This paper describes the combination of problem-based learning (PBL) and simulation tools in the chemical engineering unit operation laboratory course, focusing on heat transfer concepts using a shell-and-tube heat exchanger experiment. This approach has significantly enhanced student learning outcomes by bridging theory with practice, fostering a…

The instructional design and the corresponding research on student learning of two virtual laboratories that provide an engineering task situated in an industrial context are described. In this problem-based learning environment, data are generated dynamically based on each student team's distinct choices of reactor parameters and measurements.…