An Industrial Chemistry Course That Optimizes the Value of Plant Tours

Abstract

An industrial chemistry course at the year three level that puts major emphasis on plant tours and on maximizing their value in student learning is described. A key element is the requirement for submission of a brief pretour report based on a literature search before each tour. This ensures that the students have already thought about the process before the tour, so they are much more ready to ask penetrating questions while on the tour and are better able to retain the information gained. Retention is further consolidated by the requirement to submit a longer posttour report, analogous to a lab report in laboratory-based courses, which emphasizes the chemistry of the process and the equipment used, whether it is in accord with expectations based on the pretour literature search, and the student's own impressions of the site. Plant tours when emphasized in this way can be a potent tool to stimulate student interest and learning and reinforce the other aspects of the course, which are also described.