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Session 3660

Field trips: a teaching tool in an introductory course on Process Industry

Hesham Shaalan, Ph.D. Engineering Technology Program Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Abstract

The Engineering Technology program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi offers two B.S. degrees in Control Systems Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology. Students in both degree programs are required to take an Introduction to Process Industry course. The main goal of this introductory course is to introduce students to the operations, equipment, and organization of industrial facilities. Delivery of the course involves three mechanisms: lectures, laboratory lessons, and field trips. One of the unique aspects of the course is that it relies heavily on field trips. Overall, student satisfaction with the course seemed to be high, with a majority of students feeling that the course achieved its intended goals and was a positive learning experience. This paper describes the benefits of field trips and shows how they contribute to accomplishing course objectives. The information presented should be helpful to other institutions in integrating field trips into their courses.

Introduction

Industrial field trips can be an effective teaching tool [1]. This can be particularly true in an introductory course where students do not have a good background on the topics covered. Therefore, field trips have been integrated into the Introduction to Process Industry course (ENTC 1203) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi [2]. This Engineering Technology course covers the process industry terminology and operations. Course requirements include participation in field trips to local and/or regional industries.

A major objective of the field trips is to get familiar with the responsibilities of technicians, technologists, and engineers working in various technical positions. Another goal is to get familiar with the operations, equipment, and facilities of manufacturing and process plants.

Field trips have several benefits that make them a valuable component of the course. For example, they help faculty gain knowledge about current industry tools, practices, and operations. They can also increase exposure of the engineering technology program, which is particularly important for a new program. Furthermore, they give students the chance to expand their vision of their chosen field by observing the operations of industrial facilities [1].

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Shaalan, H. (2003, June), Field Trips: A Teaching Tool In An Introductory Course On Process Industry Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12386