CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION: PEDAGOGY FOR LEARNING FROM FAILURE IN PROCESS PLANT OPERATIONS

The aim of this paper is to propose a pedagogy based on learning from failure to develop the confidence and competency that graduates from the Diploma in Chemical Engineering needed to function effectively in their job role as process technicians in the chemical processing industries. It is further suggested that the CDIO Framework can be used to achieve this aim. The paper first highlights the danger of losing vital cognitive skills due to increased automation and digitalization; and also explains the limitation of learning using simulations, despite these being the most dominant way of preparing students for work. Next, it introduces the concept of learning from failure; and argued that the prevailing approach of “Learning from Accidents” is not always effective, especially when one lacks the necessary scientific knowhow and understanding of complexities of issues involved. The modular way of teaching, where different engineering fundamentals (e.g. fluid flow, heat transfer, etc) are taught in separate modules by different lecturers, often resulted in the opposite outcome: “designing out failure”. Problem solving often means working through questions that focus on applying the correct equations within the confine of the respective module; often neglecting the need to use valid data. Students are not taught to integrate the knowledge until later year of study by creating a computer model of a chemical plant. This paper then suggests a pedagogy for learning from failure that can be formulated to sensitize students to the notion of failure as a form of learning, rather than as an outcome to be avoided. In the context of chemical plant operation, this means that one must be able to make sense of big data, notably the relationships between process variables in plant operations. This will address the issue of “unknown knowns”, referring to situations where students were unable to see the connections between knowledge learnt from different modules in problem analysis. This paper illustrates how the CDIO Framework, along with a set of principles for learning from failure, can be used to design an integrated curriculum that progressively develop a new “failure-tolerant” mindset, using integrated learning experiences infused with “deliberate failure” to scaffold learning in process plant operations. Such learning can start with students being aware of interdependencies of various process variables, moving on to interactions between different plant equipment during operation. This paper concludes with discussion on how such new mindset can be further developed using the pedagogy presented.