(68b) Transforming the Educational Experience of Transfer Students in Chemical Engineering Using a Multi-Dimensional Spiral Curriculum

An ideal engineering curriculum is more than an aggregate of individual courses but rather a coherent and continuous program of study that transforms a student into a professional capable of integrating core concepts in the synthesis and design of a product or process of societal value. For students who transfer from two-year community colleges this outcome is particularly difficult due to the need for integrating engineering and related courses normally covered in the freshmen and sophomore years into the junior and senior years.

Our project adapts the ?spiral curriculum model? (sometimes called incremental learning approach) where a set of interlinked and basic ideas are presented in a repetitive manner exposing the student to higher level of sophistication and greater depth in each of the interlinked concepts. It also provides an alternative approach to the sequential curriculum where courses are delineated by content areas and individual examinations or assessments make vertical and horizontal integration of core concepts difficult. In this presentation, we will outline the central ideas behind our curriculum reform and describe the novel model that uses three interlocking spiral paths to deliver a pedagogically sound, student-centered curriculum that also allows integration of core chemical engineering courses, incorporation of traditional and new technological applications, and threading of process and product design concepts over the complete curriculum. We will discuss challenges faced in the implementation of the curriculum reform and the methods for assessment of the efficacy of the curriculum model.