A Flexible Experimental Learning Environment for Contemporary Chemical Engineering Education
Educating chemical engineers for coming challenges
Teaching Methods, Techniques & Modules (T6-2)
Keywords: Information Technology, Process simulation, web-base technology
Javier Orellana (a), Jose Romagnoli (b) and Jim Petrie (a)
a. School of Chemical and Bio-Molecular Engineering, University of Sydney, NSW 2006. Australia
b. Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, LA. USA
Chemical Engineering tertiary education is constantly changing within an environment where learning outcomes are assessed continuously against an exploding technology platform, increasingly diverse needs of students and employers, and wider societal expectations (1) . Advances in information technology (IT) have seen the increasing delivery of course material electronically through systems such as multimedia packages, data centers, interactive simulation and web based applications. In this information driven age, data is no longer localized but can be shared across the globe through the world-wide web. Educational institutions are increasingly implementing Internet based learning portals and multimedia applications to provide access to educational resources across vast distances. In this respect, the IT revolution has opened the door for institutions to become global learning and teaching organizations. The challenge is how to do so in a meaningful way, with due regard to content, assessment and learning dimensions.
The School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney has recently undertaken a major renewal of its undergraduate curriculum which is research led, with an explicit focus on project-based experiential learning, improved vertical and horizontal integration of content, and commitment to the enhancement of student creativity and innovation(2). At the backbone of this new curriculum is the School’s Flexible Experimental Learning Environment (FELE), which blends contemporary Chemical Engineering content, plant data management, process simulation and web-based technologies, to provide an experimental environment that is flexible and accessible across vast distances.
This paper describes the structure and functioning of the FELE web plant, which consists of a number of inter-connected and intrinsically safe pilot scale unit technologies, which can mimic a multitude of reaction and separation environments. The Web Plant system has been designed to exploit advances in information technology, to provide seamless connectivity between plant equipment and process modeling environments. The Web Plant system thus provides a platform from which technological advancements in data management/communications may be exploited within a problem-based learning environment. Some comment is offered on the role of the Web Plant to directly support learning outcomes for the School’s new undergraduate curriculum, as well as provide the tools for developing WEB-accessible courses for long distance learning and vocational training.
1. Proceedings of CCR/NSF Workshops on Frontiers in Chemical Engineering Education, http://mit.edu/che-curriculum/ (2003, 2005).
2. Gomes, V.G etal (2006) “Chemical Engineering Curriculum Renewal”, Education for Chemical Engineers, ICHEME, 1(1), 116-125.
Presented Monday 17, 16:20 to 16:40, in session Teaching Methods, Techniques & Modules (T6-2).
