A detailed anatomy of students’ perception of engagement and their learning a threshold concept in core chemical engineering
Publication date: Available online 14 January 2015 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): K.R. Davey An attempt has been made to reveal a detailed anatomy of students’ self-perceived engagement with material in a lecture and their learning of a key course threshold concept. A cohort of 80 students in a third year chemical engineering (64% response rate) course voluntarily recorded their engagement using a Likert-type scale at intervals of 5min in a (nominally 50minute) lecture, together with written comments. Marks were awarded for a substantial, follow up summative assignment to test their understanding...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - January 15, 2015 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
The strategic importance of teaching Operations Research for achieving high performance in the petroleum refining business
Publication date: Available online 22 November 2014 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): Marcel Joly , Roger Rocha , Luiz Carlos F. Sousa , Marcia T. Takahashi , Pierre N. Mendonça , Leonardo A.M. Moraes , André D. Quelhas Introducing a good educational program in the industrial environment may importantly differ from implementing a well-taught course in academic settings in a number of aspects. Potential troublesome aspects should be identified in advance such that the learning environment can properly tackle those issues through specialized or innovative ways. In this paper, we highlight the ke...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - November 22, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Student self-assessment: Results from a research study in a level IV elective course in an accredited bachelor of chemical engineering
Publication date: Available online 3 November 2014 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers Author(s): K.R. Davey A summative Mid-term Test in a level IV course of an accredited bachelor degree from a cohort of 32 (8 female, 24 male) students was both self-assessed and assessed by the experienced course tutor, using the idealized solutions and shell-form marking scheme of the lecturer. The assignment required demonstration of discipline-specific, definitions in Pinch Analysis and calculation of temperatures and heat exchanger network (HEN) designs. The grades were analyzed for accuracy, that is, agreement between stude...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - November 14, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Two challenge-based laboratories for introducing undergraduate students to biomaterials
Publication date: January 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 1 Author(s): Jennifer Vernengo , Kevin D. Dahm Due to the increasing prevalence of bone and cartilage disorders in today's society, there is a necessity to engineer biomaterials to treat these debilitating diseases. This will require educational institutions to provide specialized education in these areas. Yet, there have been relatively few published reports on biomaterials-related lab activities for undergraduate engineering students. This paper presents two interactive laboratories, one for freshmen and the other for seniors, t...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Cooperative WebLab in chemical engineering between France and Brazil: Validation of the methodology
Publication date: January 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 1 Author(s): Marion Alliet-Gaubert , Galo Carrillo LeRoux , Charles D.F. de Jesus , Antonio J.G. Cruz , David Rouzineau , Roberto C. Giordano , Xavier Joulia , Claudio A.O. Nascimento A WebLab is an experiment operated remotely via Internet. Besides the strictly technical aspects of such an experiment, which may contribute to the learning of Chemical Engineering fundamentals, there is also important feedback when teams of students of two different countries are working together: the WebLab becomes an intercultural experience...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Process control: Domains, disciplines and cognitive difficulties
Publication date: January 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 1 Author(s): Saidas M. Ranade , Hector Salazar , Luis Andres Rodriguez The underlying stratum of domains, representations and disciplines makes the study of process control challenging. In this article the authors classify and provide specific remedies for addressing the underlying common difficulties faced by novices in the field of process control. The authors also share content that might be of direct value to practicing engineers. Engineers can use the “identifying similarities and differences” strategy for improving unde...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
How to implement environmental considerations in chemical process design: An approach to multiobjective optimization for undergraduate students
Publication date: May 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 2 Author(s): Norberto García , José A. Caballero This paper expects to give some guidelines for undergraduate students about how to implement environmental considerations in chemical process design and how the introduction of these issues could have an important effect on the results obtained in the multiobjective problem optimization when economic and environmental aspects are considered simultaneously. For this work, a representative flowsheet of many chemical and petrochemical processes has been considered. This processing scheme...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
The impact of synthetic biology in chemical engineering—Educational issues
Publication date: May 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 2 Author(s): George M. Hall , Joe Howe This paper describes the development of synthetic biology as a distinct entity from current industrial biotechnology and the implications for a future based on its concepts. The role of the engineering design cycle, in synthetic biology is established and the difficulties in making and exact analogy between the two emphasised. It is suggested that process engineers can offer experience in the application of synthetic biology to the manufacture of products which should influence the approach of th...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
A model predictive control package for undergraduate education
We describe our experience using the package to introduce MPC to an advanced undergraduate process control II class. The package has also been used to provide an MPC laboratory experience for a graduate class on industrial process control. Highlights ► Educational model predictive control (MPC) software. ► Hands-on classroom MPC experience. ► Student feedback collected. (Source: Education for Chemical Engineers)
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Results from a study with Threshold Concepts in two chemical engineering undergraduate courses
Publication date: August 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 3 Author(s): K.R. Davey A new study in peer presentation of Threshold Concepts as the focus of learning in two core chemical engineering undergraduate courses has shown that students benefit from an explanatory and illustrative presentation they give to their class peers in place of the traditional lecturer. The methodology was that the lecturer identified a (progressively linked) inventory of Threshold Concepts and had students critically prepare and then explain these in brief (3–5min) presentation-and-question sessions to their...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Problem-solving and concept integration using a computational tool in first-year undergraduate chemical engineering
Publication date: August 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 3 Author(s): Nicole L. Cress , Mary A. Robinson , Laura Corner , Raymond L. Legge , Luis A. Ricardez-Sandoval A computational MATLAB Tool with examples based on typical Chemical Engineering (ChE) problems has been designed. The Tool is intended to assist students with the development of problem-solving skills and to encourage cross-course learning in the first-year ChE curriculum. The Tool is module-based, with each module consisting of problems from a first-year ChE course. Each of the problems is solved with emphasis placed on...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
The introduction of an autumn and spring activity week into the first year of a chemical engineering undergraduate program in Malaysia
Publication date: August 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 3 Author(s): S. Gan , S. Hanson , D.G. Hassell , C.L. Hii , F. Kabir , P.L. Lau , L.Y. Lee , S.S. Lim , S. Spotar , T. Wilson This paper outlines the design and implementation of two activity weeks in the autumn (first) and spring (second) semester of a first year Chemical Engineering program at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Part of both the Chemical and Chemical with Environmental Engineering curriculum, these week long activity weeks were developed to foster students independent learning using open ended t...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Introducing sustainability assessment and selection (SAS) into chemical engineering education
Publication date: August 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 3 Author(s): M.R. Othman , L. Hady , J.-U. Repke , G. Wozny Assessment of a sustainable process design centres on the three pillars of sustainability. However, satisfying all criteria is sometimes difficult. Nevertheless, it is important to have an effective and systematic tool for a concrete and justifiable decision. Introduction of such tool into chemical engineering education would be beneficial as students will encounter situations in making decision which may imply deciding on the best process design, suppliers, supply chain...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Teamwork development across the curriculum for chemical engineering students in Hong Kong: Processes, outcomes and lessons learned
Publication date: August 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 3 Author(s): Tracy X.P. Zou , Edmond I. Ko A three-year project aiming to develop students’ teamwork skills systematically through explicit instruction, opportunities to practice, and formative feedback across the curriculum was carried out in the only chemical engineering department in Hong Kong. The project involved two second-year laboratory courses and a third-year capstone experience (final-year projects). The intended learning outcomes of teamwork skills were assessed by both qualitative and quantitative methods. Multiple s...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
Student Peer Assessment: A research study in a level III core course of the bachelor chemical engineering program
Publication date: August 2012 Source:Education for Chemical Engineers, Volume 7, Issue 3 Author(s): K.R. Davey , E. Palmer A study of anonymous student peer marking in a level III (third year) core course of the bachelor chemical engineering has shown that there was no significant difference (p >0.05) in the average marks awarded by student assessors who had idealized solutions of the lecturer compared with those who did not; although more students with solutions (84%) completed the peer task than those without (69%). Students in a cohort of 64 (21 females, 43 males) were randomly assigned as a student-pair an...
Source: Education for Chemical Engineers - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research
