Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bernard J. Van Wie, Washington State University; Denny C. Davis, Washington State University; Paul B. Golter, Washington State University; Ashfaq Ansery, Washington State University; Baba Abdul, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

AC 2011-2608: TEAM BUILDING IN A PROJECT-BASED LEARNINGCOURSEBernard J. Van Wie, Washington State University Prof. Bernard J. Van Wie did his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. and postdoctoral work at the University of Ok- lahoma where he also taught as a Visiting Lecturer. He has been on the WSU faculty for 28 years and over the past 13 years has focused strongly on innovative pedagogy along with his technical research in biotechnology. His recent Fulbright Exchange to Nigeria set the stage for receipt of the Marian Smith Award given annually to the most innovative teacher at WSU. (509) 335-4103 (Off); (509) 335-4806 (Fax); bvanwie@che.wsu.eduDenny C. Davis, Washington State University Dr. Davis is Professor of

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph J. Biernacki, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

students (mostly freshmen) at TTU. The results suggestthat even freshmen claim to have some level of prior formal teamwork training and considerableexposure to teamwork through extracurricular activities. Their prior experiences with teamwork,however, appear to be rather neutral, though 83% reported having been involved in a “prior Page 22.1341.4successful team project.”To see how students at the sophomore level respond, an independent survey was given by theauthor, seeking information regarding prior teamwork exposure and experience with team-basedactivities. Somewhat consistent with Hunter, et al, student responses indicate that virtually

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

and implemented attwo different institutions. The course content evolved considerably from the first time the classwas taught to the second time the course was taught in order to capture the substantial gains intechnology and research approaches that have occurred over the two years between courseofferings. A description of the content in the first offering of this course and four class activitieswere discussed in a paper in Chemical Engineering Education3. In addition, the initialimplementation of HiPeLE inspired concept development projects were described in an ASEE-SE proceedings paper4. This paper describes and presents evaluations of the high performancelearning environment in the second implementation of this course.Course Structure

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Khairiyah Mohd-Yusof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Syed Helmi Syed Hassan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Mohammad Zamry Jamaludin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Nor Farida Harun, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

’ thinking visible – it is no longer solely limitedto making content visible as in the traditional transmission mode.11 It is important to emphasizethat PBL is “not only about infusing problems into the class, but also about creatingopportunities for students to construct knowledge through effective interactions and collaborativeinquiry.”11Supporting and monitoring students’ learning in small groups by a floating facilitator can bechallenging in a typical class while implementing PBL. It is typical for students to resistworking in groups, be it in laboratories or class projects, because of negative prior experiences.17Therefore, the support needed does not only involve cognitive coaching at different PBL phases,guidance and monitoring to develop

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sharon G. Sauer, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Pedro E. Arce, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

from those of traditional lecture-based courses. For example, in Hi-PeLE, one mayencounter individual or team-based projects or both. Students interact with the facilitator of learning (i.e.,the professor), classmates, TAs, and even former instructors and vendors. Projects, primarily team-based,may be theoretical, computational, or experimental in nature and in some cases a combination of these arealso used. For those versions of Hi-PeLE that use an innovative and creative student-centered component(part of the Linear Engineering Sequence, LES) a working prototype of a proposed device may berequired as an outcome. Furthermore, a course offered in a Hi-PeLE format may involve studentparticipation in reading and/or discussion in formal or

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

Page 22.181.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 1An Inquiry-Guided Learning Approach to Process Integration, Simulation, and Economics Lale Yurttas1, Houssein Kheireddine, and Mahmoud El-Halwagi Chemical Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAThis paper provides an overview of how inquiry-guided learning (IGL) has been introduced intothe first senior-level design course at Texas A&M University (Process Integration, Simulation,and Economics). This has been part of an NSF-sponsored project to reform the chemicalengineering undergraduate

Conference Session

Focus on Capstone Experiences in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Philip H. Harding, Oregon State University; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Engineering Education, 2011 Design of a Senior Laboratory Sequence to Guide Students in Multiple Academic Programs Towards Workforce PreparednessAbstractThis paper describes the integration of upper division experiential laboratory and project coursesin the chemical engineering, biological engineering, and environmental engineering programs atOregon State University. Student enrollment has doubled during this 5 year process. The year-long integrated curriculum is built around a theme of “college to career” transition and targets awide array of learning objectives. This paper focuses on three: experimental methodology,communication, and project management. It is demonstrated that the dramatic changes havebeen implemented while successfully

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

from many disciplines within engineering and cover alllevels of students, such as Freshman projects where students are involved in the design process2 orin working with modules3, to multidisciplinary design projects4 and many implementations inbetween.Within the field of chemical engineering, Arce (among other faculty) recently has had studentsdesign and build modules (he called them experimental prototypes) to demonstrate chemicalengineering concepts, such as flow meters, though they varied greatly in size.5 Minerick, on theother hand, has used faculty-designed and built modules that do fit on a desktop (called a Desktop Page 22.1330.2Module

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in Silico

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erick J. Nefcy, Oregon State University; Philip H. Harding, Oregon State University; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. Page 22.321.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Characterization of Student Model Development in Physical and Virtual LaboratoriesAbstractThis study characterizes student teams’ use of models as they proceed through three laboratoryprojects in the first quarter of the capstone laboratory sequence in the School of Chemical,Biological, and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University. Two of the laboratoriesare physical laboratories, based on the unit processes of heat exchange and ion exchange.Sandwiched between these two laboratories, students undertake a virtual laboratory project. Thevirtual laboratory is used to simulate complex or expensive tools that

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

the Virtual Laboratory Project from itshome university to other institutions. In the Virtual Laboratory Project students do not interactwith real equipment to obtain data, but rather with computer simulations of laboratoryequipment, obscured by noise. This innovation was developed with the intent of complimentingphysical laboratory experiences by allowing future engineers to practice designing experiments,analyzing and interpreting data and making informed choices based on their analysis, skills theywill need in industry. The idea of using virtual laboratories to facilitate project based learning iscompelling since, once the software has been developed, the cost to transport a virtual laboratoryto a new institution is relatively small

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

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

AC 2011-2506: GIZMO FESTIVAL: K-8 OUTREACH AS A DESIGN/BUILDFOR ENGINEERING STUDENTSMargot A Vigeant, Bucknell University Margot is an associate professor of chemical engineering and associate dean of engineering at Bucknell University.Lori Smolleck, Bucknell University Page 22.746.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Gizmo Festival: K-8 Outreach as a Design/ Build for Engineering StudentsAbstractThe Gizmo Project is completed by first-year engineering students as the final exercise intheir introductory course: ENGR 100 – Exploring Engineering. The project also servesas a

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

methodologies that willbenefit them as they encounter open-ended problems that can be conveniently answered using afew equations. A course developed at the University of Michigan exposed upperclassmenundergraduates in a wide range of engineering majors to a vast array of ideas to develop theircreativity, to enhance their problem solving abilities and to make them aware of issues they willmost likely confront in the workplace. The use of real-world examples, guest lectures fromindustry and a course project allowed students to directly apply the problem solving heuristicdiscussed in lecture and recognize that these concepts are not solely academic and can be used intheir daily lives. Initial feedback from the students has indicated that the students have

Conference Session

ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin D. Dahm, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

evaluation of work product. Numerous authorshave outlined the assessment strategy of constructing rubrics for measuring studentachievement of learning outcomes and applying them to portfolios of student work.Other authors have outlined use of rubrics for evaluation and grading of individualassignments and projects. This paper will describe the use of a consolidated rubric forevaluating final reports in the capstone Chemical Plant Design course. Instead of gradingeach report and then having some or all of the reports evaluated through a separateprocess for programmatic assessment purposes, the instructor evaluates the report onceusing the rubric, and the same raw data is used both for grading and for programmaticassessment.BackgroundSince 2000, ABET1

Conference Session

Emerging Areas: Biotechnology, Microtechnology, and Energy

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thuyoanh Truong, California State Universtiy, Long Beach, Department of Chemical Engineering; William Ferguson, Department of Chemical Engineering, California State University, Long Beach; Roger C. Lo, California State University, Long Beach, Department of Chemical Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

analysis time, muchlower sample and reagent consumption (in the nanoliter range or less), and enhanced systemperformance and functionality by integrating different components onto microfluidic devices1-2.These applications are usually called micro total analysis systems (!TAS) or lab on a chip (LOC)3-4 . Since its debut in the 90s5-7, microfluidics technology has made significant progress andgradually moved from pure research projects to commercialized products, such as AgilentTechnologies’ 2100 Bioanalyzer for biomolecule analysis8, Caliper Life Sciences’ LabChipsystems for biomolecule analysis and drug discovery9, and Fluidigm Corporation’s BioMarksystem for real-time PCR10.We notice that from the microfluidics technology industry (especially

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

Foundation REU SiteProgram is a 10-week summer program that involves participation from active researchers in acenter specifically set up to facilitate collaborative research in biofuels and biorefiningengineering including feedstock engineering, biological and thermochemical conversions, andprocess and product engineering. The center is a collaboration of the University of Colorado atBoulder, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines and the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. Inaddition to an independent research project, written report, peer presentation and final posterpresentation, undergraduate program participants engage in weekly group seminars, unique site

Conference Session

ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Larissa V. Pchenitchnaia, Texas A&M University; Lale Yurttas, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Advising in 2007. She also received the Student AIChE Teacher of the Year award in 2003 and AIChE Mentor of the Year award in 2004, 2005, 2008. Her current in- terests are project-based learning, experiential learning, curriculum development and assessment, service learning implementation, and development of web based teaching and learning modules. Page 22.432.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Design of a Sustainable Process for Undergraduate Curriculum Reform, Development and Assessment: a Chemical Engineering Case StudyA chemical engineering program at a big research

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in Silico

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles J. Coronella, University of Nevada, Reno; Victor R. Vasquez, University of Nevada, Reno

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

that, so rapidly thatchoosing a time step to allow for stable computations is not straightforward.The class project Groups of three students are assigned the project about two thirds of the way throughthe semester. They are given all the technical data above, and shown in great detail how to setup the finite difference equations that result in a method for finding enthalpy. They are told thatthey must find a correlation for enthalpy as a function of temperature, as well as for thermalconductivity as a function of temperature. Boundary conditions and stopping conditions are notclearly specified. Convective coefficients are supplied for the pan (200 W/m2 K) and in air (15W/m2 K). Students are given the flexibility to choose the grill

Conference Session

Emerging Areas: Biotechnology, Microtechnology, and Energy

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arthur Felse, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

knowledgethey had acquired in any particular week to analyze and critique research data – this gave them asense of achievement and encouraged further learning. By chaperoning the journal clubdiscussions, students were able to gain a sense of belonging and ownership to the materialsdiscussed during class. Journal clubs also offered an opportunity for peer instruction.To further enhance collective learning, students were required to complete a term paper projectwhich had several parts designed to apply concepts learnt in class to research data. Term paperprojects were done in teams of 2-3 students each. Student teams were encouraged to come upwith their own projects that included abundant applications of transport phenomena inphysiology. Projects were

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

Facilities and Instructor in the Chemical Engineering De- partment at Michigan Technological University. He received a B.S.Engineering degree from Michigan Tech in 1982 and has also worked as a Training Specialist, Project Engineer, and Project Manager. He has over 25 years experience instructing and coordinating Unit Operations and Plant Operations Labora- tory, implementing distributed control and data acquisition systems, and designing pilot-scale processing equipment.Charles Nuttelman, University of Colorado at Boulder Instructor, Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringPablo LaValle, University of Michigan Senior Engineer. Chemical Engineering Dpt. Undergraduate Instruction Laboratories.Naoko Ellis

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

unexpected benefits of the course were theengineering students gaining an appreciation for how they can apply their problem solvingabilities to some of the less technical problem but quite complex questions facing the industry(i.e. where to conduct clinical trials for a new drug) and the two faculty who co-taught thecourse getting an energizing experience as a result of exposure to new material and teachingstyles. Some of the challenges included: achieving an interesting and fair mixture of technicaland non-technical material in the lectures, exams and group projects; achieving connectivitybetween the wide range of topics in the course and achieving a fair mixture of exam, homeworkand group project questions that allowed for the business students to

Conference Session

Chemical Engineering in Silico

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James P. Abulencia, Manhattan College

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

AC 2011-2265: ENGINEERING ETHICS CASE STUDIES IN SENIOR UNITOPERATIONS LABORATORYJames P Abulencia, Manhattan College Page 22.588.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Engineering Ethics Case Studies in Senior Unit Operations LaboratoryAbstract Placement of ethics in the Chemical Engineering curriculum has always been debated. Inthis project, the use of a real-world engineering ethics case study was integrated into the SeniorUnit Operations Laboratory course over two separate class years (i.e. Year 1 and Year 2). Themotivation behind this was twofold. First, the assignment provides the opportunity to develop

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald P. Visco, Tennessee Technological University; Jason M. Keith, Michigan Technological University; Jeffrey A. Nason, Oregon State University; Roger C. Lo, Department of Chemical Engineering, California State University, Long Beach; James P. Abulencia, Manhattan College; Sergio Mendez, California State University, Long Beach

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

-throughput chemical/biologicalassays.Teaching / Education InterestsIn addition to microfluidics research, we are also interested in the aspect of microfluidicseducation, especially when we notice that from the microfluidics technology industry (especiallyin California) there is a need for chemical engineers with related skills, such as microfluidic chipdesign, microfabrication, optical imaging, and programming languages for instrument controland data analysis. However, our current curriculum at CSULB does not provide our studentstraining for these skills as an integrated module. To address this, we initiated a coursedevelopment project for two new elective courses, Introduction to Microfabrication andmicrofluidics Technology and Microfluidics

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

workshops focusing on the Scientific Method are typically included as a one or two class period discovery-based activity. Most students schooled in the US learn the Scientific Method in grade school, but lose track of it or consider it to be something for grade school science projects, not for the real world and not for engineers. The instructors emphasize that discovery is really the application of the Scientific Method, regardless what age or discipline. In addition, a workshop on team formation is generally conducted, wherein teams are formed. The interdisciplinary nature of the subject matter is emphasized and since the class size is very small, teams are generally formed based on common interest in a

Conference Session

SPECIAL SESSION: What Works to Retain Students in Chemical Engineering Programs

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne R. Minerick, Michigan Technological University; Donald P. Visco, Tennessee Technological University; Susan M. Montgomery, University of Michigan; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Colleen A. McDonough, Michigan State University; Patrick Walton, Michigan State University; Amanda M. Portis, Michigan State University; Eldred H. Chimowitz, University of Rochester; Willie (Skip) E. Rochefort, Oregon State University; Keith L. Levien, Oregon State University; Nimir Elbashir, Texas A&M University; Jennifer Condit, University of Rochester ; Stephen Lindeman

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Neeraj Buch is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University. He is also the Director of Cornerstone Engineering and Residential Experience program at Michigan State University. He earned his M.S. degree in pavement engineering in 1988 from the Uni- versity of Michigan, Ann Arbor and his Ph.D. in pavement and materials engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, in 1995. Dr. Buch began his academic career at Michigan State University in 1996. Dr. Buch has worked on numerous projects funded by state highway agencies (MDOT, CDOT, South Dakota DOT), the FHWA, SHRP II, NSF and the NCHRP. Dr. Buch has performed research on characterization of Portland

Conference Session

ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karyn L. Biasca, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point; Steve Hill, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

their internships and a video of the students describing their workexperiences.The utility of electronic portfolios to enhance and document student learning is widelydocumented, primarily in the context of teacher education. Rutkowski3 described an electronicportfolio system developed at the University of Minnesota that allows students to collectexamples of their work as electronic files (artifacts), and allows sharing these items with a targetaudience by creating folders containing the desired items and assigning appropriate accesspermissions.Students in this project used the ePortfolio software product from Desire2Learn® to create theirportfolios. There were two primary reasons for using this software

Conference Session

Emerging Areas: Biotechnology, Microtechnology, and Energy

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason M. Keith, Michigan Technological University; Daniel López Gaxiola, Michigan Technological University; Daniel A. Crowl, Michigan Technological University; David W. Caspary, Michigan Technological University; Abhijit Mukherjee, Michigan Technological University; Dennis Desheng Meng, Michigan Technological University; Jeffrey D. Naber, Michigan Technological University; Jeffrey S. Allen, Michigan Technological University; John T. Lukowski, Michigan Technological University; Barry D. Solomon, Michigan Technological University; Jay Scott Meldrum Sr., Michigan Technological University; Thomas F. Edgar, University of Texas, Austin

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

ASEE.Daniel Lpez Gaxiola, Michigan Technological UniversityDaniel A. Crowl, Michigan Technological UniversityDavid W. Caspary, Michigan Technological University David Caspary is the Manager of Laboratory Facilities and Instructor in the Chemical Engineering De- partment at Michigan Technological University. He received a B.S. Engineering degree from Michigan Tech in 1982 and has also worked as a Training Specialist, Project Engineer, and Project Manager. He has over 25 years experience instructing and coordinating Unit Operations and Plant Operations Labora- tory, implementing distributed control and data acquisition systems, and designing pilot-scale processing equipment.Abhijit Mukherjee, Michigan TechDennis Desheng Meng

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

United States and Canada. The reportconsists of two parts: the statistical and demographic characterization of the course and itscontent; and the remainder seeks to bring out the most innovative and effective approaches toteaching the course in use by instructors. Additionally, a historical comparison is made betweenthe current survey results and surveys on the same course conducted in 1974, 1984, and 1991.IntroductionIn 1957 the AIChE Education Projects committee began a series of surveys of the undergraduatecurriculum as offered by chemical engineering departments in North America. These surveyscontinued under the auspices of the AIChE Special Projects committee until the late 1990’s. In2008, AIChE formed an Education Division which recognized

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

would also be suitable for assignments or projects in unit operations classes or as problem assignments for the portion of a design class where optimization is taught. Table 1: Available Optimization Problems Single Variable Multi-variable ProjectsPipe diameter (2) Absorber Generic chemical process (2)Reactor/preheater (2) Batch reactor/preheater Geothermal energy (2)Reflux ratio Staged compressors Fuel production from biomass (4) Page 22.1127.2Problem 1: Staged

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

“implicit models made explicit”and begin to construct their own learning. While Hmelo and Guzdial’s work was focusedon software, this concept can clearly be applied universally.The aim of the approach presented in this paper is to maintain PBL’s advantages intraining students to address ill-defined real-world problems while providing sufficientscaffolding (in a manner similar to Hmelo and Guzdial’s glass-box scaffolding) toaddress cognitive architecture concerns raised by Kirschner et al. and Sweller et al. 1, 2.Tiered Scaffolding ApproachThe six-tiered approach shown in Figure 1 below was used to prepare students for PBL(here in the form of challenge problems and Thermodynamics Inquiry Projects) bymoving them up the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy 10