A Systems-Thinking Framework for Embedding Planetary Boundaries into Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Having a growth mindset is crucial for successfully designing and implementing a process as a chemical engineer. Innovative design is iterative, requiring continuous learning and improvement as well as consistent effort after setbacks without succumbing to self-doubt, which are the hallmarks of a growth mindset. Interestingly, the chemical engineering curriculum, in general, does not have any initiative to develop a growth mindset in undergraduate students. It would significantly benefit the students in their future professional careers if they get trained from the beginning of their education. Additionally, it could be helpful to motivate those students who underperform or drop out of the chemical engineering major by incorrectly believing they are not "smart enough". Students who come from less privileged backgrounds tend to have a fixed mindset, which could be accountable to structural inequality. Thus, facilitating the development of growth mindset in chemical engineering education would also aid in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the major. We are currently conducting a growth mindset intervention study in the introductory mass and energy balance course, which is taught in both Fall and Spring. The study has been developed based on the mindset theory proposed by Dr. Carol Dweck. We have chosen the Fall 2022 semester to be the control group (without any intervention) and the Spring 2023 semester to be the intervention group. The control group is participating in a survey this Fall semester, where responses are being collected using a 6-point Likert scale. In Spring 2023, the interventions would be included in the course structure as part of the weekly group session, homework problems, and exams. The intervention group will participate in the same survey as the control group. Our final goal is to statistically compare the mindset scores between the control and the intervention groups and assess the effectiveness of the applied interventions. We are particularly curious to analyze the effect of the students' demographic background on their mindset. We would like to present our work in a regular session.

Chemical engineering graduates need to have problem-solving capabilities combined with experience in computer-aided modeling and simulation (CAMS). This need has been strongly emphasized by the chemical industry. CAMS provides tools to help students conceptualized problems, explore the influence of relevant parameters, and test fundamental engineering principles. The aim of our Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement project is to meld the problem-based learning pedagogy with CAMS to produce students with an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of chemical engineering as well as the ability to use computer simulation packages effectively in the workplace. The approach used here is to integrate the use of CAMS throughout the entire chemical engineering curriculum. The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology’s Engineering Criteria 2000 framework will be followed to evaluate the outcome of this project. This reform process will beneficially affect both Chemical Engineering teachers and students. Computer packages such as HYSYS, PRO/II, ASPEN Plus, POLYMATH, and Gaussian are employed in nine Chemical Engineering courses. POLYMATH is used in several undergraduate classes to permit students to obtain numerical solutions to problems that are difficult to solve analytically. For example, in Kinetics POLYMATH allows the students to calculate the effects of pressure drop and nonisothermal operation on the design of reactor. In Mass Transfer, HYSYS is utilized to simulate a flash vaporization and test the effects of pressure and preheating. Dynamics and control of a propylene glycol plant are analyzed by Process Control students using HYSYS, which has an integrated steady state and dynamic simulation environment. The dynamic performance of various control schemes is evaluated. In Process Design, a creative preliminary design for silane production utilizes CAMS packages including raw material requirements, energy requirements, list of major process equipment, and process economics. In addition, a computer-based problem-based learning (PBL) classroom with multiple white boards and virtual reality to maximize group learning is being developed. Finally, changes in the undergraduate Chemical Engineering curriculum at Lamar University are currently being implemented. These changes will enable the students to receive the maximum benefit of CAMS. Our progress to date will be outlined and will be discussed in terms of best practice pedagogy and cognitive science.

This book serves as an introduction to the subject, giving readers the tools to solve real-world chemical reaction engineering problems. It features a section of fully solved examples as well as end of chapter problems. It includes coverage of catalyst characterization and its impact on kinetics and reactor modeling. Each chapter presents simple ideas and concepts which build towards more complex and realistic cases and situations. Introduces an in-depth kinetics analysis Features well developed sections on the major topics of catalysts, kinetics, reactor design, and modeling Includes a chapter that showcases a fully worked out example detailing a typical problem that is faced when performing laboratory work Offers end of chapter problems and a solutions manual for adopting professors Aimed at advanced chemical engineering undergraduates and graduate students taking chemical reaction engineering courses as well as chemical engineering professionals, this textbook provides the knowledge to tackle real problems within the industry.

Written for those less comfortable with science and mathematics, this text introduces the major chemical engineering topics for non-chemical engineers. With a focus on the practical rather than the theoretical, the reader will obtain a foundation in chemical engineering that can be applied directly to the workplace. By the end of this book, the user will be aware of the major considerations required to safely and efficiently design and operate a chemical processing facility. Simplified accounts of traditional chemical engineering topics are covered in the first two-thirds of the book, and include: materials and energy balances, heat and mass transport, fluid mechanics, reaction engineering, separation processes, process control and process equipment design. The latter part details modern topics, such as biochemical engineering and sustainable development, plus practical topics of safety and process economics, providing the reader with a complete guide. Case studies are included throughout, building a real-world connection. These case studies form a common thread throughout the book, motivating the reader and offering enhanced understanding. Further reading directs those wishing for a deeper appreciation of certain topics. This book is ideal for professionals working with chemical engineers, and decision makers in chemical engineering industries. It will also be suitable for chemical engineering courses where a simplified introductory text is desired.

A cohort of chemical engineering students has been taught in an experimental sequence of five chemical engineering courses, beginning with the introductory course in the Fall 1990 semester. Differences in academic performance have been observed between students from rural and small town backgrounds (“rural students,” N=55) and students from urban and suburban backgrounds (“urban students,” N=65), with the urban students doing better on almost every measure investigated. In the introductory course, 80% of the urban students and 55% of the rural students passed with a grade of C or better, with average grades of 2.63 for the urban students and 1.80 for the rural students (A=4.0). The urban group continued to earn higher grades in subsequent chemical engineering courses. After four years, 79% of the urban students and 64% of the rural students had graduated or were still enrolled in chemical engineering; the others had either transferred out of engineering or were no longer attending the university. This paper presents data on the students' home and school backgrounds and speculates on possible causes of observed performance differences between the two populations.

Computer aided delivery of case-based learning activities in EBL within chemical engineering curriculum

Implementation of integrated project in chemical engineering courses has shown positive impact on students’ understanding, teamwork, critical thinking, and communication. In this case, an integrated project covering three different courses in chemical engineering, namely Reaction engineering, Process modelling and simulation, and Separation process was formulated on palm-oil based biodiesel production and introduced to students. The response from questionnaire was recorded and analyzed by using Excel software. More than 90% of students agree that the project helps them to understand the course and prepare for test or exam. While more than 70% of students want to see this type of project for other courses. Majority of students think that collaboration and teamwork help them to finish the project and doing integrated project saves their time to do assessment. Beside improving their soft skill like critical thinking, students can also sharpen their technical skills in solving the problems, especially on process flow drawing, operation of simulation tool, calculation technique, and search for suitable information and data. Through this integrated project, students could explore the connection among courses in Chemical Engineering program and implement the taught concepts in solving engineering problem, which can be challenging things to achieve during online learning.

The capstone course in chemical engineering at Widener University is divided into two semesters. In the fall semester, students experience the application of chemical engineering principles to the development, design, operation and evaluation of all major process equipment. Two in-class examinations are given during the term and a common project is assigned to all students. Students are allowed to work in small teams, although each student must submit a separate project report. In doing so, students also gain exposure to industrial computing tools. The course is taught in a state-of-the-art computer classroom in which each student has his or her own computer station which is part of a LAN that serves the school of engineering. In the second semester, students randomly pick a technology out of an envelope. The course requirements are for students to provide a process design package for a world scale manufacturing facility by the end of the semester. Such a document is often called a black book in industry. Students are also required to present and defend their design. Feedback from the students has been positive and they exhibit pride and ownership in their work. There are no tests given. Some suggestions on milestones are provided in the course syllabus and the professor works closely with students as they proceed with the design. About midway through the semester, the students give a short, five slide presentation on the status of their process design to the full faculty and fellow students. A final presentation is due at the end of the course in which the students describe their results.

In a longitudinal study at North Carolina State University, a cohort of students took five chemical engineering courses taught by the same instructor in five consecutive semesters. The courses made extensive use of active and cooperative learning and a variety of other techniques designed to address a broad spectrum of learning styles. Previous reports on the study summarized the instructional methods used in the experimental course sequence, described the performance of the cohort in the introductory chemical engineering course, and examined performance and attitude differences between students from rural and urban backgrounds and between male and female students.1–4 This paper compares outcomes for the experimental cohort with outcomes for students in a traditionally‐taught comparison group. The experimental group outperformed the comparison group on a number of measures, including retention and graduation in chemical engineering, and many more of the graduates in this group chose to pursue advanced study in the field. Since the experimental instructional model did not require small classes (the smallest of the experimental classes had 90 students) or specially equipped classrooms, it should be adaptable to any engineering curriculum at any institution.

COMMENCING in October 1948, King‘s College, Newcastle upon Tyne, will offer a two-year postgraduate course in chemical engineering leading to the degree of master of science in chemical engineering of the University of Durham. The course will be available to graduates in mechanical engineering or to those who possess some equivalent degree or qualification. The opportunity has been taken to link With chemical engineering the teaching of fuel technology, which has hitherto been carried out by individual departments as required. The main subjects of study during the course will include, in the field of chemical engineering, materials of construction and the design of chemical plant, the flow of fluids and the transfer of heat and matter and the various unit operations. The fuel technology course will include the fuel industries, steam, power and industrial gases. A series of lectures will also be given on the economic, legal, health and safety aspects of chemical engineering. Practical work will be carried out in a new fuel technology laboratory and in a new chemical engineering laboratory which will house a number of small-scale plants.

A New Interdisciplinary Engineering Course on Nanoscale Transport Phenomena A new interdisciplinary engineering course, “Nanoscale Transport Phenomena forManufacturing Nanodevices”, was recently developed. This course focuses on the principles ofnanoscale transport phenomena needed for manufacturing nanodevices and aims to close a largegap between nanoscience and commercial production of nanotechnology products. The coursealso helps to integrate the interdisciplinary knowledge required for designing and manufacturingnanodevices into undergraduate curricula. To meet these unique needs and challenges, fiveinstructors from three engineering departments (Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,and Plastics Engineering) have created this interdisciplinary course. This course was offered forthe first time as an elective to seniors during the 2011 fall semester and was offered again in the2012 fall semester. The course was presented through lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises,demonstration experiments, and a final design project. In this paper, we discuss the lecture topicsand eight hands-on laboratory experiments that were developed into modules to complementlectures in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mixing, reaction engineering, electroosmosis,electophoresis, and manufacturing methods for micro and nanoscale devices. We also show thefinal project designs for the nanodevices or nanosystems that were finished by student teams atthe end of the course. Finally, we show the assessment results from the pre-post student surveysas well as faculty interviews. This new interdisciplinary course will better prepare undergraduates for employment focusedon designing and manufacturing nano/microfluidic systems, lab-on-a-chip devices, electronicsdevices, medical devices, and other emerging technologies. The impact of this senior-levelcourse will significantly enhance the “Nanomaterials Engineering Option” in the ChemicalEngineering Department undergraduate curriculum as well as the medical device industry focusin the Plastics Engineering Department, and can be used in the accelerated BS-MS programwhich is popular in the College of Engineering. The course will be available to the chemical,mechanical, and plastics engineering seniors each year. Our lab modules can be exported tofreshman introductory engineering courses in the College of Engineering. In addition, themicroscale fluid mechanics and heat transfer experiments may be incorporated into theundergraduate chemical engineering Unit Operations Laboratory courses.

The popular American children's story, The Little Engine that Could, is renowned for the engine saying think I I think I can, instilling the power of self-belief in the young. The importance of this self-belief, otherwise termed self-efficacy, has been studied by many researchers at the university level. Correlations between (i) self-efficacy and learning style, (ii) learning style and performance, and (iii) self-efficacy and performance have been independently investigated by others in numerous contexts. We are studying the link between student learning style preferences, self-efficacy, and performance in an introductory chemical engineering course. Using the Felder-Silverman model of learning styles developed for engineering, and the subsequent Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles indicator, we are analyzing each learning style dimension separately to better understand the subtleties of learning style effects. We believe this integrated study in a traditional lecture-based engineering classroom context will provide valuable information for engineering education. Results will provide evidence regarding whether learning styles may affect student performance or self-efficacy, as well as identify natural biases in chemical engineering problems translatable to other fields. A better understanding of student background and learning preferences is invaluable in developing improved curriculum, especially in the ever-changing modern classroom.

This study highlights the significance of integrating process safety education into the Chemical Engineering curriculum. Chemical engineers handle hazardous materials and design intricate processes, relying heavily on equipment integrity. Therefore, providing chemical engineering students with knowledge and experience in risk assessment, hazard identification, and mitigation strategies is essential. Incorporating these process safety topics enables proactive accident prevention, safeguarding engineers, colleagues, the environment, and the public, while ensuring corporate economic security. Introducing these concepts early in their academic journey reinforces students' ethical obligation to prioritize safety throughout their careers. This work describes implementing process safety education into the Chemical Engineering curriculum at a private university in southern Brazil. The initiative was facilitated by establishing an American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE) student chapter, providing access to professional resources. The challenges and successes encountered during integration are detailed, outlining curricular modifications, faculty development strategies, and student engagement methods. By disseminating this experience, we aim to foster the integration of process safety into the Chemical Engineering curriculum at other higher education institutions, boosting the next generation of professionals' knowledge and contributing to the consolidation of safety culture in Brazilian industry.

Polymer Reaction Engineering in China

THE Department of Coal Gas and Fuel Industries (with Metallurgy.) of the University of Leeds was established in 1906 to provide degree courses in fuel and metallurgy. In 1910 a fund was raised by the gas industry in order to perpetuate o the memory of Sir George Livesey, the distinguished gas engineer, and this was allocated to endow the chair of the Department now known as the Livesey professorship. A degree course in gas engineering was instituted at that time. Since then the Livesey Advisory Committee, which is composed of representatives of the Institution of Gas Engineers, of the Society of British Gas Industries, and of the University, has had under consideration the need for extending the courses in order to keep pace with the growth of knowledge and the increasing demands of industry. In particular, for those passing into the constructional side of the gas industry and into the larger undertakings as well as to the staffs of chemical plant manufacturers generally, a broader training is necessary. On this account the Committee recently recommended the establishment of an alternative four-year course in chemical engineering,. which has now been approved by the University ; the new course will begin with the autumn term.