Bridging the Gap: At-Home Experiments Connecting Theory and Practice in Chemical Engineering Education

Abstract

The 2022 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine urged a greater focus on experimental learning to bridge core course silos. ABET also requires students to design and conduct experiments, analyze data, and draw conclusions by graduation. However, the packed engineering curriculum challenges additional hands-on lab courses. To address this, we explored an idea to extend learning beyond traditional settings. Inspired by the American Chemical Society's guidelines, we aimed to study at-home experiments for connecting experiments to theories and investigated if students could independently design experiments at home, aligning with the senior chemical engineering laboratory course's objectives. Students spent four weeks conducting at-home experiments and self-evaluated their learning outcomes. Results indicated positive attitudes and their enthusiastic time investment. The at-home projects enhanced learning, fostered critical thinking, and aligned with evolving engineering education priorities. In future iterations, we plan to allocate more time and extend project timelines for greater learning experience.