Effectively Engaging Students in an Introductory Chemical Engineering Course

The introductory chemical engineering course at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR), Material and Energy Balances, is designed to transform students into higher-thinking problem solvers who can approach complex multi-step problems.Classes are typically comprised of first semester sophomores who have only been exposed to simple, routine calculations, and many find the transition to solving open-ended or multi-step problems extremely challenging.Creativity, problem solving strategy, and interpretation of complex problem statements are best learned through practice.Cooperative learning and teamwork is highly stressed in the UMR engineering curriculum because it has been found that students who work together and are engaged in lecture better understand difficult material and learn how to approach complex problems, particularly in problem-based courses 1-2 .This paper describes the transformation of the UMR Material and Energy Balances course since 2005, along with quantitative and qualitative evidence of increased learning.To engage students during the lecture portion of the course, personal response devices ("clickers") were introduced in 2005.This resulted in increased attendance, in-class participation, and feedback to the instructor and students.In 2006, the 3-hour lab block associated with the course was reorganized into 3 1-hour problem solving sessions.This modification greatly increased students' retention and understanding of the material by efficiently utilizing class time, which resulted in a noticeable improvement in overall course grades.