Evaluation and Results for an Integrated Curriculum in Chemical Engineering

Joseph J. McCarthy; Robert S. Parker

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments
Tagged Division: Chemical Engineering
Page Count: 14
Page Numbers: 22.650.1 - 22.650.14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--17931
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/17931
Download Count: 616

Paper Authors

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Joseph J. McCarthy University of Pittsburgh

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Professor of Chemical Engineering

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Robert S. Parker University of Pittsburgh

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Abstract

Evaluation and Results for an Integrated Curriculum in Chemical Engineering October 8, 2010 Increasing knowledge integration has gained wide-spread support as an important goal in engi-neering education. The Chemical Engineering Pillars curriculum is one of the ﬁrst fully integratedcurricula in engineering, and is speciﬁcally designed to facilitate knowledge integration. This cur-riculum, in use for just over 5 years, is unique for its use of block scheduling. Block scheduling,in its simplest form, is transforming multi-semester courses into a single-semester course via ex-tended, concentrated contact time. Among other things, the ﬂexibility afforded by extended andmore frequent contact time allows (and encourages) greater opportunity for active and collabora-tive learning. The speciﬁc adaption of this technique to chemical engineering has resulted in acurriculum comprised of 6 “Pillar” courses which are taken individually in 6 consecutive under-graduate semesters and are accompanied by vertically integrated laboratory experiences. In this paper, we present the basics of implementing a pillars-style curriculum and report onour ongoing assessment of student learning and knowledge integration using this framework. Theassessment is “ongoing”, in part, because the new curriculum has been evolving with time. Also,and more importantly, as this curriculum is one of the ﬁrst of its kind, our somewhat unique as-sessment requirements necessitate development of new tools as we go. Speciﬁcally, it is criticalthat our curriculum be evaluated not only for its effectiveness in enhancing the ability of studentsto engage in systems thinking (knowledge integration), but also to speciﬁcally assess the impact ofthis type of curriculum on students’ performance in conceptualizing (chemical) engineering princi-ples. We will report results from a variety of assessment vehicles in use toward these ends: conceptmapping exercises, surveys, and concept inventories both from existing sources as well as thosebeing developed within our program. Finally, based on our current assessment results, we will present a few adaption strategies thatmay be fruitful for cohort institutions to use to enhance knowledge integration in similar (chemical)engineering curricula. This adaption can be facilitated by our web-based courseware which willalso be introduced. 1

Citation
Format

McCarthy, J. J., & Parker, R. S. (2011, June), Evaluation and Results for an Integrated Curriculum in Chemical Engineering Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--17931

TY - CPAPER
AB - Evaluation and Results for an Integrated Curriculum in Chemical Engineering October 8, 2010 Increasing knowledge integration has gained wide-spread support as an important goal in engi-neering education. The Chemical Engineering Pillars curriculum is one of the ﬁrst fully integratedcurricula in engineering, and is speciﬁcally designed to facilitate knowledge integration. This cur-riculum, in use for just over 5 years, is unique for its use of block scheduling. Block scheduling,in its simplest form, is transforming multi-semester courses into a single-semester course via ex-tended, concentrated contact time. Among other things, the ﬂexibility afforded by extended andmore frequent contact time allows (and encourages) greater opportunity for active and collabora-tive learning. The speciﬁc adaption of this technique to chemical engineering has resulted in acurriculum comprised of 6 “Pillar” courses which are taken individually in 6 consecutive under-graduate semesters and are accompanied by vertically integrated laboratory experiences. In this paper, we present the basics of implementing a pillars-style curriculum and report onour ongoing assessment of student learning and knowledge integration using this framework. Theassessment is “ongoing”, in part, because the new curriculum has been evolving with time. Also,and more importantly, as this curriculum is one of the ﬁrst of its kind, our somewhat unique as-sessment requirements necessitate development of new tools as we go. Speciﬁcally, it is criticalthat our curriculum be evaluated not only for its effectiveness in enhancing the ability of studentsto engage in systems thinking (knowledge integration), but also to speciﬁcally assess the impact ofthis type of curriculum on students’ performance in conceptualizing (chemical) engineering princi-ples. We will report results from a variety of assessment vehicles in use toward these ends: conceptmapping exercises, surveys, and concept inventories both from existing sources as well as thosebeing developed within our program. Finally, based on our current assessment results, we will present a few adaption strategies thatmay be fruitful for cohort institutions to use to enhance knowledge integration in similar (chemical)engineering curricula. This adaption can be facilitated by our web-based courseware which willalso be introduced. 1
AU - Joseph J. McCarthy
AU - Robert S. Parker
CY - Vancouver, BC
DA - 2011/06/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Evaluation and Results for an Integrated Curriculum in Chemical Engineering
UR - https://peer.asee.org/17931
DO - 10.18260/1-2--17931
ER -