Rethinking Electrochemical Science and Engineering Education

Abstract

Electrochemical Science and Engineering is a particularly challenging subject to teach at the undergraduate/graduate level. The students need a substantial background in the physics of electrostatics, fields, potentials, and electrical circuits, solution chemistry, thermodynamics, mass transport and kinetics. They must also be versed in the underlying mathematics of differential and integral calculus. A lack of knowledge or retention of any of the aforementioned prerequisite subject areas can pose significant barriers to advanced learning. A minority of the students at The University of New Mexico have had some prior training in electrochemical research from internships at UNM, and National and Defense laboratories. The performance of the student interns was largely superior to the students with no direct laboratory experience. These students were generally much more engaged at achieving a better understanding of the underlying science behind their laboratory work. A major goal of the School of Engineering at UNM is to improve the comprehension and retention of key fundamental concepts and skills in the aforementioned areas for all students in the chemical engineering field and provide more opportunities for “hands on” learning and skills development. The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) at the University of New Mexico is engaged in a program to revolutionize engineering education by launching FACETS: Formation of Accomplished Chemical Engineers for Transforming Society. FACETS will revolutionize CBE by: (1) introducing "CIRE" design challenges in the core curriculum that are Community-, Industry-, Research-, and/or Entrepreneurship-based; (2) conducting professional development institutes that will train and mentor faculty and graduate students; workshops will be led by experts from industry and national laboratories, from the learning sciences, from engineering education and multicultural studies, for example the directors of UNM Native American Studies and Chicano/a Studies, and (3) create a digital badging system that will help students take ownership of their competencies and develop engineering identities and enable faculty to monitor and assess student outcomes and to engage in research on their teaching. We believe that this comprehensive approach towards modular learning and digital validation will improve our teaching of Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering and heighten our student’s understanding of the subject material. We have prepared core concept modules with supporting experimentation in the subject areas of: Types of Electrochemical Cells, Solution Theory, Electrostatics, Electrolytes, Ionic Transport, Charged Interfaces, Electrochemical Thermodynamics, Batteries, Fuel Cells, Electrolysis, Electrodeposition, Electroanalysis and Environmental Electrochemistry.