undergraduate teaching: past and present dr patrick barrie chemical engineering’s 60 th...
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Undergraduate Teaching: past and present
Dr Patrick Barrie
Chemical Engineering’s 60th Anniversary
16 July 2008
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Fox
Students enter Department after two years of either Natural Sciences or Mechanical Sciences
Year 3: Qualifying Examination for Chemical EngineeringYear 4: the Chemical Engineering Tripos
1950-1 course: Year 3 (“qualifying examination”)
Applied Physical Chemistry• Chemical Thermodynamics (16, Denbigh)• Reaction and Phase Equilibrium (28, Denbigh)• Kinetic Theory of Gases (8, Fox)• Reaction Kinetics (4, Danckwerts)
Chemical Engineering Principles• Material and Thermal Balances (20, Danckwerts)• Fluid Mechanics (16, Kay)• Unit Operations (20, Sellers)• Applied Thermodynamics (16, Kay)
Mathematics (32, Fox) External courses:
• Ex-Natural Sciences: Electricity, Materials, Structures, Laboratory• Ex-Mechanical Sciences: General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry,
Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Practical Organic Chemistry
1950-1 course: Year 4 (“Chem Eng Tripos”)
Applied Physical Chemistry• Thermodynamic Properties (20, Fox)• Reaction Kinetics (16, Danckwerts)• Electrochemistry (16, Danckwerts)• Surface Chemistry (8, Denbigh)• Colloidal Phenomena (16, Denbigh)
Chemical Engineering Principles• Mass and Heat Transfer (32, Kay)• Unit Operations (24, Sellers)• Continuous Reaction Systems (8, Denbigh)• Automatic Control (8, Kay/Sellers)• Radiant Heat Transfer (8, Fox)
Chemical Processes (48, Sellers/Denbigh) Mathematical Methods (24, Fox) Choice of external courses: “Statistical Methods” or “Corrosion of
Metals” Assessed using SEVEN three hour examinations Research Project
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1959: move to Pembroke Street
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Fox Danckwerts 1960: approval given for purchase of a digital computer
1966: Natural Sciences Tripos reformed: Year 2 course on “Fluid Mechanics and Transfer Processes”
Vast bulk of students came via the Natural Sciences route
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Fox Danckwerts
1967: Year 3 became known as “Part I Chemical Engineering Tripos”1968: Year 4 became known as “Part II Chemical Engineering Tripos
1969: Engineering Tripos starts
1968-9 course: Year 3 (Part I Chemical Engineering)
Chemical Thermodynamics (24, Hutchison) Fluid Mechanics (32, Harrison/Nedderman/Bridgwater) Catalysis and Kinetics (24, Kenney/Blackadder) Unit Operations (32, Danckwerts/Bridgwater) Chemical Reactors (8, Turner) Process Control (8, Armstrong) Mathematics (24, Hutchison/Turner) Statistics (8, Harrison) Design (8, Bridgwater) External courses:
• Ex-Natural Sciences: Structures, Laboratory• Ex-Mechanical Sciences: Chemistry, Laboratory
Design Project
1968-9 course: Year 4 (Part II Chemical Engineering) Fluid Mechanics (40, Nedderman/Armstrong) Separation Processes (16, Danckwerts/Blackadder) Multicomponent Separations (16, Kenney) Thermodynamic Properties (8, Hutchison) Radiant Heat Transfer (8, Turner) Polymers & Colloids (32, Blackadder) Electrochemistry (16, Turner) Tubular Reactors (16, Kenney) Mathematics (28, Pearson) Statistics (8, Harrison) Industrial Lectures Research Project
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Fox Danckwerts
1974: department permitted use of electronic calculators in exams
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Fox Danckwerts Davidson
Year 4 students awarded “Certificate in Advanced Study in Chemical Engineering”
1980: Biotechnology started being taught in Year 4
1986: Structures now taught “in-house” for ex-Natural Scientists
1990: Year 4 students now awarded M.Eng. degree. University agreed previous students could claim one too.
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Fox Danckwerts Davidson B’water
1994: Chemistry now taught “in-house” for ex-Engineering students
1997: Chemical Engineering Tripos starts in 2nd Year at University, after just one year of Natural Sciences or Engineering:
Year 2: Part IYear 3: Part IIAYear 4: Part IIB
1997: Physics starts a 4th year course for the M.Sci. degree.Other sciences follow.
1995-6: General Engineering becomes a 4-year M.Eng. course
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Fox Danckwerts Davidson B’water Chase
2002: 2nd year Natural Sciences option of Fluid Mechanics ended
2001: Undergraduate exchange scheme with MIT starts (for 2nd year students)
2004/5: UCAS codes set up for Chemical Engineering via Natural Sciences Chemical Engineering via Engineering
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Fox Danckwerts Davidson B’water Chase Gladden2008: Merger with Institute of Biotechnology
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Current course structure Year 1:
• Either Natural Sciences or Engineering. Lectures and labwork. Year 2:
• First part of core Chemical Engineering. Lectures, labwork and exercises.
Year 3:• Rest of core Chemical Engineering. Lectures and exercises.• Full time Design Project for 5 weeks in Easter term
Year 4:• Advanced Chemical Engineering Options• Broadening Material Options• Research Project
Written examinations still the major assessment method• Some exam papers for you to inspect (’50,’60,’70,’81,’90,’00,’08)
Information on undergraduates
Student background:• 65% come via Natural Sciences• 35% come via Engineering• will be 50/50 in next year’s intake
37% of our undergraduates are female Nationalities:
• 65% are UK• 5% are EU• 30% are overseas
Class list distribution
1st
2.1
2nd (undiv)
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3rd
Other
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Class list distribution
University1960
1st 10.3%
2.1 24.1%
2nd (undiv) 4.0%
2.2 35.5%
3rd 22.1%
Other 4.0
Number 4300
Class list distribution
University1960
University2007
1st 10.3% 22.2%
2.1 24.1% 50.2%
2nd (undiv) 4.0% 7.0%
2.2 35.5% 16.8%
3rd 22.1% 2.1%
Other 4.0 1.0%
Number 4300 9950
Class list distribution
University1960
University2007
Chem Eng2008
1st 10.3% 22.2% 24.8%
2.1 24.1% 50.2% 46.3%
2nd (undiv) 4.0% 7.0% -
2.2 35.5% 16.8% 20.8%
3rd 22.1% 2.1% 6.0%
Other 4.0 1.0% 2.0%
Number 4300 9950 152
Changes in discipline New technologies:
• Polymers• Membranes• Biotechnology
New understanding of fundamentals:• Thermodynamics
New aspects are deemed important:• Product Design
Computers: • Routine use of numerical methods to solve equations• Process simulators• Thermodynamic and other databases readily available
Changes in teaching Lectures continue, now often accompanied by detailed
handouts Less laboratory work More project work Examples classes discontinued Plenty of College supervisions
• A large proportion of which are given by postdocs and PhD students
Teaching almost entirely in-house (other than a few 4th year options)
Internet• Web resources for learning• Weblabs
Industrial involvement in teaching
Industrial lectures Industrial backing of research projects Teaching Consortium
• Scheme been running for 10 years• About 20 companies have been involved• Current supporters:
Independence Set up as independent of
• Faculty of Engineering• Faculty of Physics & Chemistry
Still true for “new” department• Can modify course rapidly as and when we want
We train our students: • to do Engineering calculations• to think like Scientists
The emphasis on the fundamental scientific principles behind processes continues:• We don’t teach our students how to follow recipes –• We teach our students how to write them
