness consequences, and repeat procedures in VR. They believed such training enhanced their real-life emergency responses by fostering calmness, quick thinking, and prudent reactions.</p><p>However, some participants expressed skepticism, suggesting that VR training might not accurately simulate real-life stress conditions. Future research should explore the impact of photorealistic VR experiences on operators' perceptions and assess the benefits of additional efforts in VR development for emergency training.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141314538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.003
John J. Fitzpatrick, Edmond P. Byrne
Engineering students require an education which facilitates the development not just of functional design of technological artefacts and processes, but they also need to be equipped to understand and engage with their wider implications and context. Consequently, as part of the formation of sustainability informed engineers, there is a clear necessity to integrate the socio-economic aspects of sustainability in order to posit technology in appropriate contextualised settings. The chemical engineering degree programme at University College Cork incorporates a strong emphasis on integrating the socio-economic dimension of sustainability within the programme. This paper focuses on ecological economics, and how it can connect with engineering and why it is important that engineering students receive a grounding in ecological economics. It outlines the content of a five-lecture series on ecological economics given to fifth-year chemical engineering students. This includes environmental aspects, such ecological limits analysis and the use of strategies, including economic, to move unsustainable natural resource use and emissions discharges to within their ecological limits. It explores social aspects and the critical barriers to transitioning to a sustainable economy, as well as the impact of ecological economics on engineering. Finally, three consecutive final year classes were surveyed to elicit their feedback on being taught ecological economics and to test the hypothesis that the inclusion of ecological economics appreciably enhances students’ ability to engage productively with sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); a key accreditation and professional requirement for contemporary engineering graduates. Overall, most students enjoyed the material, stating that is of value to engineering students, and they provided a useful qualitative assessment of the content.
工程专业的学生不仅需要接受有助于开发技术产品和工艺的功能设计的教育,而且还需要具备理解和参与其更广泛影响和背景的能力。因此,作为培养具有可持续发展意识的工程师的一部分,显然有必要将可持续发展的社会经济方面纳入其中,以便在适当的背景环境中进行技术定位。科克大学学院(University College Cork)的化学工程学位课程非常重视在课程中融入可持续性的社会经济层面。本文重点介绍生态经济学,以及生态经济学如何与工程学相联系,以及为什么工程学学生必须掌握生态经济学。本文概述了为化学工程专业五年级学生开设的生态经济学五讲系列课程的内容。其中包括环境方面,如生态极限分析和使用包括经济在内的策略,将不可持续的自然资源使用和排放转移到生态极限范围内。它还探讨了社会方面和过渡到可持续经济的关键障碍,以及生态经济学对工程学的影响。最后,对连续三个毕业班的学生进行了调查,以了解他们对生态经济学教学的反馈意见,并检验以下假设:生态经济学的加入是否能显著提高学生有效参与可持续发展和联合国可持续发展目标(SDGs)的能力;这是对当代工程学毕业生的一项关键认证和专业要求。总体而言,大多数学生都喜欢这套教材,认为它对工科学生很有价值,并对教材内容进行了有益的定性评估。
{"title":"Incorporating ecological economics into engineering education","authors":"John J. Fitzpatrick, Edmond P. Byrne","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Engineering students require an education which facilitates the development not just of functional design of technological artefacts and processes, but they also need to be equipped to understand and engage with their wider implications and context. Consequently, as part of the formation of sustainability informed engineers, there is a clear necessity to integrate the socio-economic aspects of sustainability in order to posit technology in appropriate contextualised settings. The chemical engineering degree programme at University College Cork incorporates a strong emphasis on integrating the socio-economic dimension of sustainability within the programme. This paper focuses on ecological economics, and how it can connect with engineering and why it is important that engineering students receive a grounding in ecological economics. It outlines the content of a five-lecture series on ecological economics given to fifth-year chemical engineering students. This includes environmental aspects, such ecological limits analysis and the use of strategies, including economic, to move unsustainable natural resource use and emissions discharges to within their ecological limits. It explores social aspects and the critical barriers to transitioning to a sustainable economy, as well as the impact of ecological economics on engineering. Finally, three consecutive final year classes were surveyed to elicit their feedback on being taught ecological economics and to test the hypothesis that the inclusion of ecological economics appreciably enhances students’ ability to engage productively with sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); a key accreditation and professional requirement for contemporary engineering graduates. Overall, most students enjoyed the material, stating that is of value to engineering students, and they provided a useful qualitative assessment of the content.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141276694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.002
Marta Rumayor , María Margallo , Javier Pinedo , Jonathan Albo
Active learning, also called "learning by doing" (LbD), has resulted in positive learning outcomes in several higher education degrees. This paper describes an LbD experience within Chemical Engineering education aiming to enhance learning and transferable competencies using a Life Cycle Assessment course as a vehicle. This compulsory course belongs to the European Project Semester (EPS) program taught in the fourth year of the Chemical Engineering Degree at the University of Cantabria. From the beginning, the activity has targeted LCA practice with a strong emphasis on performance and its application as a decision-making tool in real case studies through close collaboration with regional companies. Working in partnership with industrial companies has favoured a win-win-win situation as students could apply knowledge as future LCA specialists. In contrast, companies gained valuable insights to improve their environmental performance, and lecturers enhanced their industrial networks. A public session carried out at the end of the activity created an enriching debate on subjects from a diversity of points of view (e.g., the selection of impact categories, the proposed improvements for environmental impact reduction, etc.). According to the lecturers, the competencies acquired by students through this LbD experience in life cycle assessment have notably evolved, demonstrating not only an enhanced understanding of environmental impacts across a product life cycle but also a significant improvement in critical thinking, team collaboration, and practical problem-solving skills, thereby bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in real-world scenarios. This is in line with the student’s perception that considered, such as "problem resolution", "capacity for analysing" and synthesis and "capacity for information" management. These are essential not only for future LCA practitioners but for chemical engineers.
{"title":"Learning by doing using the Life Cycle Assessment tool: LCA projects in collaboration with industries","authors":"Marta Rumayor , María Margallo , Javier Pinedo , Jonathan Albo","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Active learning, also called \"learning by doing\" (LbD), has resulted in positive learning outcomes in several higher education degrees. This paper describes an LbD experience within Chemical Engineering education aiming to enhance learning and transferable competencies using a Life Cycle Assessment course as a vehicle. This compulsory course belongs to the European Project Semester (EPS) program taught in the fourth year of the Chemical Engineering Degree at the University of Cantabria. From the beginning, the activity has targeted LCA practice with a strong emphasis on performance and its application as a decision-making tool in real case studies through close collaboration with regional companies. Working in partnership with industrial companies has favoured a win-win-win situation as students could apply knowledge as future LCA specialists. In contrast, companies gained valuable insights to improve their environmental performance, and lecturers enhanced their industrial networks. A public session carried out at the end of the activity created an enriching debate on subjects from a diversity of points of view (e.g., the selection of impact categories, the proposed improvements for environmental impact reduction, etc.). According to the lecturers, the competencies acquired by students through this LbD experience in life cycle assessment have notably evolved, demonstrating not only an enhanced understanding of environmental impacts across a product life cycle but also a significant improvement in critical thinking, team collaboration, and practical problem-solving skills, thereby bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in real-world scenarios. This is in line with the student’s perception that considered, such as \"problem resolution\", \"capacity for analysing\" and synthesis and \"capacity for information\" management. These are essential not only for future LCA practitioners but for chemical engineers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772824000101/pdfft?md5=aec7f6121361b12ceed4d38bea5e5614&pid=1-s2.0-S1749772824000101-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141241020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.001
Michel van der Eijk, Urjan Jacobs, Christiaan Tempelman
In here a novel method is described to improve student success rates in a first-year basic chemistry theoretical/practical hybrid course (n = 31 students) by implementing simple ways of formative assessment. This to reduce student dropout rates following the philosophy of encouraging students’ self-control. Essential is to train first-year bachelor students in their self-learning skills and to enhance their evaluative judgment. As a result, students are able to provide better quality of the assessment products at the end of the course. In practice the course is redesigned and intervention tools are integrated at multiple levels throughout the course. The lecturers’ role was adapted to a coaching role, thereby introducing low-effort personalized micro-interventions to meet the personalized needs of students. To clarify these learning needs for students, awareness of the quality desired for the final assessment products is important. Awareness was improved by providing examples of varying quality and introducing multiple peer- and self-assessment moments during the course. The final evaluation of the course examination products showed that the quality of the laboratory notebook was substantially higher after following this approach. Additionally students learned other important skills such as self-learning skills, collaborating in practical work and giving and receiving feedback. Unexpectedly, the high perceived lecturers’ workload decreased. The work presented here provides a novel approach in the form of a model and a practical blueprint with tools for a practical chemistry course design which develops students’ self-learning skills thereby substantially improving student success rates. In our example course, the ultimate student success rate increased form 83 % to 95 % after using this novel approach.
{"title":"Enhancing self-learning skills and quality through formative actions and feedback within chemistry classes in the laboratory – A useful model","authors":"Michel van der Eijk, Urjan Jacobs, Christiaan Tempelman","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2024.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In here a novel method is described to improve student success rates in a first-year basic chemistry theoretical/practical hybrid course (n = 31 students) by implementing simple ways of formative assessment. This to reduce student dropout rates following the philosophy of encouraging students’ self-control. Essential is to train first-year bachelor students in their self-learning skills and to enhance their evaluative judgment. As a result, students are able to provide better quality of the assessment products at the end of the course. In practice the course is redesigned and intervention tools are integrated at multiple levels throughout the course. The lecturers’ role was adapted to a coaching role, thereby introducing low-effort personalized micro-interventions to meet the personalized needs of students. To clarify these learning needs for students, awareness of the quality desired for the final assessment products is important. Awareness was improved by providing examples of varying quality and introducing multiple peer- and self-assessment moments during the course. The final evaluation of the course examination products showed that the quality of the laboratory notebook was substantially higher after following this approach. Additionally students learned other important skills such as self-learning skills, collaborating in practical work and giving and receiving feedback. Unexpectedly, the high perceived lecturers’ workload decreased. The work presented here provides a novel approach in the form of a model and a practical blueprint with tools for a practical chemistry course design which develops students’ self-learning skills thereby substantially improving student success rates. In our example course, the ultimate student success rate increased form 83 % to 95 % after using this novel approach.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772824000095/pdfft?md5=53cf4112b1e6592776983b58e53f2951&pid=1-s2.0-S1749772824000095-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140906482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-03DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.04.002
Krunal J. Suthar , Aesha Mehta , Swapna Rekha Panda , Hitesh Panchal , Rakesh Sinha
The study presents ten different exercises covering various computational tools. These exercises are practical applications presented to improve the understanding and skills of students in important concepts of chemical-aided process synthesis. A few exercises aim to build a foundation in computational techniques for chemical engineering undergraduates. The exercises are based on a spreadsheet that covers the design of regression analysis to find the optimum Antoine constants, array calculation for multicomponent distillation material balance, and the generation of a Gantt chart to plan and study the activities of batch processes. The other exercises included an introduction to process simulation, simulation, and reactor rating, and a simulation of multicomponent shortcut distillation. These exercises provide students with hands-on experience in utilizing process simulation software essential for analysing and optimizing chemical processes in real-world scenarios. The exercises also included the design of a heat exchanger network and solving a linear programming problem. An anonymous survey was collected from the cohort that had undergone the exercises, and the practical grades were compared with the batch that did not study the proposed exercises. Additionally, student feedback on practical exercises was collected. Based on the experience of the course coordinator and the collected feedback from participants, it was clear that the exercises helped students to inculcate critical thinking and self-learning abilities. An article essentially sheds light on the computer-aided practical exercises that enable chemical engineering graduates to engage in lifelong learning.
{"title":"Practical exercises of computer-aided process synthesis for chemical engineering undergraduates","authors":"Krunal J. Suthar , Aesha Mehta , Swapna Rekha Panda , Hitesh Panchal , Rakesh Sinha","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.04.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2024.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The study presents ten different exercises covering various computational tools. These exercises are practical applications presented to improve the understanding and skills of students in important concepts of chemical-aided process synthesis. A few exercises aim to build a foundation in computational techniques for chemical engineering undergraduates. The exercises are based on a spreadsheet that covers the design of regression analysis to find the optimum Antoine constants, array calculation for multicomponent distillation material balance, and the generation of a Gantt chart to plan and study the activities of batch processes. The other exercises included an introduction to process simulation, simulation, and reactor rating, and a simulation of multicomponent shortcut distillation. These exercises provide students with hands-on experience in utilizing process simulation software essential for analysing and optimizing chemical processes in real-world scenarios. The exercises also included the design of a heat exchanger network and solving a linear programming problem. An anonymous survey was collected from the cohort that had undergone the exercises, and the practical grades were compared with the batch that did not study the proposed exercises. Additionally, student feedback on practical exercises was collected. Based on the experience of the course coordinator and the collected feedback from participants, it was clear that the exercises helped students to inculcate critical thinking and self-learning abilities. An article essentially sheds light on the computer-aided practical exercises that enable chemical engineering graduates to engage in lifelong learning.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140952175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-21DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.04.003
Wolfgang Riedl, Andrew Brown, Julia Rausenberger
Process engineering education requires a comprehensive foundation and practical application. To bridge the gap between theoretical education and market requirements, a "Project Planning Course” has been offered since 2018 as part of the MSc specialization in Chemical Engineering at the FHNW School of Life Sciences. The course didactics combines the principles of an “agile” teaching mindset and problem-based learning, which optimally support the experience of this module. Students had to work on unresolved real-world problems, make decisions based on incomplete information, and present their work in a board meeting role play with board members from industry. These situations represent typical real-world challenges for future chemical engineers. The results show that most of the students learned to cope with the unconventional teaching methodology. The students’ evaluations of the module have been very positive, especially the fact that the active participation of the students triggers the actual learning process - which means that the essential learning goal has been achieved.
{"title":"An “Agile” project planning course: Learning by doing in process engineering education","authors":"Wolfgang Riedl, Andrew Brown, Julia Rausenberger","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.04.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2024.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Process engineering education requires a comprehensive foundation and practical application. To bridge the gap between theoretical education and market requirements, a \"Project Planning Course” has been offered since 2018 as part of the MSc specialization in Chemical Engineering at the FHNW School of Life Sciences. The course didactics combines the principles of an “agile” teaching mindset and problem-based learning, which optimally support the experience of this module. Students had to work on unresolved real-world problems, make decisions based on incomplete information, and present their work in a board meeting role play with board members from industry. These situations represent typical real-world challenges for future chemical engineers. The results show that most of the students learned to cope with the unconventional teaching methodology. The students’ evaluations of the module have been very positive, especially the fact that the active participation of the students triggers the actual learning process - which means that the essential learning goal has been achieved.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772824000083/pdfft?md5=e2858d220972351b38a0ff5fda780d44&pid=1-s2.0-S1749772824000083-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140646411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2024.03.002
Luc T. Paoli , Pavan K. Inguva , Andrew J. Haslam , Pierre J. Walker
Computational elements in thermodynamics have become increasingly important in contemporary chemical-engineering research and practice. However, traditional thermodynamics instruction provides little exposure to computational thermodynamics, leaving students ill-equipped to engage with the state-of-the-art deployed in industry and academia. The recent rise of easy-to-use open-source thermodynamic codes presents an opportunity for educators to help bridge this gap. In this work, we present a short course that was developed and rolled-out using the Clapeyron.jl package, the material of which is all openly available on GitHub. The course can serve as a foundation for others to similarly integrate computational material in thermodynamics education. The course is structured into three sections. Section one serves as a refresher and covers core material in numerical methods and thermodynamics. Section two introduces a range of thermodynamic models such as activity-coefficient models and cubic equations of state, outlining their implementation. In section three the focus is moved to deployment, guiding students on how to implement computational-thermodynamics methods covering volume solvers, saturation solvers, chemical-stability analysis and flash problems. In a pilot study conducted with both undergraduate and graduate students, participants found the material engaging and highly relevant to their chemical-engineering education.
{"title":"Confronting the thermodynamics knowledge gap: A short course on computational thermodynamics in Julia","authors":"Luc T. Paoli , Pavan K. Inguva , Andrew J. Haslam , Pierre J. Walker","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2024.03.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2024.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Computational elements in thermodynamics have become increasingly important in contemporary chemical-engineering research and practice. However, traditional thermodynamics instruction provides little exposure to computational thermodynamics, leaving students ill-equipped to engage with the state-of-the-art deployed in industry and academia. The recent rise of easy-to-use open-source thermodynamic codes presents an opportunity for educators to help bridge this gap. In this work, we present a short course that was developed and rolled-out using the <span>Clapeyron.jl</span> package, the material of which is all openly available on GitHub. The course can serve as a foundation for others to similarly integrate computational material in thermodynamics education. The course is structured into three sections. Section one serves as a refresher and covers core material in numerical methods and thermodynamics. Section two introduces a range of thermodynamic models such as activity-coefficient models and cubic equations of state, outlining their implementation. In section three the focus is moved to deployment, guiding students on how to implement computational-thermodynamics methods covering volume solvers, saturation solvers, chemical-stability analysis and flash problems. In a pilot study conducted with both undergraduate and graduate students, participants found the material engaging and highly relevant to their chemical-engineering education.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772824000058/pdfft?md5=4633835051e1fc6cf9308dd5b805a367&pid=1-s2.0-S1749772824000058-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140550975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}