(547b) Chemical Engineering Curriculum - Spiraling Out Of Control Or Spiraling Into Control?

Chemical engineering education today faces an assortment of forces from globalization of the chemical industry, rapid growth in science and technology, and the needs of a diverse range of careers. As chemical engineering departments attempt to balance the impact of these forces, there can be a sense that the unified and efficient chemical engineering curriculum is spiraling out of control. In this presentation, we will discuss whether alternative models such as Bruner's ?spiral curriculum? can be used to effectively adapt chemical engineering education. We will outline the central ideas behind the curriculum reform at University of South Florida and describe an approach using three interlocking spiral paths to deliver a student-centered curriculum that also allows integration of core chemical engineering courses, incorporation of traditional and new technological applications, and the threading of process and product design concepts over the complete curriculum.