Education for Chemical Engineers最新文献

This critique evaluates the use of the P-HENS software for developing recommended heat exchanger network designs compared to the commercial simulator Aspen Energy Analyzer. The similarities between the two software when carrying out an energy integration are discussed, as well as their advantages and possible improvements to be implemented in the tool.

The need for autonomous engineering graduates who demonstrate hands-on skills has increased in the industry. Computer programming helps engineering students solve real-world problems systematically and accurately by applying governing physical and mathematical models into a format that a computer can read and execute. This study describes the pedagogical approach of incorporating programming workshops and assessments into a second-year chemical engineering course. The impact of this intervention on experiential learning amongst the students was then evaluated by analysing the feedback provided by voluntary participants during several focus group sessions. The feedback gave further insight into teaching pedagogy with respect to Kolb's experiential learning cycle. It was found the programming background of an individual clearly affects the phase of the learning cycle they predominantly experience during the workshops. Furthermore, programming background affected an individual's critical thinking while approaching an engineering problem. Constructive feedback provided by the student participants offered an invaluable opportunity for the teaching team to reflect on what went well and the areas for improvement in future iterations. The findings of this study can advance knowledge around design and implementation of a programming module within an engineering course.

The ability and capability to analyze and benchmark alternative designs on top of the optimal network are deemed valuable competencies for current and future chemical engineers. In this context, a process graph (P-graph)-inspired tool – P-HENS is introduced to an integrated plant design unit in an undergraduate chemical engineering degree program at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus in Malaysia. The energy recovery aspect is one of the key design elements in the integrated plant design unit. The introduction of P-HENS, which is capable of mathematically determining multiple optimal and sub-optimal solutions is considered useful for the students to (i) identify plausible heat exchanger networks (HENs) structures that may be overlooked using conventional approaches and (ii) enable a more in-depth analysis to justify the selected design. Overall, the implementation of P-HENS shows positive outcomes, where this free-of-charge software complements the learning of conventional manual approaches used in HENs synthesis. Furthermore, recommendations suggested by the users (students) are collected and compiled for potential future software development. This work serves as an essential reference for other chemical engineering educators who are teaching pinch analysis or heat integration-related courses.

One of the most in-demand skills for engineers is working effectively in a team. However, divergences inside the group often lead to the unsuccessful progress of the task. Therefore, creating a methodology that allows overcoming this obstacle and promotes successful teamwork seems fundamental. In this work, we present a novel questionnaire that we have designed and implemented to form balanced work teams based on the behaviour and personality of the group members. Concretely, the roles selected were Leader, Collaborative, Thoughtful and Creative. The role assignment was performed using a questionary and applied to different subjects and degrees. The role of Leader was predominant, but when analysing the group mates' opinions, a relevant decrease was observed, indicating that the students answered the questionary as a leader but did not show leadership capacities. The second role majority was Collaborator, and Creative and Thoughtful roles obtained the fewest percentages. Finally, the academic results of different courses and the students' feedback experience have been analysed, getting an upbeat assessment of the new methodology for forming groups, and it has also been observed an improvement in the average marks of the subjects.

Active learning methods are known to improve motivation, engagement, and student performance in traditional classrooms. However, the COVID-19 pandemic compelled students to continue their studies through an online setting wherein teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. In this study, the design and implementation of flipped classrooms supported with collaborative learning was evaluated for the remote instruction of Analytical Chemistry. The flipped classroom was designed to include pre-recorded lectures, individual self-assessment questions and in-class group activities (polls and quiz bee). Word problems were given as collaborative tasks to improve the students’ interactions on the learning content. The impact on learning of these instructional practices was evaluated based on students’ learning experience and academic performance, and the instructors’ reflection. The survey at the end of the term gathered quantitative and qualitative data regarding students’ experiences with flipped classroom and peer collaboration methods. The students’ feedback indicated that participation in group collaborative activities had a positive impact on their comprehension of Analytical Chemistry concepts and calculations. Majority of the students indicated that group collaboration was immensely helpful in enhancing communication skills and improving their ability to apply what they had learned in class to solving difficult word problems. In addition, students underscored the importance of pre-recorded videos for their self-paced learning, and synchronous sessions to increase their engagement and motivation. On the other hand, several students perceived flipped classrooms as very demanding and challenging in terms of the required output submissions given the short 6-week term. Overall, the combination of these active-learning methods had a positive impact on the remote-learning environment, but potential drawbacks of online active learning interventions on student attitudes were also present. Therefore, careful integration of these instructional practices into online courses will help improve the students’ learning experience.

Professors of Chemical Engineering often find that students are discouraged by the highly technical nature of the subject, have a poor understanding of how the subject relates to their field and lack the basic engineering skills and competences. This purpose of this paper is to report on a teaching innovation experience in the course in Biochemical Engineering, part of the Degree in Biotechnology at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Madrid, Spain). The aim of the innovation project was to motivate students and overcome the difficulties posed by the course. To this end, a series of practical seminars were designed with individual and group learning activities, for the acquisition of engineering competences, developing higher-order thinking skills and transversal competences. The evaluation of the project was based on the learning-teaching experience of professors, the academic performance of students and student surveys at the end of the course. All indicators showed that the new methodology had a positive impact both on the attitudes of students and on learning outcomes. Furthermore, students had a more precise and positive vision of the interrelation between Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology in general, favourably influencing their learning in other courses within the degree program.

Process safety decision making is a key component of undergraduate chemical engineering education. Despite this, there are no existing survey instruments designed to measure students’ moral reasoning in the context of process safety decision making. The Engineering Process Safety Research Instrument (EPSRI) was developed to address this deficit in process safety assessment. The EPSRI was modeled after existing moral reasoning instruments including the DIT2, EERI, and ESIT. The process safety scenarios included were drawn from personal experience and reports from the Chemical Safety Board. Each scenario in the instrument was followed by a decision prompt and 12–15 considerations. The EPSRI went through content validation with chemical engineering industry practitioners and chemical engineering faculty members. Subsequently, three rounds of exploratory factor analysis were conducted to finalize the instrument design before a final confirmatory factor analysis was completed to ensure validity and reliability of the instrument. Completion of the exploratory factor analysis resulted in five dilemmas with 9–12 considerations each that loaded onto pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional reasoning constructs according to Kohlberg’s moral development theory. Confirmatory factor analysis reaffirmed the validity and reliability of the instrument and its ability to measure chemical engineering students’ moral reasoning within process safety contexts.

This critique discusses the simulation App of a bioreactor (Sartorius D-DCU 100 L) for cell culture, which was included in the article Laboratory-independent exploration of stirred bioreactors and their fluid dynamics by Stefan Seidel et al., Education for Chemical Engineers, xx, xxx.

Experience is an important requirement to apply for a qualified job. While employers need to find workers with the required skills, education institutions must design curricula which provide the skills demanded by the job market. Besides, along their careers, workers need to make good choices on continuing education courses. Current Bachelor and Master degrees follow programs which attempt to offer a practical perspective, but still from the academia point of view. To bridge the gap between academia and industry, University Extension Diploma in Food Technology (DEUTA) deepens into the Food sector seeking professional capacitation of participants. This is achieved by both first-hand know-how of food sector professionals and academics, along with an internship period in a food company. This paper reports the experience for more than fifteen years of this Diploma. Curriculum, students background, food sectors where internships are taken, student’s opinion on the course management as well as on issues related to employability, development of professional skills and life-long learning are discussed. The analysis demonstrates how collaborative courses strengthen academia-industry bonds, and employability is boosted thanks to internships and the network created. This experience may be extrapolated to many sectors other than food, such as the chemical, environmental or biotechnological, and may help lecturers and institutions organize similar courses or diplomas to prepare competent and efficient technical workers, as well as help students and professionals orient their training and continuing education choices.