Caroline Crosthwaite

Balancing curriculum processes and content in a project centred curriculum - In pursuit of graduate attributes

Chemical engineering education is challenged around the world by demands and rapid changes encompassing a wide range of technical and social drivers. Graduates must be prepared for practice in increasingly diverse workplace environments in which generic or transferable attributes such as communication and teamwork together with technical excellence are mandated by prospective employers and society at large. If academe is to successfully deliver on these graduate attributes, effective curriculum design needs to include appropriate educational processes as well as course content. Conventional teacher centred approaches, stand-alone courses and retro-fitted remedial modules have not delivered the desired outcomes. Development of the broader spectrum of attributes is more likely when students are engaged with realistic and relevant experiences that demand the integration and practice of these attributes in contexts that the students find meaningful. This paper describes and evaluates The University of Queenslands Project Centred Curriculum in Chemical Engineering (PCC), a programme-wide approach to meeting these requirements. PCC strategically integrates project-based learning with more traditional instruction. Data collected shows improved levels of student attainment of generic skills with institutional and nationally benchmarked indicators showing significant increases in student perceptions of teaching quality, and overall satisfaction with the undergraduate experience. Endorsements from Australian academic, professional and industry bodies also support the approach as more effectively aligning engineering education with professional practice requirements.

Addressing interdisciplinary process engineering design, construction and operations through 4D virtual environments

Abstract An interactive and immersive learning environment that will allow students to explore the design, construction, commissioning and operation stages of processing facilities is being developed. The learning environment makes use of a series spherical images captured across not only the facility site but also across the construction and operation period that allow students to investigate the design evolution of a particular spatial area through time by moving up and down in the time frame. It is intended to allow students to learn how engineers from a range of disciplines work together on key issues and decisions required for that part of the design. Interviews with key engineering personnel and project stakeholders will permit the students to explore the reasoning behind critical design decisions. Four learning environments are being developed and include the construction of a bulk liquid storage facility in Brisbane, a sewage treatment facility in Melbourne, a weighbridge at a truck service centre in Melbourne and the demolition of an engineering building in Brisbane followed by the construction of a new “live” building. This paper explores how it is envisaged that the learning environments will be implemented and how they will be used in practice in the class room.

Who leaves and when do they go? Retention and attrition in engineering education

At a time of high demand for engineering graduates, the mean graduation completion rate of engineering undergraduates in Australia has been identified as approximately 54% (with considerable variation across institutions and sectors). This paper reports on the initial results of cohort analyses undertaken at two engineering degree granting institutions as part of a multi institutional project seeking to understand and reduce student attrition from engineering degrees across Australia. Both institutions have a predominantly urban student population and location, but whilst one offers a conventional four year degree the other integrates two semesters of internship into its degree structure. A cohort analysis procedure, tracking pathways to completion or non-completion of the degree, applicable across diverse institutions, was piloted. Attributes such as gender, academic background, full or part time study, engineering major and student maturity were identified for each member of the cohort. The patterns revealed by these fine grained cohort analyses challenged some anecdotal perceptions and provided evidence of the inadequate nature of generalizations around attrition statistics, and the need for institutional context and culture to be considered.

Enhancing the understanding and insights of students and industry operators in process engineering principles via immersive 3D environments

Abstract This work differentiates itself from most educational based multimedia resources by catering for two distinct audience groups. The first group is undergraduate process engineering students in a number of Australian institutions, whereas the second group represents operational staff at the industrial facilities covered by the interface. This presents challenges in pedagogy, educational pitch, industrial relations and project management. The learning environment is based around spherical imagery of real operating plants coupled with interactive embedded activities and content. This Virtual Reality (VR) learning tool has been developed by applying aspects of relevant educational theory and proven instructive teaching approaches. Principles such as constructivism, interactivity, cognitive load and learner-centred design have been central considerations when constructing and structuring this resource. Structural challenges include determining a framework for the basic environment, the repository for the VR and activities, as well as the development of a learning platform arrangement to support self-directed learning in the interface. Some of the systems current functionality is demonstrated through snapshots of the screen configuration. Future developments within the interface are revealed.