ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS IN THE USE OF MATLAB GUIDE TEMPLATES FOR SOLVING MATERIAL BALANCES. A TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE

The resolution of material balances is one of the main activities both in Chemical Engineering studies and in the development of the profession. Their resolution translates into a system of algebraic equations that can be quite complex. For its resolution, it is necessary to use mathematical software, as is the case with Matlab. However, students may have a deficit in programming skills with Matlab. To solve this deficit, students have been provided with a Matlab template, where the student only has to enter the main parameters of each material balance in order to obtain a mathematical solution. With the aim of knowing the acceptance of the mentioned methodology for the mathematical resolution of material balances, a survey has been provided to the students, where anonymously, they respond, at the end of the subject, their main views on the matter. Key questions such as the usefulness of the methodology, the degree of use, personal assessment, and the relationship between the use of the Matlab template and understanding of knowledge, allow teachers to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the new methodology.