Teaching Engineering Economics through Role Play in a Senior Design Class

Abstract

This work-in-progress study analyzes students' performance on a carefully chosen test question over two years, revealing concerning results regarding key learning objectives. The traditional chemical engineering curriculum exposes students to the concepts of engineering economics only during their final year, potentially leading to misconceptions due to limited exposure. To address these issues, a teaching technique was implemented that involved graded in-class problems and role-playing scenarios focused on a ride-share venture. This work outlines the problem, the pattern of the mistakes, and the interventions. Preliminary results indicate some improvement in the test score, suggesting potential effectiveness of the interventions. However, significant further analysis and data collection may be necessary to understand the challenge and offer better solutions.