Conference Session

Focus on Entry Experiences in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Margot A. Vigeant, Bucknell University; Lori Smolleck, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

their parents and teachers, while achieving its educational objectivesfor the first year engineering students as well as the education students.IntroductionENGR 100: Exploring EngineeringENGR 100: Exploring Engineering is a first-semester course taken by all engineeringstudents as well as interested students from the college of Arts and Sciences, with atypical enrollment of 200 students. The course follows a modular structure, wherein allstudents attend overview lectures on engineering, teamwork, ethics, and the disciplines,but break into much smaller sections for an in-depth exploration of a given discipline(called a “seminar”) [1, 2]. Each student takes three of nine possible seminars, sostudents arrive at the end of the semester through very

Conference Session

Impact of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill on Chemical Engineering Education & Misc.

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamara Floyd Smith, Tuskegee University; Nadar Vahdat, Tuskegee University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

statistical evidence, both activities increased student awareness of thesafety and environmental issues associated with the spill. IntroductionThe 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill was one of the worst environmental disasters in Americanhistory. The incident began with an offshore drilling rig, the Deepwater Horizon.According to Transocean's website[1], the Deepwater Horizon was built in 2001 in SouthKorea and was designed to operate in water up to 8,000 feet deep, drill 5 ½ miles down,and accommodate a crew of 130. It floated on pontoons and was moored to the sea floorby several large anchors. The rig, which was under contract to the oil giant BP, was doingexploratory drilling but was not in production. At the time of

Conference Session

Impact of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill on Chemical Engineering Education & Misc.

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael A. Smith, Villanova University; Noelle K. Comolli, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Subject of Process Modeling and Design: A Compelling Education Module It is widely accepted that educational outcomes are more successful when students have akeen interest in the subject, and this typically happens when the subject is something near anddear to them. It is also widely acknowledged that most college student show a keen interest inbeer. In our experience with students in engineering, this often translates into an interest in thebrewing process and at times has culminated in students engaging in home brewing. It is naturalthen to use this interest to engage students in educational exercises around one or more aspects ofbrewing technology.[1, 2] In the Department of Chemical Engineering at Villanova University,we have

Conference Session

Focus on Capstone Experiences in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David L. Silverstein, University of Kentucky; Margot A. Vigeant, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Page 22.788.2available for the 1991 survey.The complete survey in print form is provided as Appendix A.Course TimingThe most common timings for the course within a program’s curriculum were at the end of thejunior year or at the start of the senior year, with a slight edge to the junior year start. Thedistribution of the timing course offerings is given in Figure 1 below. Table 1offers a historicalcomparison of offerings by term, which indicates there has been a shift toward offering the firstcourse in KRD to the junior year. In 1974, 13% of reporting programs taught the course in thejunior year, and in 2010 that percentage appears to be almost 50%. 50% % of responding departments

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Educational Methods and Tools to Encourage Conceptual Learning I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew W. Liberatore, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering, Educational Research and Methods

. Page 22.828.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Improved student achievement in Material and Energy Balances using personalized online homeworkAbstractPersonalized, online homework was used to supplement textbook homework, quizzes, and examsfor one section of a course in material and energy balances. The use of online homework duringthe Spring 2010 semester is summarized here and detailed by Liberatore in 1, and additionalresults from Spring 2011 will be included in the presentation. The objective of this study was totest the hypothesis that students using personalized, online homework earned better grades in thecourse. The online homework system asks the same questions of

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Interdisciplinary Course Design Opportunities for Chemical Engineers

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph J. Biernacki, Tennessee Technological University; Christopher D. Wilson, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

mechanics of quasi-brittle composites such as portland cement concrete. While vastly different, each of theseexamples is extremely complex and requires insights from many disciplines to understand, even,in some cases, to have a superficial understanding. Therefore, interdisciplinarity and complexityare intimately intertwined 1. So, does this imply that 21st Century medical doctors, scientists,business professionals and engineers must be “jacks of all trades?” The answer to this is “no,”but rather, they must be trained to recognize interdisciplinary problems, to approach themappropriately and to work in an interdisciplinary environment.The maturation of well developed disciplinary studies such as economics, sociology, biology

Conference Session

Poster Sessions for Unit Operations Lab Bazaar and Tenure-Track Faculty

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deniz Rende, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Nihat Baysal, Yeditepe University; Sevinc Rende, Isik University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

are reported to be valuable in their daily life, emphasizing life-longlearning.1. IntroductionChemical engineering curriculum ensures students focus on learning the technical details of theprofession. However, problems in industry always involve much more than just finding technicalsolutions.1 Professional careers require skills such as proposing ideas, developing practicalsolutions, working in teams, meeting deadlines, establishing communication between technicalsupport and suppliers, overseeing financial issues and finally reporting and presentation skills.Very few chemical engineering programs incorporate project management courses that meetrequirements of professional life. Therefore, alterations and additions into the existingcurriculum

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Educational Methods and Tools to Encourage Conceptual Learning I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan Cernusca, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Daniel Forciniti, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering, Educational Research and Methods

towardHQKDQFHVWXGHQWV¶OHDUQLQJH[SHULHQFHs more effective. The high complexity of the topiccombined with the ZLGHUDQJHRILVVXHVUHODWHGWRVWXGHQWV¶UHDGLQHVVWRWDFNOHWKHFRXUVHchallenges pointed toward the Cognitive Apprenticeship3,6 as grounding model. Research showsthat instructional strategies grounded in the cognitive apprenticeship model can be effectivelearning tools in various domains such as performance system analysis5, clinical training16 orleadership development1.The redesign of learning materials and strategies was informed by the four stages of thecognitive apprenticeship: 1) modeling that enable students to emulate expert in action; 2) scaffolding (task complexity reduction) as cognitive support for students in emulating expert performance

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in Silico

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Nippert, Widener University; Byung-Hwan Um, Widener University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

“Engineering Techniques”.“Engineering Techniques” is a freshman engineering course offered each fall semester and takenby all engineering students. This course is an introductory course designed to acquaint freshmenwith the fundamental concepts of various disciplines of engineering. Engineering Techniques isa 2 credit hour course consisting of 1 one hour lecture per week and one 2 hour laboratoryperiod. The laboratory experiments are drawn from the various engineering disciplines. As anintroductory course, it is essential that the level of difficulty of the experiment and the analysis ofthe results be appropriate for the academic level of the students. That is, some students enrolledin the course are taking pre calculus.The experiments in Engineering

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Interdisciplinary Course Design Opportunities for Chemical Engineers

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William J. Kelly, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

instructors were in attendance at most/all of the classroom sessions, to promoteand maximize interdisciplinary information exchange and discussion.Evaluation of student performanceThe grading for the course is shown in the following Table 1 % of total Grade Class participation 15 Quiz (Exam) #1 20 Quiz (Exam) #2 20 Mid-semester Project - oral presentation 15 Final Project - oral presentation 10 --- - Report 20

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in Silico

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Debra Gilbuena, Oregon State University; Ben Uriel Sherrett, Oregon State University; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

22.139.2Technology reported in 1997 that significant investment needed to be made in understandinglearning and supporting the development of best practices. In supporting best practices, thereport emphasized the need for large-scale studies to determine best practices and provideinformation on generalizability.1 The Interagency Education Research Initiative, formed inresponse to that report, was created to support research and develop a knowledge base to“support the development, testing, and implementation of scalable and sustainable interventionsto improve teaching and learning, particularly through the use of technology.”2 Additionally,funding agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) require a “broader impact”component in all grant proposals.3

Conference Session

Focus on Capstone Experiences in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Lepek, The Cooper Union; Richard J. Stock, Cooper Union

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

biological and biomedical applications of chemical engineering. Page 22.157.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Alternative Lab Reports – Engineering Effective CommunicationIntroductionFor many chemical engineering undergraduate programs, required laboratory sequences allowstudents to experience hands-on applications of chemical engineering principles outside theclassroom. After students have successfully completed their laboratory experiments, their resultsare analyzed and typically written up as a classic laboratory report [1-2]. In addition, prior totaking their chemical

Conference Session

Impact of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill on Chemical Engineering Education & Misc.

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder; Frances C. Ray-Earle, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado Center for Biorefining & Biofuels (C2B2); Nancy S. Tway, University of Colorado

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

the country.Each goal will be briefly described below:Goal 1: Engage students in fundamental investigations of converting biomass to fuels andchemicals – Upon admission to the REU program, students are matched based on researchinterest to a research project and team at one of the participating institutions. Participants engagein weekly meetings with their respective principal investigator (PI) and research teams. Inaddition to working with a principal investigator, students are matched with a mentor graduatestudent or postdoctoral researcher that can provide guidance on everything from the researchproject execution and equipment maintenance to career experience and getting settled into livingarrangements at their summer site. PIs and mentors

Conference Session

Project-Based, Inquiry Guided, and High Performance Learning Environments: Effective Approaches

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lale Yurttas, Texas A&M University; Mahmoud M. El-Halwagi, Texas A&M University; Houssein A. Kheireddine, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

them canreach the target. In the mass-integration exercise, a recycle problem is presented to the students.Data for process streams and units as well as constraints on acceptable recycles are given. As theuser defines the flowrates assigned from the process streams (sources) to the process units(sinks), infeasible solutions are detected and the student’s score is penalized. When a feasiblesolution is finally obtained, the grade is assigned based on the number of trials and the ratio ofthe student’s answer to the optimal value. Figures 1 and 2 are snapshots of the graphical userinterface (GUI) for the mass-integration exercise.Figure 1: Mass integration solution tableFigure 2: Mass integration error messages. In the heat integration exercise, a

Conference Session

Poster Sessions for Unit Operations Lab Bazaar and Tenure-Track Faculty

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Danilo Pozzo, University of Washington; Jim Pfaendtner, University of Washington; Marvi A. Matos, University of Washington; William B. Baratuci, B-Cubed; Jim L. Borgford-Parnell, University of Washington; Arne S.A. Biermans, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

economic analysis:Figure 1: Screenshot of the ASPEN model that is provided to the students for the initialevaluation of the effect of changing process conditions. A highly simplified ASPEN model for a bio-ethanol production plant was developed andprovided to the students so they would use it as a basis for analyzing the impact of their resultson the operation of the whole plant. The simulation model contains units that are representativeof all the experiments that students perform in the laboratory. This common framework alsoserves to discuss the full process from a common perspective with all students. One typicalexample for the use of the simulation model is for students to evaluate real-world parameters inthe laboratory (e.g. actual

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Interdisciplinary Course Design Opportunities for Chemical Engineers

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey A Nason, Oregon State University; Bill J. Brooks, Oregon State University; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

ofchemical, biological, and environmental engineers at the start of a sophomore level materialbalances class: 1. Are student responses to a content specific attitudinal survey (CLASS-Chem) consistent with responses to a general approaches to learning survey (R-SPQ-2F)? Is each survey consistent within itself? Page 22.942.4 2. How does student performance on in-class interactive conceptual questions (WISE) relate to student exam performance. Is student performance related to their reported attitudes and approaches to learning? 3. How do students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the interactive pedagogy correlate to

Conference Session

Focus on Entry Experiences in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Catherine E. Brawner, Research Triangle Educational Consultants; Susan M. Lord, University of San Diego; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

with MIDFIELD. Address: 3504 Corin Court, Raleigh, NC, 27612-4100. Telephone: (+1) 919.782.4427. Email: rtecinc@bellsouth.netSusan M. Lord, University of San Diego Susan M. Lord received a B.S. from Cornell University and the M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford Univer- sity. She is currently Professor and Coordinator of Electrical Engineering at the University of San Diego. Her teaching and research interests include electronics, optoelectronics, materials science, first year engi- neering courses, feminist and liberative pedagogies, and student autonomy. Dr. Lord served as General Co-Chair of the 2006 Frontiers in Education Conference. She has been awarded NSF CAREER and ILI grants. She is currently working on a

Conference Session

Focus on Entry Experiences in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian J. Anderson, West Virginia University; Robin S. Hissam, West Virginia University; Joseph A. Shaeiwitz, West Virginia University; Richard Turton, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

developed that are suitable for undergraduates at all levels, from freshman through seniors. Two of these problems will be described in this paper, two have been described elsewhere,1 and many others are available on the web.2 Sophisticated mathematical techniques are not involved; instead a pedagogy is described that requires students to identify the trends of the components of the objective function and to understand how trade-offs between these components lead to the existence of the optimum. The ability to solve “routine” optimization problems has been simplified by advances in computing power over the last generation. Earlier editions of current design textbooks3 presented a sequence of optimization techniques aimed at minimizing the number of

Conference Session

ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Howard S. Kimmel, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Angelo J. Perna, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Shari Klotzkin; John D. Carpinelli, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Reginald Percy Tomkins, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

(Accreditation Board of Engineering andTechnology) are now asking Schools of Engineering and Schools of Computer Sciences in post-secondary institutions to meet criteria for accreditation that focus on outcomes at all levels,including program outcomes.ABET EC 2000 has eight criteria, including Program Educational Objectives (Criterion 2), andProgram Outcomes and Assessment (Criterion 3), both of which tie to Continuous Improvement(Criterion 4) 1. According to the ABET criteria, the focus of an institution’s assessment effortsshould be on the systematic measurement of student learning outcomes. As a result, outcomesassessment and continuous program improvement should become essential elements ofeducational programs. An outcome-driven assessment system

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Educational Methods and Tools to Encourage Conceptual Learning I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nancy K. Lape, Harvey Mudd College

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering, Educational Research and Methods

du Genie Chimique (CNRS), ENSIC-INPL in Nancy, France. Page 22.1525.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Tiered Scaffolding of Problem-Based Learning Techniques in a Thermodynamics CourseAbstract:Problem-Based Learning (PBL) holds the promise of training students to tackle ill-defined, ill-structured problems and enhance transference of student knowledge fromtypical classroom activities to real-world design and analysis. However, some educationalresearchers (e.g. Kirschner, Sweller et. al.1, 2) contend that minimal guidance techniquessuch as PBL fail to

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Educational Methods and Tools to Encourage Conceptual Learning II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University; Ronald L. Miller, Colorado School of Mines; John L. Falconer P.E., University of Colorado, Boulder; Michael J. Prince, Bucknell University; Margot A. Vigeant, Bucknell University; Stephen J. Krause, Arizona State University; David L. Silverstein, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Effective concept questionschallenge students with qualitative questions that cannot be answered by memorization.There is interest in applying these methods to engineering education. For example, a search ofASEE conference proceedings over the past 15 years shows 24 papers with a title includingconcept inventory or concept inventories and 17 papers with peer instruction, clickers orresponse systems in the title. This special session combines speakers who have developedconceptual questions and applied them to Concept Inventories or to Peer Instruction in chemicalengineering and materials science. The objectives of this special session are (1) to develop aricher understanding of conceptual learning by comparing and contrasting these approaches, and(2

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in Silico

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew W Liberatore, Colorado School of Mines; Charles Russell Vestal, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

havegrown up with access to computers, the Internet and many other electronics for daily use. Themen and women who make up this demographic are designated as digital natives or the NetGeneration. Numerous studies on the positives and negatives of the technology savvy studentsin education and the work force have been published [1-6]. YouTube Fridays (YTF) began as away to encourage attendance at 8am on Friday mornings during the Fall 2008 semester. The firstfive minutes of class was dedicated to videos related to the professor’s research at the beginningof the semester and the course, namely thermodynamics, for the remainder of the semester. Aftershowing the videos, a short discussion on the videos relationship to the course topics followed.The

Conference Session

Focus on Capstone Experiences in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca K. Toghiani, Mississippi State University; Carlen Henington, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Figure 1. Figure 1. Combining Separation with Reaction Module Content.Moving Bed TechnologyAn introduction to moving bed technology is provided. The basic configuration of a moving bedprocess is shown, along with the flow paths of the liquid and solid phases. The majority ofinstruction in undergraduate chemical engineering is focused on transport of liquids throughpiping and delivery systems; thus, the challenges of moving a bed of solid particles aredelineated. These challenges include particle attrition as well as limitations on liquid phase Page 22.1295.4velocity to avoid fluidization of the solid particles. Select screen shots

Conference Session

Emerging Areas: Biotechnology, Microtechnology, and Energy

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Polly R. Piergiovanni, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

determine what I wanted to communicate to the students; that is, Ineeded to establish learning outcomes. I selected the following objectives:By the end of the semester, students will be able to: 1. Use multiple perspectives to answer important questions about a complicated problem 2. Explain the chemical differences between dyeing with indigo and dyeing with other natural dyes 3. Create a process flow diagram, identify major process equipment and explain briefly how they work 4. Write a technically competent laboratory report on the processes studied 5. Show an understanding of what a professional is and the ethical responsibilities of a professionalEach week, the students spent two hours in class and two hours

Conference Session

Impact of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill on Chemical Engineering Education & Misc.

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Willie (Skip) E. Rochefort, Oregon State University; Gail Ellen Gerdemann, STEPs at Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. Page 22.1319.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011Special Session: The Impact of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill on Chemical Engineering EducationGulf Coast Oil Spill Clean-up Technologies Using Absorbent Materials Stephanie E. Silliman1, Audrey G. Oldenkamp2, Gail Gerdemann3and Dr. Skip Rochefort2,(1)Chemical Engineering Department, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA,(2) School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis,(3) STEPs Program, Oregon State University, Corvalis, ORIntroductionOn April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, releasing approximately 210,000gallons of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico. On July 15, 2010 the

Conference Session

Focus on Capstone Experiences in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Senra, Lafayette College; Scott Fogler, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

improvedtheir abilities in teamwork, time management and communication skills, skills crucial to aprofessional engineer, but often underemphasized in academic settings.Introduction: Students are given the opportunity to learn the essentials of chemical engineeringand to begin to develop their closed ended case based problem-solving skills, writing abilitiesand oral presentation skills. However, many problems facing students in classroom settings arelimited in scope, an issue magnified by the dramatic shift and broadening of scope seen in the jobexpectations of chemical engineers over the past 30 years.1-3 This shift has required chemicalengineers to be integrated with a large number of different fields such as materials science,electrical engineering

Conference Session

Poster Sessions for Unit Operations Lab Bazaar and Tenure-Track Faculty

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael E. Prudich, Ohio University; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Robert Y. Ofoli, Michigan State University; Robert B. Barat, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Norman W. Loney, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Ali Pilehvari, P.E., Texas A&M University, Kingsville; Michael J. Elsass, University of Dayton; Robert J. Wilkens, University of Dayton; Danilo Pozzo, University of Washington; Jim Pfaendtner, University of Washington; William B. Baratuci, University of Washington; Jim Henry, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga; Bridget R. Rogers, Vanderbilt University; John F. Sandell, Michigan Technological University; Adrienne R. Minerick, Michigan Technological University; Jason M. Keith, Michigan Technological University; Horacio Adrian Duarte, Texas A&M University, Kingsville; David W. Caspary, Michigan Technological University; Charles Nuttelman, University of Colorado, Boulder; Pablo LaValle, University of Michigan; Naoko Ellis, University of British Columbia; Sergio Mendez, California State University, Long Beach; Arne Biermans, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Individual Written Report (Experiment #1), an Oral Presentation(Experiment #2), and a Poster Presentation (Experiment #3). In addition, a Team Assessment isrequired, in which students evaluate their team members, and is an integral part of the finalcourse grade. During the fall of 2010, the first three weeks were devoted to teaching importantlaboratory skills to the students. These skills include exercises and tutorials related to making Page 22.1578.7solutions from stock solutions, serial dilutions, and pipetting correctly and accurately. Pastexperience has indicated that students struggle with these areas.Lab ModulesE. Coli Growth and

Conference Session

Focus on Entry Experiences in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David F. Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

of steps, each carefullydelineated to ensure creation of future needed information in a logical sequence. Anexample sequence for an isothermal process appears in Table 1(next page), from FR, pp101-102 (3rd ed). Page 22.1459.2 The process of executing Table 1 steps 1-11 in proper sequence represents a levelof solution complexity not previously encountered in high school or first year science andmathematics courses. It is at first a bit intimidating, and the interconnectedness of stepsrequires a strict sequence approach, without which hazards abound.Table 1Sequence of operations to solve process balances (F & R

Conference Session

Poster Sessions for Unit Operations Lab Bazaar and Tenure-Track Faculty

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Jefferson Baird, University of Pittsburgh; Schohn L. Shannon, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Experiences in Six Integrated Pillar CoursesAbstractThe NSF-funded “Pillars of Chemical Engineering” program was implemented in 2003 at theUniversity of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, with the traditional undergraduatecourses in chemical engineering restructured into six Pillar or core courses.1 The purpose was todevelop a completely integrated chemical engineering curriculum with one of the six Pillarcourses taught each semester, beginning in the fall of the sophomore year. The Pillars aredesigned to introduce students to engineering fundamentals in mass and energy balances,thermodynamics, kinetics, transport phenomena, process control, and design while providing anaccompanying laboratory experience for each Pillar. These six Pillar

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: Educational Methods and Tools to Encourage Conceptual Learning I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald P. Visco Jr., University of Akron

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering, Educational Research and Methods

course for efficacy at concept demonstration. In a follow-on year, the nextgroups of students were assigned the task to modify the existing desktop modules in order to betterexpose the most salient thermodynamic concepts of the particular desktop module. This paperprovides an update on the approach to this point.IntroductionHands-on learning is an engagement strategy that purports many educational benefits, most notablyan improved concept learning.1 This experiential learning approach is increasingly popular inengineering disciplines across the United States. In fact, a simple search of the term “hands-on” ofthe ASEE Conference Proceedings archive from 1996 – 2010 identified 213 papers with that searchterm in the title alone. These papers are