ABSTRACT
This paper shows the planning, the teaching activities and the evaluation of the learning and teaching process implemented in the Chemical Process Design course at the University of Cantabria, Spain. Educational methods to address the knowledge, skills and attitudes that students who complete the course are expected to acquire are proposed and discussed. Undergraduate and graduate engineers' perceptions of the methodology used are evaluated by means of a questionnaire. Results of the teaching activities and the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed case study are discussed in relation to the course characteristics. The findings of the empirical evaluation shows that the excessive time students had to dedicate to the case study project and dealing with limited information are the most negative aspects obtained, whereas an increase in the students' self-confidence and the practical application of the methodology are the most positive aspects. Finally, improvements are discussed in order to extend the application of the methodology to other courses offered as part of the chemical engineering degree.
Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to Professor Ignacio Grossmann from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, for invaluable comments of an early draft of this paper.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Berta Galán Corta is Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cantabria (UC), Spain. MPhil. in Material Science from Bath University (U.K.) and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Cantabria. She is involved in the UC Chemical Engineering Degree and Master/Doctorate Programs ‘Chemical Engineering’ and ‘Industrial Process Engineering’. Her research activity is focused on subjects related to the simulation and optimisation of chemical and environmental processes and industrial plants.
Iciar Muñoz Díaz received the M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 2010, the post degree in Process and Chemical Engineering ‘Sustainable Production and Consumption’ in 2011. She is involved in courses as Process Design, Product Design and Simulation & Optimisation of chemical processes. At present, she is working under research contract in a national R&D project at the University of Cantabria, UC, Spain.
Javier Rufino Viguri Fuente is professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cantabria, UC, Spain. Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Basque Country. He is involved in the UC Chemical Engineering Degree and Master/Doctorate Programs ‘Chemical Engineering’ and ‘Industrial Process Engineering’ as well as in the University of Cádiz ‘Erasmus Mundus Master and Doctorate in Water and Coastal Management’. His research activity under the GER Research Group (www.geruc.es) is focused on subjects related to the characterisation, control, environmental assessment and sustainable management of industrial wastes and marine sediments.