A digital tool set for systematic model design in process-engineering education

Abstract

One of the objectives of the process technology curriculum at Wageningen University is that students learn how to design mathematical models in the context of process engineering, using a systematic problem analysis approach. Students find it difficult to learn to design a model and little material exists to meet this learning objective. For these reasons, a set of digital tools has been developed to support students when learning to design mathematical models. The set of tools enables a process engineering student to do each step in the systematic approach for designing models while providing feedback on the actions of the student.The current paper describes both the system, the underlying design decisions and how one such case is used in a regular educational setting. Evaluation after use in a regular educational setting shows that students are very positive about the fact that there is feedback on every step of the design process and that there is no need to deal with complicated mathematics.

The intended and unintended impacts on student ownership when realising CBL in mechanical engineering

“…As such, modelling problems potentially connect to students interests or their future work field. During modelling, students move through distinct stages (Maaß 2006) to translate a complex real-world situation into a (concise) mathematical model (Van Der Schaaf et al 2006;Borromeo Ferri 2006). Particularly, mathematical modelling requires students to make decisions in the real world, in the stages of finding a real model and to interpret mathematical results with respect to what they say about the real-world problem (cf.…”