Using an informal competitive practical to stimulate links between the theoretical and practical in fluid mechanics: A case study in non-assessment driven learning approaches
This study outlines a practical intervention in a second-year fluid mechanics course. The practical was designed using the framework of Legitimation Code Theory, with the aim of stimulating active links between the theoretical and practical (in this case pump and piping networks, head loss and application of the energy equation), through a group-based competitive, informal, interactive learning event. The effect on students’ perceptions and anxiety were recorded, and it was seen that students’ perceptions of workload, anxiety and time pressure decreased. Substantial evidence of cumulative learning was noted, both durin...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - August 10, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Cultivating a safety mindset in chemical engineering students: Design of a training module
This article explored the design and selection of teaching scenarios, texts & contents, teaching methods, and students’ final assessment. This article served as a reference of chemical plant safety mindset cultivation for chemical engineering students. (Source: Education for Chemical Engineers)
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - July 27, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Psychrometric Charts in Color: An Example of Active Learning for Chemical Engineering Students and Faculty Members
Publication date: Available online 24 July 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Suzanne Kresta, Inci Ayranci This paper reports the design and scale-up of an active learning exercise centered around color coding of psychrometric charts. The initial version of this exercise was used with small classes of 60 students. When the class size doubled to 120 students, the previously successful exercise failed. The failure was then used as a workshop example for faculty development. The participants successfully identified a number of details of planning and implementation which could be improved, and the rev...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - July 25, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Student Perceptions and Instructor Experiences in Implementing an Online Homework System in a Large Second-Year Engineering Course
Publication date: Available online 23 July 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Anastasia L. Elias, Duncan G. Elliott, Janet A.W. Elliott In a large course, grading assignments is a time-consuming process requiring considerable resources. Online homework software systems are therefore increasingly being utilized. In this article, we will detail our experiences implementing online homework assignments in our course CH E 243: Engineering Thermodynamics; a large, multi-section course with more than 600 students/year in 4 sections. In Year 1 we employed commercial software, and in Year 2 we developed ou...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - July 24, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Understanding Student Use of Resources in “Rich-Media” Courses
Publication date: Available online 14 July 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): T.L. Rodgers, S. Mabley, A.A. Garforth There is a current trend in course development to increase the number of “Rich-Media” items available to students; these include items like key-concept videos, interactive activities and quizzes, and even captures of the full lectures. It is therefore important to understand which of these resources students use and gain value from so that we can target the best resources for student learning. This paper looks at several courses taught in the School of Chemical Engineering and A...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - July 15, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
A Concept Inventory for Knowledge Base Evaluation and Continuous Curriculum Improvement
Publication date: Available online 11 July 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Patrice Farand, Jason R. Tavares Students at Polytechnique Montreal have demonstrated the ability to tackle large-scale, complex calculations through their integrative projects. However, high quality engineers must not only master calculations, but the underlying fundamental concepts as well − this level of retention allows them to transfer their knowledge to the new challenges they will face. To ensure this, accreditation criteria for engineering programs in Canada require the evaluation of multiple attributes, the fir...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - July 12, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Mathematical programming approach for optimally allocating students' projects to academics in large cohorts
Publication date: Available online 13 June 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Raúl Calvo-Serrano, Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez, Simon Kohn, Andrew Masters Many university degree programs (including chemical engineering ones) require final year students and Masters’ students to do an extended research project under the supervision of an academic staff member. However, obtaining a satisfying allocation for both students and supervisors is often a challenging task, especially when the amount of available supervisors is particularly tight and their popularities are highly diverse. In this article we...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - June 14, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Learning and researching based on local experience and simulation software for graduate and undergraduate courses in chemical and environmental engineering
Publication date: Available online 13 June 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Encarnación Ruiz-Ramos, Juan Miguel Romero-García, Francisco Espínola, Inmaculada Romero, Valentina Hernández, Eulogio Castro This work deals with the use of a commercial simulation package, ASPEN Plus®, to design and assess a biorefinery based on olive-derived biomass. The starting point was the selection of the raw material itself, which is one of the most abundant in Mediterranean countries and well known by the students to whom the study is addressed. Moreover, the work was based on the research activities pe...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - June 13, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Developmental laboratory report-writing programme based on progression throughout the year: how to make better use of staff/student time and increase student satisfaction
Publication date: Available online 9 June 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Mark J. Heslop In this work, an alternative approach to laboratory programmes is proposed in which students are required to submit one report section at a time and the key results, rather than submit complete reports after each experiment. The report sections are selected in order of perceived difficulty. The evaluation results suggest that report writing is an activity that students find difficult and time consuming, and that there is appreciation of only having to deal with one section at a time, and then receiving detail...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - June 9, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
A heat-transfer laboratory experiment with shell-and-tube condenser
Publication date: April 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 19 Author(s): Adebola S. Kasumu, Nashaat N. Nassar, Anil K. Mehrotra An in-house-designed undergraduate laboratory experiment for hands-on experiential learning of heat transfer in shell-and-tube heat exchangers is described. The experiment allows the student to identify and evaluate the factors that affect the rate of heat transfer in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The design affords convective heat transfer inside the tubes and condensation heat transfer outside the tubes. Experimental measurements are used to estimate the overall heat tr...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - May 9, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Conceptual issues related to reversibility and reversible work produced in closed and open flow systems
Publication date: April 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 19 Author(s): Rajinder Pal The concepts of reversibility and reversible work are subtle and illusive. Students often face difficulties in understanding these concepts. The definitions of reversibility given in textbooks on thermodynamics are generally descriptive and qualitative, subject to interpretation. The reversible work often discussed in the textbooks is actually the work produced in a mechanically reversible process and not the work produced in a completely reversible process. Although the P−V work produced in a mechanically reversibl...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - May 9, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Statistical analysis of undergraduate chemical engineering curricula of United States of America universities: Trends and observations
Publication date: Available online 27 April 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Roman S. Voronov, Sagnik Basuray, Gordana Obuskovic, Laurent Simon, Robert B. Barat, Ecevit Bilgili Chemical engineering (ChE) is a historically-relevant degree that is experiencing an emergence of diverse research and industrial trends. However, adapting to them is a challenge, because the overloaded nature of the ChE curriculum makes adding new courses, without removing older ones, difficult. The problem is further exacerbated by the need to justify any modifications to various university committees while satisfyin...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - May 9, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Student learning
Publication date: January 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 18 Author(s): Dominic Foo, Jarka Glassey (Source: Education for Chemical Engineers)
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - March 12, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
The Journal Club: Seeding scientific understanding at the Universidade Federal do Tri ângulo Mineiro, Brazil
Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): L.H.S. Bontempo, T.M. Florêncio, R. Antonelli, K.S. Araújo, A.M.A. Neves, A.C. Granato, G.R.P. Malpass Traditionally, in many universities, student groups that promote critical and informative discussion are organized, aiming to debate themes from scientific articles and recent advances. Such groups are usually called Journal Clubs. Their aim is to provide the tools for both successful presentations and for comprehension/critical analysis of scientific publications, in order to use them in their own research an...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - February 15, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
The journal club: seeding scientific understanding at the universidade federal do tri Ângulo mineiro, brazil
Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): L.H.S. Bontempo, T.M. Florêncio, R. Antonelli, K.S. Araújo, A.M.A. Neves, A.C. Granato, G.R.P. Malpass Traditionally, in many universities, student groups that promote critical and informative discussion are organized, aiming to debate themes from scientific articles and recent advances. Such groups are usually called Journal Clubs. Their aim is to provide the tools for both successful presentations and for comprehension/critical analysis of scientific publications, in order to use them in their own research an...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - February 13, 2017 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
