(384c) Design Projects in the Unit Operations Laboratory

The Unit Operations Laboratory is a unique learning environment for chemical engineering students. In it, students receive hands-on experience with real process equipment, practice designing experiments to test specific hypotheses, learn how to work effectively on teams, and practice their communication skills. Several of these are also expected student outcomes in the ABET accreditation criteria. Many chemical engineering programs use the laboratory courses specifically to enhance communication skills and develop collaborative work skills.

This presentation will discuss an assignment developed for a junior-level Unit Operations Laboratory, “The Proposal Presentation.” For this assignment students design a new experiment and propose the change to the laboratory staff. They are guided through the proposal process by a technical writing professor and receive instruction on engineering and economic constraints from a laboratory professor. Students describe in detail the goals and learning objectives of the experiment, the equipment needed and hypotheses to be tested, propose experimental tests to be run along with data to be collected, and specify equipment, supplies, and costs associated with running the experiment in a laboratory course while considering strong persuasive communication practices both orally and visually.

Examples of student proposals will be shared, and outcomes related to the ABET criteria as well as technical writing curriculum criteria will be presented.