As understanding of STEM education pedagogy deepens, traditional lecture-based courses evolve to include new philosophies, such as active learning, project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning (IBL). Additionally, hands-on educational experiences at the early stages of an undergraduate program are seminal in propelling students into the…

Project-based learning (PBL) empowers students to become active learners. In this work computational reverse osmosis (RO) projects developed from industrial case studies and research were implemented in several chemical engineering courses to enhance student learning experience. Students not only gained knowledge in water treatment, but also…

The impact of solving novel video-inspired homework problems on learning attitudes toward chemical engineering was examined at beginning and end of an undergraduate material and energy balances course using a modified Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey instrument. Mean overall attitude of participants improved by a normalized gain…

A Computer-Aided Learning Package as Inquiry-Guided Learning (CALP/IGL) was implemented in a cooling tower experiment for 43 students enrolled in four sections of the Unit Operations Laboratory course in the chemical engineering program at Qatar University. The impact of this approach on the attainment of learning outcomes was evaluated. Results…

Project-Enhanced learning is an excellent way to facilitate student-centered learning along with traditional lecture-based learning. In this Class and Home problem, an example of Project-Enhanced learning is provided that can be used in the Mass and Energy Balances (MEB) course. The students solve this problem as part of a group while receiving…

Cross-disciplinary fields such as biotechnology require chemical engineers and non-engineers to routinely work together, thus creating a need for non-engineers to learn chemical engineering. But limited knowledge on non-engineers' learning preferences and the lack of pedagogical methods to teach non-engineers restricts the opportunities available…

This report evaluates the use of active, open-ended research problems taken from the instructor's laboratory and assigned as mid-semester projects in Transport Phenomena. Projects are structured in a POGIL [process oriented guided inquiry learning] format and designed to engage students by providing them the opportunity to impact real research…

We redesigned our undergraduate laboratories to create a structured sequence that continuously improves the learning experience of students. We utilized a PBL and PjBL approach in which students are progressively introduced to ill-structured open-ended problems, the development of projects, and the creation of research products. We dynamically…

The capstone design sequence provides chemical engineering students with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery in process engineering, acquired during their entire degree, and is the ultimate "reality check" in outcome verification. This paper describes the current status of the design sequence followed by chemical engineering students…

Heat and temperature concepts are found at all levels in the science curricula and are well-known for creating conceptual difficulties for learners. Students have difficulty understanding concepts related to heat, temperature, and thermal radiation. Inquiry-based pedagogies that can foster the learning of these difficult concepts are needed.…

With the advance of engineering education research and scholarship, there has been an increased focus on amending chemical engineering courses to increase student learning, engagement and enjoyment. These approaches are often incorporated in project-based courses such as capstone design courses and laboratory courses, providing opportunities to…

The LearnChemE site (www.LearnChemE.com), which provides teaching/learning resources for chemical engineering courses for both faculty and students, is described. The site provides resources to help faculty implement active learning and flipped classrooms. The site also helps students supplement their textbooks and classroom materials. The…

"Frack Attack" is a transferable classroom activity that combines active learning and teamwork to critically evaluate sustainability topics in contemporary engineering contexts. The activity was recently explored in three chemical engineering courses at Montana State University: two elective courses on sustainable energy (one…

A sophomore core chemical engineering course was co-taught by two different 4 instructors in Spring 2016 and Spring 2017 with approximately 90 students both semesters via an 5 active learning environment in a collaborative learning space. Both instructors were present for 6 almost all lectures and each instructor delivered approximately 50% of the…

This article reports analysis of students' written reflections as to what helps them learn in an active learning environment. Eight hundred and twenty seven responses from 403 students in four different studio courses over two years were analyzed. An emergent coding scheme identified 55% of the responses as associated with cognitive processes…