Search

The flipped classroom instructional approach gained popularity after the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly disrupted language instruction. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a full online flipped classroom instructional model to enhance students' meeting skills and their engagement. The model consisted of two lessons: group meeting skills and writing the minutes of meetings. The participants comprised 48 third-year undergraduate engineering students from a public university in Thailand. The study utilized the KW#4 principle to compare average scores of passing students in formative and summative assessments, and to analyze pre-test and post-test scores, aiming to evaluate the model's impact on students' meeting skills. Student engagement (affective, behavioral, and cognitive) was examined using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the model was effective, as the post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores. Further, the results from the KW#4 revealed that the model was effective since the effectiveness of criterion learning (formative and summative tests' average percentage) in using the flipped classroom to enhance group meetings and the minutes of the meetings of the students was 87.6/82.8 and 74.06/74.02, which was higher than that of the set standard criteria of 60/60. The students also demonstrated a high level of positive cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement. The study provides a holistic perspective on the effectiveness and practicality of the model, thus yielding further support for technology-integrated language instruction in ESP courses.

Engineering is fundamentally about design, yet many undergraduate programs offer limited opportunities for students to learn to design. This design case reports on a grant-funded effort to revolutionize how chemical engineering is taught. Prior to this effort, our chemical engineering program was like many, offering core courses primarily taught through lectures and problem sets. While some faculty referenced examples, students had few opportunities to construct and apply what they were learning. Spearheaded by a team that included the department chair, a learning scientist, a teaching-intensive faculty member, and faculty heavily engaged with the undergraduate program, we developed and implemented design challenges in core chemical engineering courses. We began by co-designing with students and faculty, initially focusing on the first two chemical engineering courses students take. We then developed templates and strategies that supported other faculty-student teams to expand the approach into more courses. Across seven years of data collection and iterative refinements, we developed a framework that offers guidance as we continue to support new faculty in threading design challenges through core content-focused courses. We share insights from our process that supported us in navigating through challenging questions and concerns.

Practical classes are an important and essential part of undergraduate programs in Chemical Engineering, as each experiment provides an opportunity to reinforce the theory of discrete unit operations that are taught elsewhere in the course. While an expensive pedagogical method, when practical sessions are delivered well, they can be one of the best learning experiences for students. As with all pedagogical methods, for students to gain maximum benefit of practical classes, a high level of engagement is required. Consequently, lab assignments need to be designed in a way that guides and instructs students on the theory, procedure, and risks associated with any practical and its associated assessments. This paper describes the outcomes of a qualitative investigation that evaluated student perceptions of updated prelab content combined with a new variation in postlab assessments and a renewed focus on practical skills during practical classes. The overall aim was to improve the student experience in practical classes. Paradoxically, periods of remote teaching enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic created further opportunities to make innovative changes to practical class resources. Subsequent student evaluations also indicated perceptions about each newly introduced component (instructional videos, online multiple-choice prelab quiz, variation in postlab assessment, introduction of grading rubrics, and a practical skills assessment), and more than 75% wanted these resources retained.

This study aims to equip students with conceptual modeling skills to address compelling 21st-century challenges in chemistry and chemical engineering education. System-based concept mapping is a critical competence for analyzing global, often complex, problems. We examined how conceptual modeling could scaffold practical experimental design, transitioning from problem identification to testable hypotheses. We set up a project in which first-year undergraduates in chemical engineering work in groups of 5-6 students. Their task was to develop concrete hypotheses for assignments that center on finding sustainable solutions for polluted environments. A set of educational roles (i.e., lecturers, tutors, learning assistants, educational specialist, and project coordinator) were implemented to ensure that students could accomplish their main learning outcome; that is, to become familiar with the academic way of thinking and apply critical thinking skills as a team. Interviews were conducted after the project was finished and revealed that, while conceptual modeling helped students to structure their ideas (i.e., to learn how to design research questions, incorporate interventions, and test models), developing hypotheses remains a challenging task. Our findings brought us to the recommendations for teaching conceptual modeling in the curriculum rather than at the project level, allowing students to progressively transition from understanding and applying concept mapping in their first year into creating solutions within the context of solving complex real-world problems in the final year of their bachelor's degree. The collaborative learning environment and project format employed in this work could spark new ways to teach science that facilitates systems thinking in chemistry.

The implementation of educational programs that tackle specific contents and promote English skills is convenient, especially in areas where English skills are not properly developed at universities, such as Spain. Indeed, some subjects are currently presented in English for this purpose. CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), where students learn English as a part of specific subject goals of their degree, could be a suitable way to improve English skills while acquiring the corresponding competences. Moreover, online lessons are becoming important, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak, when it was an alternative for face-to-face teaching. The aim of this work was the implementation of an online CLIL course about biorefineries for chemistry, chemical engineering, and mechanical industrial engineering students. The course was a first approach presented as a specialization course that could be merged with related subjects in the future. The main objective of this session was the gradual introduction of English grammar and vocabulary (specific terms) and the promotion of students' participation on oral discussions. The results were successful, showing that the students got motivated and obtained good grades. As possible improvements, the introduction of terms should be less continuous, otherwise the students could lose track of the lesson.

This work describes an international collaboration experience carried out between our process design and petroleum property evaluation courses. This collaboration was developed as part of a partnership between the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, using a program called Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) from the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The COIL program provides training to faculty on engaging students in international and cross-disciplinary projects to promote skills needed in the current work force. The COIL training meetings facilitated pairing faculty of different disciplines in different parts of the world and provided a structure for developing a collaborative project. The collaborative project that we undertook in fall 2021, and which we detail throughout this article, was titled Upstream and Downstream of Petroleum Economics.

Research on student support in the global North indicates possible benefits of life coaching interventions in improving students' persistence and well-being. There is emerging research on life coaching interventions and their potential benefits in the South African higher education context, but empirical evidence is scarce. We report results from a longitudinal study that investigated a life coaching intervention to support students. The objective of the intervention was to harness students' agency proactively by equipping them with skills to improve their academic and non-academic lives. Data were gathered through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with ten students who had participated in the intervention. We used Archer's social realist concepts of structure and agency as our theoretical framework. The results indicate that the life coaching intervention enabled students to mediate academic and non-academic constraints. Concerning academic constraints, it helped students manage the transition from high school, including adjusting to a new workload, time management, learning to collaborate with their peers, and dealing with experiences of failure. Concerning non-academic constraints, the life coaching intervention helped students clarify their goals, increase their self-awareness, cope with negative emotions, and boosted their self-confidence and resilience.

A chemical engineering student's knowledge of theory, experimental design, and real-world processes is tested and enforced in the Unit Operations laboratory courses. However, instructors are facing challenges of delivering high-quality, hands-on laboratory content with limited resources and increasingly large class sizes. Limited in-lab time is often inefficiently allocated to individualized instruction, which broadly diminishes students' opportunity for learning by restricting the quantity of data they are able to collect. In addition, teaching in-person laboratories with social distancing measures during the pandemic posed significant logistical and safety challenges and required alternative techniques to be explored and adapted. The technological strategies implemented in this work aimed to manage laboratory course content more efficiently by enhancing familiarization, operation, and safety of lab equipment during and prior to class time. This work demonstrates the evolution of several technological tools that evaluated synchronous hybrid lab offerings and asynchronous prelab training using remote controlled cameras, web-interfaces, and augmented reality. The effectiveness of the implemented technologies was assessed via post course surveys and both negative and positive students' responses were discussed.

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 deepened their understanding of important concepts covered in transport phenomena, reactor engineering, process dynamics, and process design and refined their skills in using modern computing tools.

A synergetic approach to combine service learning at the university level with a high school outreach program is described. A holistic view is presented by discussing the importance of outreach and service learning, survey results, and outcomes. Overall, it was found that the unique program increased the self-efficacy (belief about one's abilities) of students ranging from high school to graduate level, and positively impacted the social responsibility attitudes of university student participants.

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 feedback from the professor and the teaching assistants. The overall learning objectives of this problem fulfill multiple ABET requirements.

Engineering curriculum often fails to connect content and decisions to impacts on diverse, particularly marginalized, communities. Given that integration of social justice ideas into curriculum is currently uncommon among most faculty, we provide resources in the form of a workshop to help catalyze these efforts by teaching faculty how to incorporate social justice into homework and example problems. Through faculty and student surveys, we show the feasibility of this work and benefits on student learning.

This study evaluates the implementation of a collaborative/game-based learning strategy on final year B.Sc. students focused on reinforcing the Taylor theorem (a mathematical concept previously learned, usually forgotten over time and widely used in chemical engineering) and analyses its effect on their academic performance. To this end, the design of educational card games based on basic rules was proposed to students in their fifth semester (as soon as the mathematical concept is covered in their courses) and applying these games to students in the eighth semester as a reinforcement tool (who needed to apply the concept again). A mixed quasi-experimental design was carried out in which the performance and perception of the students were evaluated. The instruments used were a validated Likert-type perception test with an alpha of 0.91 and a knowledge test applied before and after the intervention. It was found that the retention rate of this mathematical concept went from 22.6% to 50%, showing an improvement in learning Taylor's series. Compared to the traditional class, the game significantly improved performance, promoting the development of skills such as creativity, innovation, participation, leadership, goal management and motivation and was recognised by the students as an innovative way of learning. In conclusion, implementing unconventional collaborative learning strategies improves academic performance and promotes skill development in engineering students.

Chemical engineers must learn to connect concepts across vastly different scales, spanning from molecular structures to industrial processes. Here, we explore the use of a virtual-reality simulation with a companion video of an experiment to help undergraduate students connect nanoscale fundamentals to macroscale engineering observations.

Three real-world datasets are introduced for a petroleum engineering capstone design course, providing detailed problem statements, assessment criteria, team-building practices, and required software packages. Two surveys reveal that students prefer real datasets over synthetic ones, and despite initial challenges, students feel proud of their achievements by the semester's end. The importance of instructors' involvement and their quality of engagement in student success are also discussed.

The ASEE/AIChE Chemical Engineering Summer School (ChESS) is a week-long quinquennial faculty development event that brings together early-career faculty for workshops and community building for nearly 100 years. The most recent ChESS took place from July 25-29, 2022 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO, and brought together over 200 participants and presenters. The Summer School is a community-building exercise unique in engineering. It is our hope that by capturing some of the outcomes and processes in this paper that it will facilitate future offerings of the Summer School.

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 evaluate course content using a continuous improvement framework to ensure the laboratories promote the development of skills required by the work environment and effectively serve all program stakeholders.

While innovation commonly stems from the Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM), its integration within chemical engineering curricula has been notably limited. However, a shift is occurring as both private and public initiatives are now directing resources and attention toward equipping students for prosperous careers. This paper delineates the successful incorporation of EM modules into the curricula across two distinct institutions and various course levels, presenting a potential blueprint for assessing EM's efficacy within diverse academic settings.

In this paper we demonstrate that using mixed reality (MR) technology can innovate our chemical engineering laboratory curriculum at Prairie View A&M University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). Particularly, we describe the development of a MR proof of concept to carry out a traditional fluid mechanics lab -- pressure drop as a function of flow through a straight-run pipe -- that can allow for the possibility of remote instruction for a traditionally hands-on practicum.

Virtual reality has become a significant asset to diversify the existing toolkit supporting engineering education and training. The cognitive and behavioral advantages of virtual reality (VR) can help lecturers reduce entry barriers to concepts that students struggle with. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are imperative tools intensively utilized in the design and analysis of chemical engineering problems. Although CFD simulation tools can be directly applied in engineering education, they bring several challenges in the implementation and operation for both students and lecturers. In this study, we develop the "Virtual Garage" as a task-centered educational VR application with CFD simulations to tackle these challenges. The Virtual Garage is composed of a holistic immersive virtual reality experience to educate students with a real-life engineering problem solved by CFD simulation data. The prototype is tested by graduate students (n = 24) assessing usability, user experience, task load and simulator sickness via standardized questionnaires together with self-reported metrics and a semi-structured interview. Results show that the Virtual Garage is well-received by participants. We identify features that can further leverage the quality of the VR experience with CFD simulations. Implications are incorporated throughout the study to provide practical guidance for developers and practitioners.

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 field long-term. This paper discusses the need for IBL and hands-on learning in engineering education and how three faculty at different universities incorporated IBL pedagogy in the classroom.

A chemical engineering degree offers the possibility of a variety of career paths including food and beverage industry. However, chemical engineering students are rarely exposed to food processing examples during their education. Therefore, a new elective food processing course was developed and offered for the first time in the department of Chemical Engineering at UC Davis in Spring 2022. With the objective to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the course, students' learning on food preservation strategies was assessed with an assignment designed not only to align with some of the ABET outcomes and compliance with FDA regulations, but also to increase students' awareness of Native American culture and food and how to propose engineering solutions considering cultural appropriation.

Process safety remains an area of importance in chemical engineering education. Process safety incidents are tied to individuals' choices that require exercising judgement in weighing competing criteria. While safety is paramount, we need to acknowledge the competing criteria practitioners need to consider (budget, leadership, personal relationships, plant production, and time). Our work examines the relationship between individuals' beliefs versus behavior in process safety decisions, and explores use of a process safety game as an intervention.

To increase interest in chemical engineering and introduce non-traditional chemical engineering fields to high school women, an outreach activity focused on the biomedical applications of polymers was developed. Surveys given to students before and after the activity demonstrated greater agreement with the statements "I am interested in chemical engineering" and "Chemical engineers help people" after the activity. Additionally, there was better alignment between students' aspirations and chemical engineering as a result of the activity.

There is widespread concern that students are increasingly becoming passive consumers of education who primarily attend university to obtain the credentials they need for the labour market. To interrogate this view, a longitudinal qualitative study examined what 47 students in three countries wanted to get out of studying for their degree (their personal projects) and how these developed over the course of their undergraduate studies. Our analysis showed that whilst most students had instrumental reasons for studying, they tended to be personally committed to the knowledge they were studying and had a clear sense of the role it would play in their future lives. Where students did not see knowledge as having a key role in helping them to realise their personal projects, they were less likely to value their studies. Also, students who were committed to the knowledge they were studying but did not have a sense of what they were trying to achieve personally with it, appeared to be uncertain about where they were going by the end of their degree. Based on this analysis, we argue that the dichotomy between students-as-consumers and personal transformation is false. Rather what is important is students being clear about how academic knowledge connects them to the world and helps them to shape their plans for the future.

While prior scholarship has theorised on how to incorporate decolonisation in curriculum and pedagogy, there is limited empirical work on how students experience this initiative. With a goal to provide a more diverse and inclusive educational experience, this paper explores ten undergraduate students' perceptions of their learning in a revised chemical engineering course project designed from a decolonisation standpoint. A thematic analysis of student interviews highlighted a generally positive response to the decolonisation initiative. Specifically, students felt that situating the project in the local context increased access to learning through increased relevance and helped them develop critical awareness about the impact of engineering work. Moreover, a community-driven project design allowed students to pay attention to the power dynamics between engineers and the community. However, there were struggles noted in terms of finding appropriate resources to execute a small-scale project and effectively participating in learning due to background-related linguistic and technical challenges.

This study explores Finnish chemical engineering students' peer and self-assessment perceptions. It is divided into two substudies. In Study I, we investigate students' perceptions of peer and self-assessment based on their responses to open questions and Likert-items adopted from existing literature. We identify six perception dimensions from these open responses: Learning and reflection, Motivation and participation, Self-efficacy, Exhaustion and workload, Cynicism, and Self-criticism. In Study II, we develop a new questionnaire for engineering students' peer and self-assessment perceptions, as pre-existing questionnaires fail to adequately capture these dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis is used to investigate how student perceptions form larger factors, and how they relate to theoretically connected pedagogical measures like study-related burnout, self-efficacy, and learning approaches. We find that negative perceptions correlate with study-related burnout and an unreflective approach to learning. Meanwhile, positive perceptions of self-efficacy and learning in peer and self-assessment are associated with the deep approach, underlining the importance of facilitating positive assessment experiences in students.

We explored chemical engineering students' approaches to learning, study-related burnout, and perceptions of peer and self-assessment in a challenging physical chemistry thermodynamics course. Cluster analysis revealed three learning profiles based on students' approaches to learning: students who scored high in both organised studying and the deep approach to learning, students who scored high in the unreflective approach to learning, and students who scored high in all three approaches. According to our findings, students who employed deep learning strategies and managed their time carefully experience the least study-related burnout. These students also felt more efficacious when participating in assessment and had fever negative experiences of both peer and self-assessment. Consequently, physical chemistry educators should adopt practices that facilitate a deeper approach to learning, including paying careful attention to course workload and utilising teaching methodologies that can foster the deep approach like peer and self-assessment.

Problem solving in chemical kinetics poses substantial challenges for university students since it often involves significant use of mathematics as a tool and language, with challenging translations and transitions between chemical phenomena and mathematical representations. In this paper, we present key findings from a study investigating chemistry students solving tasks centred around the steady-state approximation. Building upon the mathematical modelling cycle (MMC), qualitative analysis of the data collected using a think-aloud protocol led to the development of the extended MMC. This empirically derived extended MMC offers a more detailed account of the processes involved in mathematical modelling of chemical phenomena, highlighting aspects such as the occurrence of deliberation and evaluation throughout the modelling cycle, as well as the varying characteristics, points of activation and roles of extra-mathematical resources during problem solving. We further introduce and use problem-solving trajectories as a tool for visualising and analysing the complex and diverse approaches used by students in their attempts at reaching a solution. Overall, the extended MMC provides a finer-grained model of the cognitive and metacognitive activities that students engage in, offering further insights for research and practice.

The effect of digital tools (pre-lab videos and 3D models of experimental equipment) on student's performance of a typical lab assignment was studied quantitatively; for some students, these digital tools replaced physical access to the equipment. These students also participated in focus groups and gave good suggestions to make the digital tools more effective.

High structure course design involves scaffolding students' learning via pre-class content acquisition and assessment, in-class active learning exercises, after-class review and assessment, and frequent summative assessments. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of high structure courses including improved student performance, reduced achievement gaps, and increased feelings of belonging. This article will describe how to adopt high structure course design principles for chemical engineering courses in order to bring positive outcomes to students.

A method is presented which can be used to obtain analytical solutions for boundary value problems (BVPs) using the matrix exponential and Maple. Systems of second order, linear differential equations are expressed as two or more first order equations in matrix form, and their solutions are obtained using the matrix exponential, matrix integration, and matrix inverse methods using Maple. The solution process is illustrated for single and multiple domains with different types of boundary conditions and constraints when necessary due to the boundary conditions. The method is easier to use and could be extended to include partial differential equations (PDEs).

The COVID-19 epidemic adversely impacted chemical engineering experiments(CEEs). Students underwent online learning, i.e., software simulation of the CEE course, instead of laboratory learning. A questionnaire survey revealed that students exhibited low enthusiasm for online learning, showing that online courses cannot ensure learning quality. Thus, herein, a novel CEE was designed based on the melt-spinning principle of the pitch-based carbon fiber preparation process. The feasibility of the experiment was demonstrated by inviting 12 teams of 60 students to participate in the trial experiment. The results indicate that the designed experiment improved the students' ability to conduct literature reviews, computer simulations, apparatus designs, and experiments. The novel experiment was well received by the students. Although the students encountered difficulties in the experimentation process, they were highly interested in participating in this novel experiment and, thus, were successful in solving all of the problems with the supervisor's help. The experiment helped to improve the comprehension abilities of the students.

While students can learn both chemistry content and inquiry practices by participating in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), it is well documented that prior experiences shape perception. We conducted a case study to investigate students' first experiences with a CURE in an upper-division chemical engineering laboratory course, drawing upon interviews (n = 6), field notes, and written reflections (N = 31). We used discourse analysis to characterize students' agency as they navigated their uncertainty and made sense of the authentic research. We found that students' past experiences shaped their expectations about the CURE, with some wishing for traditional learning supports misaligned to CUREs. Offering students constrained yet consequential agency allowed them to recognize the authentic supports that were available, including help-seeking as itself a form of agency; understand failure as endemic to research rather than their own shortcoming; and position themselves as capable of navigating the uncertainty as a community of researchers. Our results suggest that instructors should model uncertainty and failure as endemic to research and position students as valued collaborators and support for overcoming abundant prior experiences with cookbook-style experiments.

During the SARS-2-COVID pandemic our institution sought to continue the teaching and learning of experimental laboratories by designing, assembling, and delivering a microscale chemistry kit to the students' homes. Thanks to this approach students were able to perform [approximately]25 experiments during each one of the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters in an elective Electrochemistry and Corrosion course offered to Chemical Engineering undergraduates. In addition to performing traditional experiments, students were encouraged to design some of their own and have the entire group reproduce them. One of such student-designed experiments involved the capture of CO[subscript 2] and its reduction with a readily available active metal (i.e., Al foil) in aqueous media to generate potentially useful products. The highly negative standard potential of Al is exploited for the reduction of lab-generated CO[subscript 2], and the products are chemically tested. Al as a foil has been reported to be electrochemically inactive for carbon dioxide reduction. However, encouraged by an earlier report of the reduction of CO[subscript 2] to CO, the Al surface is activated in the present experiment by removal of its natural oxide layer with a solution of CuCl[subscript 2] produced in an electrochemical cell. This procedure enables Al to react with CO[subscript 2] and yield useful chemistry. This experiment turned to be a discovery trip. The detailed procedure is discussed here, as well as the teaching methodology, grading scheme, and student outcomes.

The electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen is a critical step in many green chemistry processes. The key to the efficiency of water electrolysis is the synthesis of an appropriate electrocatalyst. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an increasingly important part of many industrial processes. In this study, we propose an efficient laboratory experiment to synthesize a 3D-printed, hydrophilic, conductive, and monolithic electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Students learn to assemble an electrochemical cell, conduct electrodeposition, and evaluate HERs on both a 3D-printed electrode and traditional nickel foam. In this experiment, students learn to understand fundamental electrochemical principles and test techniques, including cyclic voltammetry and linear-sweep voltammetry, and analyze the relation between the catalytic performance and electrocatalyst compositions. This study also broadens the utilization of 3D printing in catalysis, energy production, organic chemistry, and chemical reaction engineering courses by leveraging the unique properties of 3D-printed materials.

The present short paper is an attempt in the direction of understanding the learning problems of undergraduate students. Sample of chemical engineering students was selected to perform a simple exam test. The test was divided into four steps. Closed book - individual student, Closed book - cooperative students, Open book - cooperative students, and Exam completion steps. Questionnaire was carried out to obtain the research results. It was found that a large percentage of the students are not studying carefully, the studying method was shallow and depend only on reading ready printed lectures. The results compared with previous exam results. Current test improved the performance of students. The novelty of present work represented by applying a new teaching method in colleges of engineering in Iraq. This short paper also proved that the methods of teaching not restricted to social and humanity studies.

A problem-based learning (PBL) methodology was implemented to a project, whose main objectives were to discuss and apply the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry to the study of poly(vinyl alcohol)'s cross-linking reaction with dicarboxylic acids. The five participating students were oriented to be responsible for their own learning and the professor participated as an advisor. The problem was proposed and students planned all their activities to accomplish the objectives and goals, reviewed recent information in scientific literature and summarized it, made experimental work, prepared written reports, and were evaluated in seminars. The results obtained by the students were assessed through the generation of a final report and also with a final oral presentation in front of faculty members. The experience lived by the collaborative workgroup during the development and execution of the project, is described. This research is an example of how the PBL methodology can motivate the active participation of students when solving problems. The next step is to introduce this tool to teachers and students of other undergraduate courses or laboratories, since it causes a difference in the way education is being perceived in our university, because it emphasizes the application and understanding of concepts over simple memorization.

Proper chemical process simulation knowledge is valuable for senior chemical engineering students to deliver optimal design outcomes and achieve many learning objectives. This study aims to highlight the benefits of continuous improvements and innovations in chemical engineering's undergraduate curriculum. In particular, curriculum restructuring benefits when the simulation course is offered earlier in the curriculum. Most importantly, it elaborates on how this change creates opportunities to help the program attain multiple learning objectives at higher levels. There is a direct modification to the upper-division undergraduate courses (for example, the senior design project course) to incorporate more important in-depth skills, such as optimization and sustainability. The students' summer training experience has also been enhanced to simulate and troubleshoot industrial case studies.

The rapid development of technology and information has influenced students' learning styles and has led to a shift in information seeking from printed books to e-books. This study aims to measure students' knowledge and skills, attitude, and website knowledge competency on the ionic liquid material. The study involved 47 students of the Diploma III Chemical Engineering program at a private polytechnic selected using a purposive sampling technique. This web-based Ionic Liquids learning was tested on students through the experiential learning model. Data collection was carried out by completing the competency test at the beginning (CT1) and the end of learning (CT2). The results revealed that website-based ionic liquid learning increased each competency of knowledge and skills of ionic liquids, knowledge of websites, and attitude. Even though not all students can do it independently, the learning could attract students' attention. The learning has to be combined with lecturers' explanations as reinforcing concepts. This research's implications are expected to be used as recommendations in enriching the Chemical Engineering education curriculum by adding website-based ionic liquid material.

In this paper, a comparative evaluation of the undergraduate program of Chemical Engineering curriculums of Chinese and Ethiopian universities was performed. The study employed systematic qualitative methods to synthesize the current qualitative researches into an explanatory process. To comprehend the Chemical Engineering curriculum structure in two countries, a survey of courses from each country institution is presented. Since both countries use harmonized chemical engineering curriculum with their respective institution, top university from each country was taken as a representative sample, Tsinghua University (THU) from China and Addis Ababa University (AAU) from Ethiopia. The major aspects in the comparison were the lengths of the programs, measurement of student workload, practical curriculum, and the ratio of general, core, compulsory and non-compulsory courses. At the THU, the minimum length for the undergraduate program is 4 years, whereas at AAU a minimum of 5 years is expected. While general education courses occupy 70% of the total credit in the THU curriculum showing more emphasis on general courses, the AAU curriculum gives more focus to core courses by allocating 70% of its total credit. The THU curriculum proves to be more flexible, offering more elective courses at different stages of the program; the AAU curriculum has provided the chance for a range of specialty streams offering elective courses in the final year of the program. Thus, it is highly appreciable for both countries' universities to optimistically add more courses to their present curriculum based on their socio-economic trait, cultural backgrounds, national demands, and resource availabilities.

Higher Education Institutions in South Africa continue to experience considerable dropout rates of students during the first year, especially those from previously marginalised population groups. The aim of this research was to evaluate how the use of life coaching interventions providing first year students with psychosocial support, influenced their first-year experience. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a questionnaire at the end of the academic year, approximately four months after the intervention, to evaluate students' experiences of the intervention. Results indicate that students felt that the intervention helped them avoid dropping out of university prematurely, respond better to failure during the year, and improve their self-awareness and academic performance. In conclusion, the results suggest that the use of life coaching intervention as a proactive means of harnessing student agency, may be beneficial to their academic performance, and in improving their lives in general. The study recommends that further research be conducted to explore the use of small group life coaching for providing students with psychosocial support, and also explore this intervention's cost-effectiveness in different contexts.

The study examines the impact of the AUN-QA assessment at the programme level on quality improvement from the students' perspective. Data was collected through a survey questionnaire distributed to 439 participating students in the third and final years of the three programmes from three universities that were assessed and recognised by AUN-QA in 2018 and 2019. The findings indicate very positive changes observed by students during the AUN-QA assessment process at the programme level. Most students observed changes in curriculum design and development, teaching methods, student assessment methods, equipment and facilities, and research while few students observed changes in academic staff, support staff, and student support services. These changes appeared to be attributed to the adaptation of the OBE approach by the universities in this study as well as the requirements of the AUN-QA for programme assessment. However, the study also shows a difference in the students' self-reported evaluation or observation of changes at the three universities. It is suggested that further studies should be conducted using more direct methods of measuring changes such as direct assessment of student learning for evaluating the impacts of external QA. Another research applying a qualitative approach (such as interview) could provide more in-depth information on the impacts of AUN-QA assessment from the students' perspectives.

The redesign of the first year basic chemistry course is described at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences Chemical Engineer educational course. This was done with the aim to reduce student drop-out during the first year of the educational program. On one hand, it was chosen to teach the basic chemistry course in the laboratory where students had to work together in couples, and on the other hand, it was used to reduce only pure theoretical lectures drastically. Also, the preparation of the course material for each week was supposed to be done beforehand. Only students who had properly prepared were allowed to participate. The knowledge and skills were taught by conducting various titration experiments. At the end of the course, students were also tested by a written chemical calculation test. The laboratory skills were tested with an aptitude test. Also, lab journal keeping was evaluated. Evaluation after the course revealed an increase in the chemical calculation success rate from [approximately] 65% to [approximately] 85%. Furthermore, a questionnaire taken by students who followed the course showed improved educational joy and confidence. This report shows various steps in the course redesign such as the choices made during the course redesign, the student grading rubrics, and course planning.

Current engineering education should develop the noncognitive abilities of students. Psychological capital (PsyCap) is defined as an individual's strengths of self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resiliency. PsyCap is an essential noncognitive ability that influences student mental health and academic performance, yet limited research has been done to identify predictors of PsyCap. These predictors might inform the key to developing PsyCap. This study examined the levels of PsyCap and emotional intelligence (EI) among final-year chemical engineering students and investigated the effects of EI and demographic characteristics on PsyCap among them. This quantitative study involved 99 final-year chemical engineering students from a publicly funded university in Malaysia. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) were used, and respondents' demographic characteristics (gender, age, ethnicities, household income, and preuniversity education) were surveyed. Multiple linear regression was used to predict the effects of EI and demographic variables on PsyCap. The five domains of EI (well-being, self-control, emotionality, sociability, and global trait) ranged from 4.36/7.00 to 5.01/7.00, and the four domains of PsyCap (self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resiliency) ranged from 4.19/6.00to 4.45/6.00. Next, EI significantly predicted PsyCap while demographic characteristics did not. The study found that the PsyCap of the final-year chemical engineering students was at a moderate level. Thus, specific interventions based on EI are beneficial to developing PsyCap in coping with challenges in their engineering studies and future careers.

How is it possible to create and continuously improve a quality learning environment for our students? We present our one-year course on engineering thermodynamics as a case study in which we investigate the learning environment based on a competency model from the students' perspective. Based on the analysis of our course structure and exam design, as well as a survey among students on their learning preferences, we propose several strategies to support student learning.

Engineering students face significant stressors such as high academic expectations and extreme time demands that have the potential to impact their mental health. Due to the mentoring responsibilities of chemical engineering faculty, faculty are often positioned to provide support for these students. Through this article, we aim to help prepare faculty to support student mental health, with guidance on identifying campus resources, navigating conversations with students in distress, and referring students to mental health services.

Chemical engineering students are typically required to take biology courses and many pursue biotechnology related careers. However, it is unknown what emotions students have toward biology that can influence curricular design. We surveyed 246 students and found that 74.6% have overall positive emotions toward biology because they find biology interesting or beneficial to humanity. Students had negative emotions because of a poor prior course experience or because of their belief that that biology requires too much memorization.