Conference Session

Improving Laboratory Education in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacqueline Gartner Ph.D., Washington State University; David Finkel; Bernard J. Van Wie, Washington State University; Olusola Adesope, Washington State University-Pullman

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

enroll in a unit operations laboratory. This factor may or may not have influences student’sinterview results from the study, but it was consistent for both the group that received hands-onand the group that received lecture, so it is assumed the two groups are equal with respect toadditional hands-on learning.The interview protocol was updated to better reflect the course content that was covered in 2013.One question from the 2012 protocol was omitted on applying the ME balance to a piping systemand another question on continuity was added. The results from the continuity question will bereported elsewhere. The 2013 interview protocol can be viewed in the appendix of this paperwith questions emphasizing different usages of the ME balance and

Conference Session

New Classrooms, New Challenges II: Assessing Non-traditional Approaches

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Cooper, North Carolina State University; Lisa G. Bullard, North Carolina State University; Steven W. Peretti, North Carolina State University; David F. Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

integrity.” • “I don't want this to turn into some kind of witch-hunt where I have to defend myself for even writing a similar sentence.”These comments reflect the views espoused in other literature on the use of Turnitin6. However,in the selected sample of ChE students, these views were in the minority as indicated by thesmall fraction (<10%) of negative responses from each class. It is suggested by the authors thatthe focus of this particular ChE department on ethics throughout the curriculum may inform themore tolerant nature of students’ views toward their instructor using plagiarism screeningsoftware. Similar views have also been described in other studies pertaining to non-engineeringstudents8, 9.A considerable fraction of students

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

ProblemsChallenge-Based (CBI) is (or, at least, can be framed as) a variant of PBL: rather thanapproaching course material as a sequence of topics, CBI presents material through aseries of specific challenges or modules. The development of CBI was inspired byadvances in learning science brought forward in the 2000 book “How People Learn”12,and is centered around a learning cycle (typically the STAR.Legacy learning cycledeveloped at Vanderbilt University). After presenting the challenge, students reflect oninitial thoughts, then receive information in the form of perspectives and resources; theythen apply what they have learned and are assessed in some form, and finally, thechallenge is solved either by the student or an expert or some collaboration between

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

?AcknowledgementsSeveral of the panelists gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation’sCourse, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program, under the grant NSF 1023099,“Collaborative Research: Integration of Conceptual Learning throughout the Core ChemicalEngineering Curriculum.” Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendationsexpressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of theNational Science Foundation. Page 22.1317.9References1. Elby, A. (1999). Another reason that physics students learn by rote. American Journal of Physics 67, S52.2. Bransford, J., Brown, A., and Cocking, 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

students to comment onhow the repetitive structure of the ChE lab course has impacted their education and academicdevelopment.Results of the SurveyOf 90 students in ChE 101, 76 responded and 67 of the 78 students in ChE 301 responded. Thepercent of students’ responses from both courses are compared in Table 3. The number ofrespondents per question for ChE 101 and ChE 301 are tabulated in Tables 4 and 5, respectivelyand are presented at the end of the paper.Discussion of ResultsIt is important to note that this survey reflects the student attitudes towards the lab courses and Page 22.1579.5does not provide a direct measurement of the actual

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne R. Minerick, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

students halfway to being able to do it as well as their professors, justtaking longer (3.5). Lastly, the students were asked to reflect back on their skills at thebeginning of the course and compare them to the end of the course when they completed thesurvey (Q28), the average felt they were somewhat better now (4.2) with graduate studentslanding halfway between ‘no change’ and ‘somewhat better now’ at 3.5 and undergraduatesbeing between ‘much better now’ and ‘somewhat better now’ at 4.5. This ties back into the firstquestion which asked if the students thought the class was a good use of their time, which amajority did. Page

Conference Session

ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph J. McCarthy, University of Pittsburgh; Robert S. Parker, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. integrated. feedback loops may exist. Correctness – conforming The map is naive and contains The map has few subject matter The map integrates concepts to or agreeing with fact, misconceptions about the sub- inaccuracies; most links are cor- properly and reflects an accurate logic, or known truth ject area; inappropriate words or rect. There may be a few spelling understanding of subject matter terms are used. The map docu- and grammatical errors. meaning little or no misconcep- ments an inaccurate understand- tions, spelling/grammatical er- ing

Conference Session

Novel Student Experiences in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

D. Jake Follmer, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Sarah E. Zappe, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Esther W. Gomez, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Manish Kumar, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Chemical 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

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering Education: Underclass Years

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Silverstein, University of Kentucky; Margot Vigeant, Bucknell University; Donald Visco, Tennessee Technological University; Donald Woods, McMaster University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Conference Session

Teaching Professional Skills in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Jake Patrick Stengel, Rowan University; Swapana Subbarao Jerpoth, Rowan University; Kirti M. Yenkie, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

teaching methodology, as it helped them transition smoothly from a student to avaluable employee in the U.S. workforce.AcknowledgmentsThis work is partly supported by an internal KEEN (Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network)curricular reimagination grant.Works Cited[1] C. H. T. Ng and S.-M. Cheah, “Chemical product engineering using CDIO enhanced with design thinking,” p. 9, 2012.[2] M. Lynch, U. Kamovich, K. K. Longva, and M. Steinert, “Combining technology and entrepreneurial education through design thinking: Students’ reflections on the learning process,” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 164, p. 119689, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2019.06.015.[3] T. F. Edgar, B. A. Ogunnaike, J. J. Downs, K. R. Muske, and B

Conference Session

Virtual Instruction of Chemical Engineering Courses

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Christopher James Panebianco, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; James C. Iatridis, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Jennifer Weiser, The Cooper Union

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

]. Additionally, this strong interest inbiomaterials is reflected economically. In 2019, the global market for biomaterials was estimatedto be worth $106.5 billion, and revenues from biomaterials are projected to increase to $348.4billion by 2027 [5]. To ensure these societal and economic demands for novel biomaterials aremet, we must prioritize educating diverse students about designing, engineering, and testingbiomaterials [6], [7].One way to meet this goal is through K-12 outreach. Outreach is an important activity forincreasing the number of students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM) at the university level [8], [9]. This is especially important for increasing therepresentation of individuals who are traditionally

Conference Session

Novel Courses and Content for ChEs I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allen White, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Glen Livesay, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Kay C Dee, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

at:http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.html, Accessed 1/15/2008.8. Fleming, N. and Mills, C.: Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection, To Improve the Academy,11:137-149, 1992.9. Fleming, N.: VARK, a guide to learning styles, information and instrument available on-line at:http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp, Accessed 1/12/2008.10. White, A. and Livesay, G.A.: Differential student engagement with hands-on activities, Accepted forpresentation at the ASEE IL/IN section meeting, Terre Haute, IN April 3-5, 2008. Page 13.432.10Appendix – Detailed Description of the Hands-on Activities

Conference Session

Contemporary Issues in CHE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Blowers, University of Arizona

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

activities designed to foster self-reflection and investigation of career pathways can bebuilt directly into required courses. This is particularly useful when it is done consistently and isevaluated formally as part of the student's academic performance. Assignments that have beenused to do this successfully include a one page essay where students describe why they areinterested in their major and what aspects of possible careers interest them after a short lecture onthe possibilities. Another activity involves a lecture on resumes, their content, and how tostructure them to be concise and attractive, followed by an assignment requiring students tosubmit a resume for critique and scoring. This activity has been done at the freshman level tomotivate

Conference Session

Course Design, Course Projects, and Student Perceptions in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Nicolas Hudon, Queen's University; Louise Meunier P.Eng., Queen's University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

state assumptions, investigateand find sources for data. Extensions become more important, and students are asked to reflect ontheir assumptions and solution method. Bringing students into the thought process required totake on these new responsibilities may be easier if the overall structure for problem-solving isconsistent in a curriculum. In third year, emphasis in instruction should be placed on thefollowing elements: • Data and Assumptions — Decide on relevant assumptions and data sources; • Solution procedure — Identify the best solution method (numerical or analytical); and, • Extension — Understand potential problem variations (impact of assumptions on solution procesure)..The Concept Map for Fourth-year Courses A large

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in the Junior and Senior Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Michael David Mau Barankin, Colorado School of Mines; Kevin J Cash, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

that the Aspen Plus instructor slow down or otherwise provide“helping moments” during the lectures to ensure students keep up with the tutorial or examplemodels. Students responded well to this change, both in the mid-semester survey and in courseevaluations, leading the instructor to adopt this teaching method permanently.The in-person feedback session was a lunch-time meeting (with pizza provided by thedepartment) including the coordinators of the course and a panel of students selected from agroup of volunteers. The student panel was chosen to reflect the full range of academicperformers in the class as well as the diversity of experiences from working on different projects(with different advisors). These sessions often provided the most

Conference Session

ChemE Curriculum: Junior, Senior, and Graduate

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erick S. Vasquez, University of Dayton; Zachary J. West, University of Dayton; Matthew Dewitt, University of Dayton; Robert J. Wilkens, University of Dayton; Michael J. Elsass, University of Dayton

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

were completed byeveryone in the group. During both years, the results were kept confidential. However, theinstructors intervened as necessary when significant differences and problems were observed.The discussion on these results is presented in the next section.4. Results and Survey DiscussionFirst, the results of the numerical peer evaluations are presented when the instructor assignedteams. As each team leader led a presentation, several disagreements and conflicts within thegroups were shared with the instructors, and these results were reflected in the numerical peerevaluation. Figure 2 shows the results of the numerical surveys provided to the students duringthe Fall 2016 semester when teams were assigned based on individual academic

Conference Session

Teaching and Assessment in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lucas James Landherr, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

also conducted with respect to the “Feedback Controls” comic, which depicted theindividual PID tuning parameters proportional gain (KC), integral time (τI), and derivative time (τD) asboxers, with the strength and speed of their punches relating to the impact that the respective tuningparameters would have. An instructor who had taught a section of Process Controls in both the fall andspring of the 2014-2015 academic year, implemented the comic in a section of both semesters in the2015-2016 academic year. A similar exam question was given to students in all four semesters thatdirectly addressed the effects of the individual PID tuning parameters. Class sizes varied, as reflective of the growth in the enrolled students at Northeastern (10

Conference Session

Broad Perspectives on the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Watson L. Vargas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá; Oscar Alvarez P.E., Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá; Jorge Mario Gomez, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

methodswhereby they achieve the learning objectives. This is deliberate as the instructor gives onlytechnical guidance and course lectures are for the most part generic and not specific to the widerange of projects that the students might choose. Therefore, successful completion of the courserequires students to design and undertake their own physical or computational experiments andthus take charge of their own learning.The following are some reflections on recent cohorts from the instructor’s point of view: • At the end of the semester, there is a high degree of enthusiasm exhibited by the students taking the course. Although some students complained in the surveys of the large workload, there are almost no drop-offs for

Conference Session

Diversity in Chemical Engineering Education: Status and Perspectives

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cheryl A Bodnar, University of Pittsburgh; Arthur Felse, Northwestern University; Karen A High, Clemson University; Jason M. Keith, Mississippi State University; Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University; Ann Saterbak, Rice University; Jennifer Cole, Northwestern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

point Chemical and Mechanical Engineering are the only two coreengineering discipline divisions that have committed to a diversity effort. It is our hope that thiswill change during the ‘year of action on diversity’.To quantify the prevalence of diversity-related efforts in engineering education, we did akeyword search for articles that appeared in the Journal of Engineering Education (JEE) and inthe European Journal of Engineering Education (EJEE). The number of relevant articles in thesejournals will reflect the diversity-related efforts happening in the United States (JEE) and Europe(EJEE). The keywords ‘diversity’, ‘women’, ‘minority’, and ‘gender’ were used as search termsfor homologous hits in article titles. Two other keywords commonly

Conference Session

Introductory Experiences in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph J. Biernacki, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

3. Since there are three “choices,” oneonly has three degrees of freedom before the vehicle is totally specified. Another way to helpstudents to see that 3 is the correct answer is to once again reflect on the reaction balancing Page 26.1661.6problem. There are four variables in the example problem (Example 1), but once one of thevariables has been specified, the entire problem is specified completely. Therefore, there is only   one “chooice” to be made. m This iss true despitee the fact thaat the one chhoice can be made an inffinitenumber ofo ways. Equating a deg

Conference Session

Communication in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. For all student-led examples, student teams are tasked to complete the following:1. Develop a 30-45 minute step by step learning module for your classmates on the background physics, setting up and solving of the assigned problem. Start from fundamental concepts (i.e. those foundations already covered in the course) and build up to apply them in the example. a) Make sure that your team coordinates closely on the preparation of your example. The goal is to teach yourself and each other the material. Teams who divide up individual work are easily recognizable – this will be reflected in the grades (see section below). b) It is OK to give the class any supporting reading materials prior to your

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in the Sophomore Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Uchenna Asogwa, The University of Toledo; Matthew W Liberatore, The University of Toledo; Timothy Ryan Duckett, The University of Toledo; Gale A Mentzer, Acumen Research and Evaluation, LLC

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

National Science Foundation under Grant No.DUE 1712186. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in thismaterial are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National ScienceFoundation. This work was completed within the framework of University of Toledo protocol202214.References1. Crimson. Top 10 Jobs in 2030: Skills You Need Now to Land the Jobs of the Future: Future Skills. 2018 [cited 2019 January]; Available from: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/blog/jobs-of-the-future.2. Vest, C.M., Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Education. 2012.3. Daigger, G.T., et al., Real World Engineering Education Committee. 2012.4

Conference Session

Innovations in the ChE Laboratory

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine Taconi, University of Alabama, Huntsville; R. Michael Banish, University of Alabama, Huntsville

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

added to experiment Volume of methanol remaining in product Moles of methanol added to experiment Mass of methanol remaining in product Volume of methanol reacted Moles of methanol remaining in product Mass of methanol reactedFor the entire reaction procedure, determine the following, and compare the ratios to those Page 13.489.12specified by the theoretical equations.Moles methanol:moles oilMass methanol:mass oilVolume methanol:volume oilTask #4: Re-write the chemical reaction on a mass, molar, and volume basis, to reflect the actualamount of oil used, the total amount of methanol added as a

Conference Session

ChE: Bioengineering, nanotechnology, and systems engineering in the Classroom

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Marlin, McMaster University; Andrew Hrymak, McMaster University; John MacGregor, McMaster University; Vladimir Mahalec, McMaster University; Prashant Mhaskar, McMaster University; Christopher Swartz, McMaster University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

system(ABET17). Therefore, we do not perform a formal evaluation of learning outcomes using theABET categories a-k. However, we have prepared a summary in Appendix A giving our viewsof how the PSE program contributes to the key ABET learning goals.3.0 Teaching and Learning MethodsPSE material is presented using a range of teaching and learning methods that reflect the needsof the courses and the preferences of the instructors. Since the material is concentrated in the lasttwo years of the undergraduate program, many courses include projects that integrate the priorknowledge with PSE technology. Some of the instructors use Problem-based learning to involvestudents in problem definition and open-ended problem solving7. In addition, two of

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering Poster Session & Unit Operations Lab Bazaar

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arthur Felse, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

ofthe study director and management immediately.(4) Periodically submit to management and the study director written status reports on each study, noting anyproblems and the corrective actions taken.(5) Determine that no deviations from approved protocols or standard operating procedures were made withoutproper authorization and documentation.(6) Review the final study report to assure that such report accurately describes the methods and standard operatingprocedures, and that the reported results accurately reflect the raw data of the nonclinical laboratory study.(7) Prepare and sign a statement to be included with the final study report which shall specify the dates inspectionswere made and findings reported to management and to the study

Conference Session

Curriculum Development and Assessment in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vincent Wilczynski, Yale University; Isabella M. Quagliato, Yale University: School of Engineering & Applied Science

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Conference Session

ChemE Potpourri

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David L. Silverstein, University of Kentucky; Lisa G. Bullard, North Carolina State University; Margot A. Vigeant, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

bystudents taking this course. The majority of responses indicated the following commonchallenges: Was this an open-ended question or are there stats to indicate what % of peoplementioned each response? Any value in reflecting that, or OK to lump together under generalconcerns?  Cheating (downloadable solutions)  Student maturity/seriousness  Problem-solving skills  Mathematical Software Skills  Physics, chemistry & math preparation  Preference for familiar units  Limited contact time  Broad range of student ability

Conference Session

New Classrooms, New Challenges II: Assessing Non-traditional Approaches

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Allen Knotts IV, Brigham Young University; W. Vincent Wilding, Brigham Young University; William G. Pitt, Brigham Young University; Morris D. Argyle, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

could be strengthened. Upon reflection, almost all curricular changessuggested and undertaken in the department, in regard to course enhancements, were recognizedto come from Part 1 of the instructor assessment (See Figure 1) rather than the numerical ratingsobtained from the student assessments or Part 2 of the instructor assessment. Part 1 is filled outby the instructor, where a portion of this form requires the instructor to identify strengths andweaknesses of the students based upon direct assessment. Requiring each instructor to evaluatethe performance of each course each semester generates a tremendous amount of ideas toimprove the curriculum in a manner that the numerical data, from either the instructor or thestudents, never does.The

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

other hand, they report that innovative instruction can lead toimprovements in student beliefs. A project based design (graphic, industrial, interiorphotographic and fashion) curriculum, and a business curriculum promoting self reflection bothresulted in statistically significant increases in deep approach scores as measured by the SPQ.Although conventional lecture-based educational practices tend to reinforce more naive beliefs,innovative instruction can develop more expert-like beliefs, which in turn can promote learning.Over the last four years, the WISE Learning Tool has become an increasingly integralcomponent of the Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (CBEE) curriculum atOSU, and has been integrated into the three courses