(32c) Role of Chemical Engineering in Engineering Education Research

Chemical engineers have historically played a very significant role in advancing engineering education; however, since research in engineering education has become much more rigorous in the last dozen years, it is not obvious that chemical engineers will maintain this significant role.  There are many specific questions within the five identified engineering education research areas (Epistemologies, Learning Mechanisms, Learning Systems, Diversity & Inclusiveness, and Assessment) that can be best explored by chemical engineering professors. For example, what are the best methods for teaching mass and energy balances. To maintain a leadership role in engineering education research some chemical engineering departments will have to make engineering education a research specialty and offer Ph.D. degrees based on research in engineering education.  This will require that a few motivated chemical engineering professors retool their research from a technical specialty to engineering education.  In addition, publication venues for professors who are doing engineering education research as a “hobby” need to be maintained.