A Multimedia Based Laboratory Course For Environmental Engineering

Abstract

The focus of this project is on the development of interactive multi-media laboratory modules to accompany a physical laboratory course in environmental engineering process dynamics. The courseware modules are intended to enhance the laboratory experience by ensuring that students have a firm grasp of fundamental concepts and experimental methods for conducting process engineering laboratories. Three major topics are covered in the laboratory course: reactor theory, kinetics, and mass transfer. The goal of the project is to produce one to two multi-media modules for each major topic. The modules are designed to teach students how to collect, analyze and interpret data to obtain design parameters for engineered processes or mathematical modeling of contaminant transport in the environment. Each module contains concept, laboratory and analysis tutorials, videos of each lab, and an animated laboratory that can be used by the students to evaluate the effect of different design and operational parameters. Students are expected to review the modules at various points in the learning process. Prior to conducting the physical laboratory, students are expected to complete the concept and pre-lab tutorials, view the laboratory videos, and "run" the virtual laboratory using the operating parameters that will be employed in the physical laboratory. The objective of this assignment is to allow students to acquire visual and conceptual familiarity with the experiment and to determine sampling times and data requirements. After they have collected their own data in the laboratory, they will use the courseware again to learn data analysis techniques and to observe the impact of varying parameter conditions. The expected benefits of these modules include improving the quality of data obtained in the laboratory, enhancing student understanding of key concepts, and allowing them to establish the link between theory and application.