Education for Chemical Engineers最新文献

{"title":"Enhancement of efficiency of the training process with the use of digital technologies","authors":"Roman Barashkin ,&nbsp;Aynagul Nurguatova ,&nbsp;Pavel Kalashnikov ,&nbsp;Dinara Taktasheva ,&nbsp;Anton Tupysev","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.08.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The level of safety and efficiency of technological processes operation largely depends on the qualifications of operating personnel. In continuous processes of such industries as chemical, mining, processing, energy, etc., it is common practice to use computer simulators to master the skills of making the right decisions in emergency conditions or ability to choose an efficient mode of operation. With the aim of controlling the safety level of work, it is required to have an opportunity to evaluate the efficiency of methods and learning outcomes. There is no single approach to learning outcomes using simulator trainings at energy-providing enterprises with continuous and technological processes. The main task of such enterprises is to train students with a set of knowledge and skills that will ensure the required level of safety and operational efficiency. This research proposes the technique for training, which includes the sequence of theoretical and practical exercises, metrics for automatic recording of students’ actions and criteria for assessing training efficiency. The authors have tested the proposed sequence of theoretical and practical exercises on the simulator on groups of engineering students. The results of the students’ execution of practical tasks on the simulator have been recorded using the proposed metrics. Based on the results the authors have proposed the criteria to assess students’ understanding of cause-and-effect relationships. The learning outcomes according to the technique and the proposed criteria have been verified with the help of blind test and the implementation of the final practical task on the simulator. The technique has been tested on different groups of students and it is obvious that due to the proposed metrics instructors are able to track the progress of learning. The research results can be applied at plants with continuous technological processes or in higher educational institutions. This practice-based approach to training can help to build the required set of knowledge and skills, which, in turn, will enhance the level of safety and operational efficiency. The engineering universities and enterprises of industry are currently implementing the proposed technique and computer simulator and it enables receiving feedback and updating of the technique for training operational personnel.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 104-121"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44788302","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}

{"title":"Gamification in thermal engineering: Does it encourage motivation and learning?","authors":"María José Suárez-López ,&nbsp;Ana María Blanco-Marigorta ,&nbsp;Antonio José Gutiérrez-Trashorras","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.07.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gamification is considered as an approach to motivate and engage students in their learning process. An empirical study is carried out here on the use of gamification techniques in two engineering courses, in the field of Thermal Engineering, taught in two Spanish universities during several academic years. Both courses have similar syllabuses, and require the understanding and application of relatively complex concepts, related to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. The aim of this work was to increase students´ motivation and to help them in the process of assimilating and establishing key concepts related to these courses. Students´ satisfaction with the activity was assessed by means of surveys designed and proposed according to the Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) model, using a statistical package. The students were quite satisfied with the participation in the activity, the teamwork, the organization, and the grades. However, they considered that the learning of concepts was stronger in traditional classes. No significant differences were found between degrees or group size. Incorporating gamification techniques has proved to have a motivating effect on students, getting them involved in learning and in the development of the course.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 41-51"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43742845","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}

{"title":"Evolving trends in student assessment in chemical engineering education","authors":"Manoj Ravi","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.09.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2023.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alongside innovation in teaching practice, student assessment in chemical engineering has seen significant changes in the recent past. This article undertakes a systematic review of the recent advances that have been reported in assessment practice in chemical engineering education. The main trends that emerge are: a shift towards authentic assessment methods, an increase in emphasis on peer-assessment and other approaches for group-based assignments, and a greater use of digital tools for the delivery of authentic assessments and improvement of marking and feedback practice. The analysis also examines the diversity of assessment methods used across the different chemical engineering subjects and how these map against assessment frameworks reported in the wider pedagogical literature. The emerging strand of research on synoptic and interdisciplinary assessment is used to develop an assessment framework for producing chemical engineering graduates who are also socially responsible and competent global citizens.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 151-160"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49714239","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}

{"title":"Spreadsheet to illustrate the application of relaxation methods for multicomponent distillation separations","authors":"Amparo Gómez-Siurana,&nbsp;Alicia Font-Escamilla","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Rigorous calculation methods to simulate multicomponent distillation processes involve large number of variables and equations that are difficult to solve by hand and require the use of specific software. With this purpose, commercial process simulators have been included for years as learning tools in the syllabus of Chemical Engineering degrees. Nevertheless, there is thus a possibility of using these packages as a black box and strategies to mitigate that risk have been developed, as the use of spreadsheets where students can follow and check the calculation algorithms and the details of such calculations. One alternative to solve multicomponent distillation problems is the use of relaxation methods, that find the steady-state solution of a continuous distillation column by solving unsteady-state equations from a specified initial condition, thus providing an analogy with the column startup. In this work, a novel spreadsheet to apply a relaxation method is proposed. Calculation begins with the simulation of a distillation column at total reflux, which is a common way to start up these processes. In order to facilitate the development of unsteady-state equations and operation, a batch distillation column is also simulated. Finally, the evolution of a continuous distillation column from a specified starting condition to steady-state is simulated.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 161-172"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41842703","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}

{"title":"The effectiveness of an interdisciplinary postgraduate-taught program in terms of employability","authors":"Alberto Striolo ,&nbsp;Adrian Jones ,&nbsp;Craig Styan","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The business sustainability of technological companies such as those operating in the extractive sector requires multi-faceted talented individuals able to invent and deploy cutting-edge technologies, minimize environmental footprint, secure financial stability, achieve and maintain the social license to operate, among other challenges. These requirements echo those needed for addressing grand challenges such as the Sustainable Development Goals presented by the United Nations. However, traditional educational programmes are structured within the silos of well-defined academic disciplines. This lag between industrial need of individuals proficient in a variety of disciplines, and the professional figures prepared by most academic establishments could be due to a combination of several factors, including (a) the difficulty of offering programmes that require expertise from across several academic departments, and in some cases universities; (b) the perceived lack of interest among students for learning about interdisciplinary challenges; and (c) the possibility that graduates from interdisciplinary programs might not be easily hired by corporations operating in related disciplines. Reflecting on the efforts required to establish the postgraduate masters’ program in ‘Global Management of Natural Resources’ (GMNR), we suggest a possible pathway to overcome the first of these hurdles. After five years of offering the GMNR program, we assess the latter two perceived hurdles using the responses to a questionnaire distributed among the graduates. In particular, we quantify whether the graduates have experienced benefits or hurdles in their professional careers directly related to their graduation from an interdisciplinary program. The results could help the community develop and when necessary improve interdisciplinary programs, which could allow industries to overcome their future challenges, and perhaps contribute to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48091060","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}

{"title":"Improving undergraduate graduation chemical design using green techniques based on green engineering principles","authors":"Chuan-Jun Yue,&nbsp;Li-Ping Gu,&nbsp;Song-Shan Ma,&nbsp;Xin Sun,&nbsp;Nan Dai,&nbsp;Zhen-Wei Zhang,&nbsp;Bao-Liang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Green engineering education is of great significance. The development of the chemical industry<span> has a new direction under the background of engineering back to green engineering and chemistry. The undergraduate graduation chemical design is an important course for the comprehensive application of professional knowledge and bridging to the actual production, and also important support for the cultivation of chemical talent. This paper presents a case in which the improvement of ethyl acrylate process design can be selected as a topic of undergraduate graduation chemical design, which has both an industrial production process foundation that student can learn and engineering design innovation<span> under the guidance of the green engineering concept. After the design study, the results show that the process design of ethyl acrylate supported by new clean catalysis and membrane separation technologies has been improved in reducing process complexity and improving environmental friendliness. Furthermore, the teaching result indicates that the process design reinforces students' green engineering thinking and provides a green engineering teaching format for chemical design.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 96-103"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48322432","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}

{"title":"Digital tools in chemical engineering education: The needs and the desires","authors":"Isuru A. Udugama ,&nbsp;Martin Atkins ,&nbsp;Christoph Bayer ,&nbsp;James Carson ,&nbsp;Duygu Dikicioglu ,&nbsp;Krist V. Gernaey ,&nbsp;Jarka Glassey ,&nbsp;Matthew Taylor ,&nbsp;Brent R. Young","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Educators in chemical engineering have a long and rich history of employing digital tools to solve fundamental engineering problems. Today, with the megatrend of digitalisation, there is a growing set of tools that can be used for chemical engineering education. However, identifying which tool is ideally suited to support teaching a given chemical engineering concept can be challenging. To answer this question a survey was distributed to Heads of Departments at IChemE institutions and members of the IChemE committees focused on digitalisation. The survey respondents rated Microsoft Excel (VBA), commercial simulators, and scripting tools as ideal for teaching core subjects such as mass and energy balances, mass transfer and reaction engineering while respondents found 3D Models, and Virtual/Augmented Reality models as being most suited for teaching subjects such as process design, safety and sustainability. Mathematical/programming simplicity, ease of maintenance, and low initial investment costs were identified as key non-technical aspects that will hinder the adoption of a given digital tool. Weighing the benefits of education and non-technical hurdles, the respondents preferred the use of simpler digitalisation platforms such as Excel and scripting languages over the more advanced platforms such as Virtual/Augmented Reality where possible. It was identified that the widespread adoption of more advanced digitalisation tools will require removal of the above mentioned non-technical barriers as well as other barriers such as tool shareability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 63-70"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44352332","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}

{"title":"Learner agency in a chemical engineering curriculum: Perceptions and critical thinking","authors":"Steven Pisani,&nbsp;Mark D. Haw","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The extent to which learners have scope and opportunity to direct and influence their own approach to learning activities, what may be termed ‘learner agency’, has been shown to be important for students across many disciplines, in developing key advanced skills and qualities such as self-efficacy, critical thinking, resilience and innovative problem-solving. Employers unsurprisingly value graduates able to exhibit and cope with agency in their approach to work through such elements as self-learning ability, capacity to formulate and solve open-ended problems, coping with unfamiliar situations, and effective teamwork. Here, through a student-led and student-designed research project using questionnaire and interview methodology, we explore <em>via</em> the perceptions of students themselves how a typical UK Chemical Engineering BEng/MEng curriculum provides opportunities for agency and how students feel they cope with agency. We examine the curriculum class-by-class and year-by-year, studying correlations and patterns in the types of learning activity which students perceive as enabling them to exert influence and control over learning. In follow-up one-to-one interviews we further examine the link between perceived degree of agency and critical thinking skills, as measured by standardized scales, to explore how perceived agency-delivering activities may correlate with actual developments in thinking styles and skills.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 200-215"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42777997","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}

{"title":"Towards the meaningful learning of thermodynamics: A proposal for teaching exergy","authors":"Martín N. Gatti ,&nbsp;Federico M. Perez ,&nbsp;Juliana López van der Horst ,&nbsp;Florencia Volpe Giangiordano ,&nbsp;Francisco Pompeo","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>Thermodynamics studies the nature of energy and its forms of existence and transmission between systems. Exergy, as part of the Thermodynamics program in Chemical Engineering, plays a fundamental role in the development and promotion of processes related to energy saving. However, an analysis of the programs of Thermodynamics and related subjects for the Chemical Engineering degree in many Argentine universities revealed that there are few programs that include exergy as a component part of a Thermodynamics taught course, and those that do often use the few textbooks that address the subject. In this sense, a total of 92 textbooks have been counted as </span>bibliography for the teaching of Thermodynamics/Physical Chemistry in Chemical Engineering. Out of that total, 39 books appear in at least two course programs, while the remaining 53 are less known books, and are cited by only one program. Of the 39 most widely used books, only 14 include the topic of exergy. On the other hand, the statistics of grades obtained by students in Thermodynamics indicate a low performance in the understanding of exergy. The results of exams showed deficiencies in different theoretical aspects related to the understanding of the topic with percentages of failure of 60%, 47% and 21% in three different evaluation instances. Moreover, the total percentage of students who could not solve the exergy problems or solved it with errors was significantly higher (&gt; 67%) than the percentage of those who managed to solve it correctly (&lt; 20%). In this work, a pedagogical proposal for the teaching of Exergy was formulated, contemplating the learning axes of the theoretical framework, the language and the nature of Thermodynamics. It is intended that this proposal serves teachers to promote a meaningful learning of exergy for Chemical Engineering students.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 117-132"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45957234","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}

{"title":"Exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) in chemical engineering education: Building core course problem models with Chat-GPT","authors":"Meng-Lin Tsai,&nbsp;Chong Wei Ong,&nbsp;Cheng-Liang Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study highlights the potential benefits of integrating Large Language Models<span><span> (LLMs) into chemical engineering education. In this study, Chat-GPT, a user-friendly LLM, is used as a problem-solving tool. Chemical engineering education has traditionally focused on fundamental knowledge in the classroom with limited opportunities for hands-on problem-solving. To address this issue, our study proposes an LLMs-assisted problem-solving procedure. This approach promotes critical thinking, enhances problem-solving abilities, and facilitates a deeper understanding of core subjects. Furthermore, incorporating programming into chemical engineering education prepares students with vital </span>Industry<span> 4.0 skills for contemporary industrial practices. During our experimental lecture, we introduced a simple example of building a model to calculate steam turbine cycle efficiency, and assigned projects to students for exploring the possible use of LLMs in solving various aspect of chemical engineering problems. Although it received mixed feedback from students, it was found to be an accessible and practical tool for improving problem-solving efficiency. Analyzing the student projects, we identified five common difficulties and misconceptions and provided helpful suggestions for overcoming them. Our course has limitations regarding using advanced tools and addressing complex problems. We further provide two additional examples to better demonstrate how to integrate LLMs into core courses. We emphasize the importance of universities, professors, and students actively embracing and utilizing LLMs as tools for chemical engineering education. Students must develop critical thinking skills and a thorough understanding of the principles behind LLMs, taking responsibility for their use and creations. This study provides valuable insights for enhancing chemical engineering education's learning experience and outcomes by integrating LLMs.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":48509,"journal":{"name":"Education for Chemical Engineers","volume":"44 ","pages":"Pages 71-95"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49733156","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}