Enhancing student learning in chemical engineering design via role play and enquiry guided learning: A case study from Qatar

Plant design is the capstone design course taken in the senior year of a chemical engineering students at Qatar University and is spread over two semesters (Plant Design I and Plant Design II). The course content, delivery and assessment were substantially changed and are now based on the concepts of open-ended, enquiry-guided project learning approach. This ensures that the course is more student-centered than it was before and the students assume the responsibility for their own learning. A team teaching and learning approach was used with great emphasis on industrial involvement and student role play. In the context of our design teaching experience, students act as engineering design consultants and faculty/industrial advisors act as clients for a design tender. This new approach has allowed students to reinforce and apply subject knowledge, whilst developing key skills such as teamwork and communication. The project-based approach has been successful at improving students´ engagement and sense of responsibility within a more active learning environment. The student experiential learning was very successful and highly praised by students themselves and the local industry. The approach has clearly boosted students´ confidence and demonstrated to them the industrial relevance of their design work, thus making a significant shift from the purely academic achievement.