Integrated project-based learning (IPBL) implementation for first year chemical engineering student: DIY hydraulic jack project

Implementation of student-centered learning has shown wide global acceptance within institutes of higher learning. Some methods, such as active learning, project-based learning, problem-based learning, and experiential-based learning, have significantly impacted the students’ understanding of a particular subject. However, students will still have problems integrating the materials learned from one course to other courses. Thus, this is where the proposed initiative comes in. This paper discusses the implementation of integrated project-based learning (IPBL) to assist students in integrating the knowledge gained from one course to the other for first-year chemical engineering students of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. The mapping of assessments and learning domains to the learning activities are also shown in detail. This study was conducted on two courses offered in the same semester, namely, Principles of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics, in January 2019. A total of 214 students grouped in 43 teams were asked to develop a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) hydraulic jack, which uses the fundamentals taught in these two courses. The results show that 100 % student was able to come up with a working prototype within 5 weeks and 90 % of the students agree that the initiative increased their understanding in chemical engineering fundamentals and developed their leadership, problem-solving, communications and time management skills.     

Constructivist-based experiential learning: A case study of student-centered and design-centric unit operation distillation laboratory

This paper presents the rationale for incorporating engineering design into project-based laboratory learning. To ensure an effective and efficient pedagogy for the new laboratory format, we placed the emphasis of the pedagogical framework on constructivist learning for deep laboratory learning, and integrated experiential learning cycle with cyclic engineering design to formulate a sequential instruction and formative assessment methodology. The implementation of the pedagogy was exemplified using a case study of a concrete distillation design consisting of conceptualizing the design, reasoning the adequacy and experiment-based validation of the design correlations, and verifying the final design as per experimental observations. The impact of the novel lab format on student learning experience was surveyed and compared to that of a traditional laboratory. The survey results revealed that the project-based laboratory with design resulted in an improved learning experience in addressing high-level learning outcomes and engineering skills. Evidence of the survey also suggested that the sequential instruction and formative assessment methodology was effective with every stage of the experiential learning and formative assessment essential for the successful and efficient implementation of the project-based laboratory learning.     

Making programme learning outcomes explicit for students of process and chemical engineering

There is a global shift in education from solely content-driven teaching to teaching that takes learning outcomes into account. This movement underpins much of the educational reform in the area of engineering education. Programme learning outcomes for degrees in engineering education are more commonplace as more and more professional accrediting bodies require fulfillment or compliance with prescribed learning outcomes. However, the students may not be presented with these learning outcomes as they are often “hidden” in documentation submitted by institutions for accreditation purposes and hence may not be divulged to students. Undergraduate students (2006–2008) taking the BE degree programme in Process & Chemical Engineering at UCC were first surveyed to assess their level of knowledge of the learning outcomes concept and of the degree programme learning outcomes. The contents of two documents used in applications for accreditation by professional accreditation bodies as well as professional Institution guidelines were reviewed to formulate the degree programme learning outcomes which were presented to the students. These students were then surveyed after the presentation. The results of the questionnaire completed by students demonstrated a major improvement in their knowledge of both the concept of learning outcomes and also of the degree programme learning outcomes. It also showed that the students found the session to be of overall beneficial value.     

化工热力学课程教学改革的一些尝试和心得

化工热力学是化工专业中一门非常重要的专业基础课,文章阐述了学习化工热力学这门课的必要性、化工热力学教学内容、教学方法和考核方法进行一些改革和探索,培养和提高学生应用化工热力学的知识解决化工工程问题的能力。     

CDIO模式下精细化学品工艺学课程教学改革与实践

以CDIO教育理念为指导,针对传统精细化学品工艺学课程存在的问题提出教学改革的具体措施。引入包括＂项目为本＂、＂解难为本＂、和＂互动教学＂等先进的教学方法,引入＂以考代讲＂、＂考评结合＂、＂学生反馈＂等复合式教学环节;完善多元化考核标准和注重理论与实践相结合,培养学生综合能力、创新能力和工程实践能力。     

Teaching and learning strategies and evaluation changes for the adaptation of the Chemical Engineering degree to EHES

An integrated learning methodology has been developed and implemented in order to adapt the Chemical Engineering degree in the University of Valladolid (Spain) to the European Higher Education Space (EHES) philosophy. It was necessary to modify the objectives and theoretical contents of the different subjects and also the learning methodology, considering the general chemical engineering skills and also the transferable skills reached by the students, according to the recommendations of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) for chemical engineering education in Bologna two-cycle degree system.

This methodology has been applied to the seventh semester of a 5 years Chemical Engineering degree. The main objectives of the proposed strategy were:

• To provide to the student with a holistic, integrated and applied vision of the different subjects involved in chemical engineering, coordinating all of them and planning common activities as a case study based on an industrial process.

• To help students to develop transferable skills by means of designing suitable teaching and learning strategies.

• To prepare the students for the long-life learning.

General and particular objectives were defined adapting the course to the EHES philosophy. In this sense, the programmes in terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired were designed, the total student workload to get the objectives of the programme was estimated and the entire course was programmed and planned in a detailed schedule. A course guide was elaborated including all this information, resulting in a useful instrument for teachers and students.

This methodology was complemented with the evaluation of the global learning process. The evaluation made was based on the next two aspects:

• Student learning evaluation. Tutorial sessions, written reports, oral presentations, discussion sessions and partial and final written exams were considered.

• Learning methodology evaluation. External evaluation requires carrying out inquiries, both to students and teachers involved.

加强实验教学 提高教学质量

化工原理实验是化工类及相近学科学生的一门重要实践课。结合滁州学院化工原理实验教学,针对实验教学各个环节进行了探讨和研究。通过加强实验室建设、调整实验项目、教师改进教学方法和考核办法等措施,以不断提高化工原理实验教学效果,从而提高化工原理理论教学质量。     

Online project-based learning in engineering design: Supporting the acquisition of design skills

In this work, we explore and compare how different online instructional practices can support the acquisition of design skills through the eyes of students in PBL (project-based learning), as well as the impact of such practices on the student performance. Particularly, students quantitatively assessed their perception towards the effectiveness of different online practices at supporting four ways of working in design: identification of a design problem and its constraints, research of potential design solutions, design decision-making, and communication of such decisions in an appropriate format. Student perceptions suggest that effective online PBL in engineering design is underpinned by instructional practices that amalgamate personalised, constructive technical support with immediate formative feedback, and that promote deeper social connections between students and academics. Drawing on the Community of Inquiry framework for online learning, these perceptions appear to be related to the extent to which the social and cognitive presence phenomena is inherent to the specific instructional practice. The combined deployment of such online practices ensures a student performance (71.7%) which is virtually the same as for the previous cohort (72.0%), when design was fully delivered on-campus. Implications for educational practice and transferability with extension to the teaching of different engineering design disciplines and settings are discussed.     

Contextualized project-based learning for training chemical engineers in graphic expression

This paper describes the planning of a computer-aided design (CAD) laboratory for training chemical engineers in graphic expression. The CAD laboratory was organised into four projects following a project-based learning method. Flipped classroom and contextualised learning were used to motivate the students and promote meaningful learning. The laboratory mainly focused on engaging the students by replicating 2D and 3D plans of common industrial engineering equipment and piping and instrumentation diagrams of industrial facilities. Two surveys carried out before and after the course showed that the student’s perception of their graphic expression skills significantly increased. Gender differences were observed in self-perceived graphic expression skills, particularly in spatial vision. The results showed considerable overall satisfaction with the method, scoring a value of 4.1 ± 0.9 in the Likert scale (maximum 5). Most of the students obtained a score higher than 8 in the CAD laboratory, showing their acquisition of specific competences. The results encouraged us to apply this method to subsequent courses and to extend training in graphic expression to other subjects in the chemical engineering degree. The method followed here can easily be extrapolated to other engineering disciplines.     

An effective blended online teaching and learning strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic

The shift to distance teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a real challenge for both instructors and students. To face these difficulties in teaching undergraduate Chemistry courses at the University of Santo Tomas, a blended learning strategy in the context of teaching and learning of Physical Chemistry 1 and Analytical Chemistry for Chemical Engineering students were employed. Here, we present an online strategy that facilitated the transition from traditional face-to-face learning to full online instruction. This is a five-component blended learning strategy referred to as Discover, Learn, Practice, Collaborate and Assess (DLPCA). In DLPCA, the asynchronous part of the teaching was achieved through broadcast of pre-recorded lecture videos on YouTube to allow students to study and progress with learning at their own pace. The synchronous part of the teaching was conducted using video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom or Google Meet. The DLPCA strategy was presented and discussed to the students prior to its implementation. The analysis of the teaching and learning experience based on three indicators (i) student’s learning experience, (ii) student’s academic performance and (iii) instructor observations showed that DLPCA had a positive impact on students and instructors. The identified challenges were stability of internet connection and instructor’s familiarity with readily available internet-based teaching tools, such as video conferencing software. Instructors must also find means to improve their interaction with students and maintain student interest and engagement during online classes. The survey also indicated that most of the students are satisfied with the DLCPA strategy. Hence, this strategy is considered a manageable and effective alternative that can be adapted to full online instruction to other undergraduate Chemistry lecture courses. Overall, the findings and insights in this study will add valuable resources for further hybrid instruction in the post-COVID-19 time in higher education.     

A framework for hands-on learning in chemical engineering education—Training students with the end goal in mind

Chemical engineering education aims to equip students with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on capability to solve practical problems. At Imperial College London, this is practiced via three laboratory-based courses, which span over the first three years of the undergraduate curriculum. The Foundation, Knowledge and Discovery Laboratories were designed based on Kolb’s experiential learning theory as well as Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. Although these courses intend to challenge students, appropriate scaffolding is in place to ensure a satisfactory learning experience across the spectrum of abilities. Assessment and survey results show that all students were capable of meeting the learning goals (>96% achieving satisfactory to excellent results in academic years 2014–2016), while a large majority is satisfied with the courses (>80% in academic years 2014–2016). The design and implementation of these courses are discussed to promote the exchange of good practices within the higher education community.     

Learning first principles theories under digital divide: Effects of virtual cooperative approach on the motivation of learning

Studies revealed that existing lockdowns due to COVID-19 across developing countries resulted in education access inequalities and challenges. Closure of schools and higher education institutions have forced educators to deliver courses and assessments distantly as an immediate countermeasure against threats on the academic progression of students. Specifically, students marginalized by digital divides were found to have less satisfaction in learning experiences under this emergency online learning method. For students with science and engineering background, it is a challenge to learn first principles theories in the online environment which could affect their learning motivation level. This paper presents the implementation of online cooperative learning in the course Material and Energy Balance which covered the fundamental principles of Chemical Engineering. The impact of virtual cooperative learning approach to reduce the loss of motivation due to digital divide was investigated. Firstly, it was found that most of the students, from different backgrounds of digital access, experienced a drop in motivation at the start of emergency online learning. Secondly, when virtual cooperative learning was implemented, an increase in students’ motivation at both sides of the digital divide was observed. The implications concerning provisions to design an all-inclusive online learning environment are also presented. We found that the incorporation of cooperative learning approach could contribute towards alleviating the drop in motivation, especially for the digitally disadvantaged students. We hope that the findings from this study could compel instructors or education practitioners to rethink and redesign the online teaching and learning activities to enable a more inclusive emergency online learning environment for digitally disadvantaged students.     

《化工设备机械基础》课程教学改革的探索

根据化工设备机械基础课程特点,提出了从教学内容、教学方法、课程设计等方面就《化工设备机械基础》这门课的改革进行了探究,实践表明:这些改革对提高该课程的教学质量,开阔学生视野,培养学生解决工程实际问题能力都有极大的帮助。总结了化工设备机械基础课程的教学经验.提出了提高本课程教学质量的见解。     

Workshops of innovation in chemical engineering to train communication skills in science and technology

This paper shows the application of an innovate pedagogical approach based on the project-based learning technique, focused on the training of communication skills in the framework of a workshop of innovation in chemical engineering. Written, graphical verbal, and non-verbal communication were tackled. For that purpose, a project of technological innovation was developed by the students in teams within the specific area of chemical engineering. A professional-like environment was simulated by a final workshop where the students defenced and supported their project by using oral presentation and production of a poster and a video. Several surveys were performed before and after the project application. The final survey revealed that both students and lecturers perceived an improvement on the communication skills of the students. Moreover, both lecturers and students declared satisfaction with the methodology, recommending its application in other disciplines.     

问题式教学在“食品工程原理”教学中的应用

问题式教学是以问题为中心来处理教材和组织教学的一种教学方法,是通过引导学生产生问题、思考问题、回答和解决问题从而培养学生主动获取专业知识的能力,问题式教学可提高学生的学习能力、动手实践能力和探索创新能力。本文以食品科学与工程专业教学实践为例,在食品工程原理课程教学中对这种教学模式进行了探索,取得了良好的效果。     

The discovery laboratory – A student-centred experiential learning practical: Part I – Overview

Chemical Engineering's Discovery Laboratory at Imperial College London is a practical teaching programme designed specifically to support student-centred learning at an advanced level, bridging the gap between instructions driven lab experiments and fully open ended research. In the first part of this article we present an overview of this programme with particular attention given to the design of the pedagogical framework and the execution of teaching. The teaching goal is delivered by in-depth experiential learning, where students are assigned a specific subject area to conduct their own research within a set timeframe and boundary conditions that guarantee a successful learning outcome. Academic supervisors and teaching assistants play an important role in this process, where they provide students with continuing guidance throughout. The use of research or industrial grade equipment ensures the students’ preparation for their final year research project as well as their post-graduation careers. In addition to summative assessments, students also receive formative feedback periodically from academic supervisors and teaching assistants. The Discovery Laboratory has received positive feedback from both teachers and students since its inauguration in 2011 and here we share some useful insights for the execution of such a practical teaching programme.     

Teaching engineering for a changing landscape

Engineering educators face a rapidly changing, and ever more challenging world. Rapidly evolving industry demands, accreditation agencies, and students themselves are calling for an engineering education with integrated multidisciplinary design knowledge, leadership, communication, business, education, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and lifelong learning explicitly included in their undergraduate programs. Students still need the core content knowledge of thermodynamics, mass, energy, and momentum balances and fluxes. They also need integrated socio‐contextual knowledge to evaluate a design for sustainability and demonstrate a net positive social benefit. There is only so much time available in an undergraduate program and learning takes time. These challenges are driving changes to both what and how we teach our students to integrate broader competencies and enhance engineering student graduate attribute achievement. A framework for engineering education includes fundamental and socio‐contextual knowledge integrated with metacognitive and professional skill development. This contribution provides practical ideas for how to infuse these dimensions into courses, support the developing engineering practice, and deepen student engagement with their courses.     

Transforming traditional teaching laboratories for effective remote delivery—A review

Teaching laboratories form an essential component of any engineering education. They enable students to participate in various stages of experiential learning including conceptualization and experimentation followed by reflection, analysis and interpretation of data. However, operating teaching laboratories with social distancing measures poses significant logistical and safety challenges, and alternative modes of delivery may be a realistic way forward in adapting engineering curricula to the post COVID-19 world. Best practices from spaces such as distance learning and virtual / remote laboratories can be leveraged to facilitate educators’ responses. This review is aimed at identifying evidence-based approaches for transforming hands-on labs into virtual or remote operation to achieve desired learning outcomes without compromising on soft skills and student self-efficacy. A critical review of the recent literature on delivering STEMM education laboratories in either a virtual or remote setting or a combination of both is presented here. Commonly emerging approaches are identified and strategies to implement remote or mixed-mode (a combination of remote and traditional lab components) delivery are highlighted. The value of these approaches to the educator is assessed based on claimed learning outcomes, availability of resources, technology, scheduling, and cost factors.     

A successful experience with the flipped classroom in the Transport Phenomena course

Transport Phenomena is a core subject in Chemical Engineering studies. Its fundamentals need significant effort to be understood. Furthermore, students must apply theory to solve practical engineering problems, and it is usually problem resolution which has the largest weight in course assessment. However, due to the high amount of theory that must be covered in Transport Phenomena courses, usually little classroom time is reserved for practice and problem-solving skills are not worked in class. This constitutes a serious misalignment between learning activities, expected outcomes and evaluation. In this article, we propose the flipped classroom as a suitable methodology to solve this issue. As a pilot study, we flipped one unit of the Transport Phenomena course of the Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering. Theory was provided through whiteboard animated video before the classroom sessions. Classroom time was mainly dedicated to participative discussion and problem solving in small groups. Satisfaction questionnaires were used to monitor student perception of learning quality before and after the methodology update. Student judgement on the interest of the subject and the value of the learnt concepts boosted about 20% on average with the flipped classroom. Around 70% of the surveyed students reported that the new methodology increased their motivation and that it helped them to learn both theory and practice. These results indicate that the flipped classroom is suitable for highly-technical classes with a large amount of complex theory, and it helps in the understanding and application of such theory.     

The introduction of an autumn and spring activity week into the first year of a chemical engineering undergraduate program in Malaysia

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 tasks, all linked through one overarching “industrial theme”. Designed to combine topics from a number of different taught modules into single problems, the activity weeks introduced students to multimodular problems whose solutions required a student centred approach utilising enhanced student-staff interaction. Feedback is presented from both staff and students, along with problems encountered during implementation and how these were overcome. Students were generally positive about the learning experience, and student performance during the weeks was greater than in the subsequent exams. However, this performance and enhanced interaction with staff came with an associated increase in teaching time required to plan and implement such activities.