Developing engineering competencies in industry for chemical engineering undergraduates through the integration of professional work placement and engineering research project

Abstract

The delivery of industry based modules for undergraduate engineering programmes is challenging due in no small part to the interdependence of academic staff, student and industrialist in ensuring enhanced experiential learning. Developing module descriptors for industrially hosted modules, designing appropriate assessments and associated detailed grading rubrics are paramount to ensuring success. Students must manage their workload in their host company, remote from an academic environment, yet remain cognisant of the required academic standards. Engineering competencies have been successfully attained by chemical engineering undergraduates in Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland by integrating the Engineering Research Project module with the Professional Work Placement module in final year. Both industrial hosted modules were undertaken in parallel; the former for a period of 4 months and the latter over a 7 month period. The effective delivery of these modules has been through continuous communication and evaluation with relevant stakeholders: students, academic staff and industrialists. A systematic approach to the delivery of both the Engineering Research Project module and the Professional Work Placement module was developed, implemented and improved for chemical engineering undergraduates over a two-year period. Continuous improvement through engagement in the form of feedback surveys, workshops, briefings and electronic communication have enhanced the delivery of each iteration. The novel aspect of this work lies in the simultaneous delivery of the Professional Work Placement module and the Engineering Research Project module to enhance experiential learning while the current practice in other academic institutions is to deliver these in isolation. In addition, the subsequent evaluation of the impact of this structure on both the students and industrial hosts is undertaken.