Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.004
Luis A. Romero-Cano
The integration of simulation tools into chemical engineering education enhances the understanding of complex transport phenomena. This article presents a mini-workshop that uses MATLAB-Simulink to simulate steady-state one-dimensional heat conduction problems in various geometries. Designed as a learning intervention for undergraduate students enrolled in Heat Transfer courses, the tool allows students to visualize thermal gradients, evaluate heat flux, and explore the influence of physical parameters on conduction. The workshop employs simscape blocks to build models based on Fourier’s law, incorporating temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. The intended learning outcomes focus on fostering conceptual understanding, simulation skills, and engineering decision-making. The pedagogical strategy has been implemented in three Heat Transfer courses, where students responded positively, highlighting their preference for digital tools over traditional learning methods. The interactive and visual nature of the simulations improved their conceptual grasp and increased motivation. This communication provides ready-to-use examples, source code, and instructions, inviting educators to adapt and expand the tool in their own classrooms to collectively assess its pedagogical value.
{"title":"Modular simulation as a teaching tool: Integrating MATLAB-simulink into Heat Transfer courses to promote active learning and conceptual understanding","authors":"Luis A. Romero-Cano","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of simulation tools into chemical engineering education enhances the understanding of complex transport phenomena. This article presents a mini-workshop that uses MATLAB-Simulink to simulate steady-state one-dimensional heat conduction problems in various geometries. Designed as a learning intervention for undergraduate students enrolled in Heat Transfer courses, the tool allows students to visualize thermal gradients, evaluate heat flux, and explore the influence of physical parameters on conduction. The workshop employs simscape blocks to build models based on Fourier’s law, incorporating temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. The intended learning outcomes focus on fostering conceptual understanding, simulation skills, and engineering decision-making. The pedagogical strategy has been implemented in three Heat Transfer courses, where students responded positively, highlighting their preference for digital tools over traditional learning methods. The interactive and visual nature of the simulations improved their conceptual grasp and increased motivation. This communication provides ready-to-use examples, source code, and instructions, inviting educators to adapt and expand the tool in their own classrooms to collectively assess its pedagogical value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 171-177"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145319906","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-26DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.001
A. Rodríguez-Gómez , R. Granados-Fernández , E. Lacasa , C.M. Fernández-Marchante , M.A. Rodrigo
One of the most controversial points for teachers of Process Dynamics in Chemical Engineering is related to the extension and methodology for the frequency-response tools. In chemical processes, time constants typically range from seconds to days, i.e. several orders of magnitude different from those faced by other engineering professionals (e.g. electrical engineers, where time constants are in the milli-microsecond range). This means that the approach used for the teaching of frequency-response techniques for Chemical Engineers must be very different from that of other degrees, fact that is not always considered in the study programs. This contribution describes the Simulation Case Study-Based Learning (SCSBL) methodology, which has been successfully employed at the University of Castilla-La Mancha for over two decades using simulation tools developed in Visual Basic for Excel. Through this tool, the student acquires the necessary skills to build a simulator in a practical way from which the frequency-response of a system is evaluated in a time considerably less compared with other traditional methodologies. This allows the student to have a clear understanding not only of the main concepts of frequency response, but also to be able to perform a frequency response study of any system and draw relevant conclusions.
化学工程过程动力学教师最具争议的问题之一是频率响应工具的扩展和方法。在化学过程中，时间常数通常从秒到天不等，即与其他工程专业人员（例如电气工程师，其时间常数在毫微秒范围内）所面临的几个数量级不同。这意味着用于化学工程师的频率响应技术教学的方法必须与其他学位的教学方法非常不同，这一事实在学习计划中并不总是被考虑到。这篇文章描述了基于案例研究的模拟学习（SCSBL）方法，该方法已经在卡斯蒂利亚-拉曼查大学成功应用了二十多年，使用Visual Basic for Excel开发的模拟工具。通过这个工具，学生获得必要的技能，以一种实用的方式建立一个模拟器，从这个模拟器中，与其他传统方法相比，系统的频率响应在相当短的时间内得到评估。这使学生不仅对频率响应的主要概念有一个清晰的认识，而且能够对任何系统进行频率响应研究并得出相关结论。
{"title":"How to teach frequency response easily to chemical engineers using spreadsheets","authors":"A. Rodríguez-Gómez , R. Granados-Fernández , E. Lacasa , C.M. Fernández-Marchante , M.A. Rodrigo","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>One of the most controversial points for teachers of Process Dynamics in Chemical Engineering is related to the extension and methodology for the frequency-response tools. In chemical processes, time constants typically range from seconds to days, i.e. several orders of magnitude different from those faced by other engineering professionals (e.g. electrical engineers, where time constants are in the milli-microsecond range). This means that the approach used for the teaching of frequency-response techniques for Chemical Engineers must be very different from that of other degrees, fact that is not always considered in the study programs. This contribution describes the Simulation Case Study-Based Learning (SCSBL) methodology, which has been successfully employed at the University of Castilla-La Mancha for over two decades using simulation tools developed in Visual Basic for Excel. Through this tool, the student acquires the necessary skills to build a simulator in a practical way from which the frequency-response of a system is evaluated in a time considerably less compared with other traditional methodologies. This allows the student to have a clear understanding not only of the main concepts of frequency response, but also to be able to perform a frequency response study of any system and draw relevant conclusions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 91-101"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772940","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.004
Thomas L. Rodgers
This article discusses “Modular Simulation as a Teaching Tool: Integrating MATLAB-Simulink into Heat Transfer Courses to Promote Active Learning and Conceptual Understanding”, Luis A. Romero-Cano, Education for Chemical Engineers.
本文讨论了“模块化模拟作为教学工具：将MATLAB-Simulink集成到传热课程中以促进主动学习和概念理解”，Luis a . Romero-Cano，化学工程师教育。
{"title":"Critique – Tools for sharing: MATLAB-Simulink into heat transfer courses","authors":"Thomas L. Rodgers","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article discusses “Modular Simulation as a Teaching Tool: Integrating MATLAB-Simulink into Heat Transfer Courses to Promote Active Learning and Conceptual Understanding”, Luis A. Romero-Cano, <em>Education for Chemical Engineers</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 178-179"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145319978","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.001
Luis Vaquerizo , Iván Darío Gil , Salvador Tututi-Avila , Rafael B. Mato
In today’s interconnected society, chemical engineering students must be prepared to work in international and multicultural environments. However, in our experience, current chemical engineering curricula often fail to develop these competencies. This study aims to demonstrate the benefits of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in chemical engineering education. For the first time, the COIL approach has been implemented in a simulation course. In addition to preparing students for international and multicultural work environments, this experience enhances their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Unlike other COIL applications, this project allows for multiple valid solutions, though not all are necessarily optimal. After two successful COIL projects involving chemical engineering students from the Universidad de Valladolid (Spain), the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Mexico), students reported feeling more confident in their knowledge and abilities, better prepared for multicultural and international work environments, and more capable of performing well in their first job. In both project editions, survey responses to related questions averaged above 4 out of 5. Key takeaways from this work are that, to accomplish the objectives of a COIL, it is essential to define the project timeline in advance, ensure a similar level of knowledge among students, confirm software access, establish a unified communication platform, and conduct individual kickoff meetings for each team. Additionally, effective international collaboration is more likely when no more than 50 % of a team’s members come from the same institution.
{"title":"Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in chemical engineering: Preparing students for multicultural and international work environments","authors":"Luis Vaquerizo , Iván Darío Gil , Salvador Tututi-Avila , Rafael B. Mato","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In today’s interconnected society, chemical engineering students must be prepared to work in international and multicultural environments. However, in our experience, current chemical engineering curricula often fail to develop these competencies. This study aims to demonstrate the benefits of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in chemical engineering education. For the first time, the COIL approach has been implemented in a simulation course. In addition to preparing students for international and multicultural work environments, this experience enhances their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Unlike other COIL applications, this project allows for multiple valid solutions, though not all are necessarily optimal. After two successful COIL projects involving chemical engineering students from the Universidad de Valladolid (Spain), the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Mexico), students reported feeling more confident in their knowledge and abilities, better prepared for multicultural and international work environments, and more capable of performing well in their first job. In both project editions, survey responses to related questions averaged above 4 out of 5. Key takeaways from this work are that, to accomplish the objectives of a COIL, it is essential to define the project timeline in advance, ensure a similar level of knowledge among students, confirm software access, establish a unified communication platform, and conduct individual kickoff meetings for each team. Additionally, effective international collaboration is more likely when no more than 50 % of a team’s members come from the same institution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 26-36"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605816","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}
The effective transformation of organic chemistry education necessitates the adoption of innovative pedagogical approaches that actively promote student engagement and motivation throughout the learning process. Thus, this study investigates the impact of a multimedia-supported flipped classroom approach (MSFCA) on student engagement and motivation in learning organic chemistry in Rwandan secondary schools. The study involved 73 senior five students (fifth year of upper secondary school) and two chemistry teachers, employing an explanatory sequential research design. Quantitative data were gathered using a Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data from structured interviews were thematically analyzed. The findings revealed high levels of student engagement and motivation in learning through MSFCA, as evidenced by their positive survey responses. Additionally, qualitative insights highlighted students’ eagerness for organic chemistry when taught using this innovative method. However, rural students reported lower motivation levels compared to their urban counterparts primarily due to challenges with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, such as limited internet access and insufficient computers. The statistically significant disparity in mean scores (rural: 49.58, urban: 68.47, P < 0.001, df =72) underscores how limited resources in rural areas hinder effective engagement in multimedia-supported flipped classrooms. Based on these findings, the study recommends integrating MSFCA more broadly to enhance student interest and motivation in organic chemistry. It also emphasizes the need to expand ICT resources, including reliable internet connectivity and adequate computer availability, particularly in rural schools.
{"title":"Examining students’ engagement and motivation in organic chemistry through the use of a multimedia-supported flipped classroom approach","authors":"Ezechiel Nsabayezu , Olivier Habimana , Wenceslas Nzabalirwa , Francois Niyongabo Niyonzima","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effective transformation of organic chemistry education necessitates the adoption of innovative pedagogical approaches that actively promote student engagement and motivation throughout the learning process. Thus, this study investigates the impact of a multimedia-supported flipped classroom approach (MSFCA) on student engagement and motivation in learning organic chemistry in Rwandan secondary schools. The study involved 73 senior five students (fifth year of upper secondary school) and two chemistry teachers, employing an explanatory sequential research design. Quantitative data were gathered using a Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data from structured interviews were thematically analyzed. The findings revealed high levels of student engagement and motivation in learning through MSFCA, as evidenced by their positive survey responses. Additionally, qualitative insights highlighted students’ eagerness for organic chemistry when taught using this innovative method. However, rural students reported lower motivation levels compared to their urban counterparts primarily due to challenges with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, such as limited internet access and insufficient computers. The statistically significant disparity in mean scores (rural: 49.58, urban: 68.47, P < 0.001, df =72) underscores how limited resources in rural areas hinder effective engagement in multimedia-supported flipped classrooms. Based on these findings, the study recommends integrating MSFCA more broadly to enhance student interest and motivation in organic chemistry. It also emphasizes the need to expand ICT resources, including reliable internet connectivity and adequate computer availability, particularly in rural schools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 102-112"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144813885","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.08.003
Cristian J. Calderón, Dumar Andres Camacho Luengas, Juan Manuel Reyna-González
This study explored the perceptions of fourth-semester Chemical Engineering students at Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM), State of Mexico Campus, regarding their use of Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR) software. The university’s Tec21 Educational Model requires students to resolve real-world challenges posed by professors and external training partners. In the study, students in the fourth semester of Chemical Engineering were required to design a shell and tube heat exchanger for an amine absorption system in two consecutive learning blocks. Block I focused on heat transfer systems, combining theoretical and practical knowledge with manual and Excel calculations. In Block II, students used Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS for shortcut calculations and Aspen EDR for rigorous calculations to validate their proposals in Block I. At the end of Block II, study indicators revealed that the students valued the engagement of training partners and real-world challenges, considering these to have significantly contributed to their academic experience. They emphasized the importance of learning simulation software early in their academic careers, as it validates manual calculations and produces optimal designs. They described the challenge as intellectually stimulating and believed it strengthened transversal competencies such as critical thinking, teamwork, and resilience.
{"title":"Using a process simulator to enhance the learning of heat exchanger design in fourth-semester chemical engineering students","authors":"Cristian J. Calderón, Dumar Andres Camacho Luengas, Juan Manuel Reyna-González","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explored the perceptions of fourth-semester Chemical Engineering students at Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM), State of Mexico Campus, regarding their use of Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR) software. The university’s Tec21 Educational Model requires students to resolve real-world challenges posed by professors and external training partners. In the study, students in the fourth semester of Chemical Engineering were required to design a shell and tube heat exchanger for an amine absorption system in two consecutive learning blocks. Block I focused on heat transfer systems, combining theoretical and practical knowledge with manual and Excel calculations. In Block II, students used Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS for shortcut calculations and Aspen EDR for rigorous calculations to validate their proposals in Block I. At the end of Block II, study indicators revealed that the students valued the engagement of training partners and real-world challenges, considering these to have significantly contributed to their academic experience. They emphasized the importance of learning simulation software early in their academic careers, as it validates manual calculations and produces optimal designs. They described the challenge as intellectually stimulating and believed it strengthened transversal competencies such as critical thinking, teamwork, and resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 113-122"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841732","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-09-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.09.001
Martín Nieto Bermejo , Alejandro García Zancajo , Antonio Nieto-Márquez
An active learning experience was developed through the UPM MotoStudent competition team, where chemical engineering students tackled challenges related to the cooling of the electric motor. This project led to the development of four chemical engineering-related projects: (i) drying and cooling of air using an adsorption bed and dry ice, (ii) design and construction of a radiator, (iii) development of a testing bench with control systems and information monitoring, and (iv) development and characterization of dielectric oils for the prevention of electroerosion phenomenon. The competition provided a hands-on platform for students to apply their knowledge of heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, and process control in a real-world context. Furthermore, soft skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, and time management were crucially developed, contributing to the overall success of the project. The learning outcomes of this experience pushed students to the highest levels of Bloom's taxonomy—Evaluate and Create—levels seldom reached in undergraduate courses. Participants highlighted the project's strong impact on technical learning, personal growth and teamwork.
{"title":"Fostering chemical engineering competencies through competition teams: The UPM MotoStudent Electric experience","authors":"Martín Nieto Bermejo , Alejandro García Zancajo , Antonio Nieto-Márquez","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.09.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An active learning experience was developed through the UPM MotoStudent competition team, where chemical engineering students tackled challenges related to the cooling of the electric motor. This project led to the development of four chemical engineering-related projects: (i) drying and cooling of air using an adsorption bed and dry ice, (ii) design and construction of a radiator, (iii) development of a testing bench with control systems and information monitoring, and (iv) development and characterization of dielectric oils for the prevention of electroerosion phenomenon. The competition provided a hands-on platform for students to apply their knowledge of heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, and process control in a real-world context. Furthermore, soft skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, and time management were crucially developed, contributing to the overall success of the project. The learning outcomes of this experience pushed students to the highest levels of Bloom's taxonomy—Evaluate and Create—levels seldom reached in undergraduate courses. Participants highlighted the project's strong impact on technical learning, personal growth and teamwork.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 149-160"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157599","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.006
Manasvinni Laul, Daniela Galatro
This study integrates the design and preassessment of an exercise, incorporating a causation modeling approach into the Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP) dataset to enhance engineering students' understanding of process monitoring and fault diagnosis. The dataset, which contains 41 measured and 11 manipulated variables under normal and faulty conditions, was used to illustrate the application of the machine learning algorithm causal random forests (CRF) and treatment effect estimation in chemical process analysis. This approach differs from traditional ways of teaching/learning complex chemical engineering phenomena through governing equations, heuristics, and lab experiments. Three learning outcomes were developed for this exercise: understanding the impact of dataset composition on model interpretation, understanding how the model performance metrics differ when applied to regression and classification tasks, and understanding causality using different treatment variables. These learning outcomes were proposed to provide students with strong foundations in data integrity, model evaluation, and causal inference. In the context of engineering education, our preassessment of the effectiveness of applying this exercise to a course cohort was conducted by a summer student and closely supervised by the instructor. While the 3-hour session proved valuable and somehow feasible, some logistic challenges were gathered from this preassessment, mainly regarding time constraints and the complexity of the dataset, suggesting that breaking the exercise into smaller sessions and offering additional resources would enhance student understanding, as well as providing students with clearer explanations of technical concepts, and interactive feedback to increase engagement in future implementations.
{"title":"Causation in chemical engineering education: Application of machine learning in fault diagnosis","authors":"Manasvinni Laul, Daniela Galatro","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study integrates the design and preassessment of an exercise, incorporating a causation modeling approach into the Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP) dataset to enhance engineering students' understanding of process monitoring and fault diagnosis. The dataset, which contains 41 measured and 11 manipulated variables under normal and faulty conditions, was used to illustrate the application of the machine learning algorithm causal random forests (CRF) and treatment effect estimation in chemical process analysis. This approach differs from traditional ways of teaching/learning complex chemical engineering phenomena through governing equations, heuristics, and lab experiments. Three learning outcomes were developed for this exercise: understanding the impact of dataset composition on model interpretation, understanding how the model performance metrics differ when applied to regression and classification tasks, and understanding causality using different treatment variables. These learning outcomes were proposed to provide students with strong foundations in data integrity, model evaluation, and causal inference. In the context of engineering education, our preassessment of the effectiveness of applying this exercise to a course cohort was conducted by a summer student and closely supervised by the instructor. While the 3-hour session proved valuable and somehow feasible, some logistic challenges were gathered from this preassessment, mainly regarding time constraints and the complexity of the dataset, suggesting that breaking the exercise into smaller sessions and offering additional resources would enhance student understanding, as well as providing students with clearer explanations of technical concepts, and interactive feedback to increase engagement in future implementations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 17-24"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535993","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.005
Zijian Xu , Xiaoyan Wang , Xinglong Jin , Minghua Zhou
This work examined how the proactive personality influence the laboratory safety attitude with safety self-efficacy and safety motivation as mediators. The results demonstrated the chain mediation of safety self-efficacy and safety motivation between proactive personality and laboratory safety attitude. Proactive personality indirectly influences laboratory safety attitude through safety self-efficacy. And proactive personality does not directly affect safety motivation and laboratory safety attitude. The research findings remind us to provide regular safety training to improve graduate students’ safety skills and knowledge, thereby increasing their safety self-efficacy. The safety motivation should also be focused on. Furthermore, safety interventions based on personality traits and psychological needs should be customized, as well as the cultivation of team safety climate.
{"title":"The influence of proactive personality on laboratory safety attitude of graduate students: Chain mediating role of safety self-efficacy and safety motivation","authors":"Zijian Xu , Xiaoyan Wang , Xinglong Jin , Minghua Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work examined how the proactive personality influence the laboratory safety attitude with safety self-efficacy and safety motivation as mediators. The results demonstrated the chain mediation of safety self-efficacy and safety motivation between proactive personality and laboratory safety attitude. Proactive personality indirectly influences laboratory safety attitude through safety self-efficacy. And proactive personality does not directly affect safety motivation and laboratory safety attitude. The research findings remind us to provide regular safety training to improve graduate students’ safety skills and knowledge, thereby increasing their safety self-efficacy. The safety motivation should also be focused on. Furthermore, safety interventions based on personality traits and psychological needs should be customized, as well as the cultivation of team safety climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"53 ","pages":"Pages 56-61"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656703","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 : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2025.08.002
Alicia Ronda, Esmeralda Portillo, Luz M. Gallego Fernández, Carmen Arnaiz, Yolanda Luna-Galiano, Mónica Rodríguez-Galán, Custodia Fernández-Baco, Rosario Villegas, Fernando Vega, Carlos Leiva, Fátima Arroyo-Torralvo
University teaching must be continuously evaluated to identify weaknesses and propose the improvement actions to avoid the lack of motivation by the students and to encouraged them to participate into the learning process. The analysis is not always carried out efficiently due to its complexity. For this reason, this study evaluates the application of a SWOT analysis in the teaching of the Environmental Engineering Master (EEM) and Chemical Engineering Master (CEM) at the University of Seville (US). The SWOT methodology consisted of identifying weaknesses and suggesting ways to improve, which were implemented through various teaching innovation projects. Several weaknesses were identified such as difficulties with the initial adaptation process, high academic workload and poor academic performance. A portfolio of improvement actions was designed and applied in the CEM and EEM. It was observed that the duration of studies decreased 0.85 and 0.13 years for EEM and CEM, respectively and that the number of students presenting their Master's theses in the same year of enrolment increased by 27 %. The main results were the high level of student satisfaction - 4.21/5.00 in the last survey and the significant improvement of key learning aspects such as interdisciplinarity, learning outcomes and student/professor engagement.
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