Undergraduate Teaching: past and present Dr Patrick Barrie Chemical Engineering’s 60 th Anniversary 16 July 2008

Number of undergraduates

Fox Students enter Department after two years of either Natural Sciences or Mechanical Sciences Year 3: Qualifying Examination for Chemical Engineering Year 4: the Chemical Engineering Tripos

course: Year 3 (“qualifying examination”)  Applied Physical Chemistry Chemical Thermodynamics (16, Denbigh) Reaction and Phase Equilibrium (28, Denbigh) Kinetic Theory of Gases (8, Fox) Reaction Kinetics (4, Danckwerts)  Chemical Engineering Principles Material and Thermal Balances (20, Danckwerts) Fluid Mechanics (16, Kay) Unit Operations (20, Sellers) Applied Thermodynamics (16, Kay)  Mathematics (32, Fox)  External courses: Ex-Natural Sciences: Electricity, Materials, Structures, Laboratory Ex-Mechanical Sciences: General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Practical Organic Chemistry

course: Year 4 (“Chem Eng Tripos”)  Applied Physical Chemistry Thermodynamic Properties (20, Fox) Reaction Kinetics (16, Danckwerts) Electrochemistry (16, Danckwerts) Surface Chemistry (8, Denbigh) Colloidal Phenomena (16, Denbigh)  Chemical Engineering Principles Mass and Heat Transfer (32, Kay) Unit Operations (24, Sellers) Continuous Reaction Systems (8, Denbigh) Automatic Control (8, Kay/Sellers) Radiant Heat Transfer (8, Fox)  Chemical Processes (48, Sellers/Denbigh)  Mathematical Methods (24, Fox)  Choice of external courses: “Statistical Methods” or “Corrosion of Metals”  Assessed using SEVEN three hour examinations  Research Project

Number of undergraduates Fox 1959: move to Pembroke Street

Number of undergraduates Fox Danckwerts 1960: approval given for purchase of a digital computer 1966: Natural Sciences Tripos reformed: Year 2 course on “Fluid Mechanics and Transfer Processes” Vast bulk of students came via the Natural Sciences route

Number of undergraduates Fox Danckwerts 1967: Year 3 became known as “Part I Chemical Engineering Tripos” 1968: Year 4 became known as “Part II Chemical Engineering Tripos 1969: Engineering Tripos starts

course: Year 3 (Part I Chemical Engineering)  Chemical Thermodynamics (24, Hutchison)  Fluid Mechanics (32, Harrison/Nedderman/Bridgwater)  Catalysis and Kinetics (24, Kenney/Blackadder)  Unit Operations (32, Danckwerts/Bridgwater)  Chemical Reactors (8, Turner)  Process Control (8, Armstrong)  Mathematics (24, Hutchison/Turner)  Statistics (8, Harrison)  Design (8, Bridgwater)  External courses: Ex-Natural Sciences: Structures, Laboratory Ex-Mechanical Sciences: Chemistry, Laboratory  Design Project

course: Year 4 (Part II Chemical Engineering)  Fluid Mechanics (40, Nedderman/Armstrong)  Separation Processes (16, Danckwerts/Blackadder)  Multicomponent Separations (16, Kenney)  Thermodynamic Properties (8, Hutchison)  Radiant Heat Transfer (8, Turner)  Polymers & Colloids (32, Blackadder)  Electrochemistry (16, Turner)  Tubular Reactors (16, Kenney)  Mathematics (28, Pearson)  Statistics (8, Harrison)  Industrial Lectures  Research Project

Number of undergraduates Fox Danckwerts 1974: department permitted use of electronic calculators in exams

Number of undergraduates FoxDanckwertsDavidson Year 4 students awarded “Certificate in Advanced Study in Chemical Engineering” 1980: Biotechnology started being taught in Year : Structures now taught “in-house” for ex-Natural Scientists 1990: Year 4 students now awarded M.Eng. degree. University agreed previous students could claim one too.

Number of undergraduates FoxDanckwertsDavidson B’water 1994: Chemistry now taught “in-house” for ex-Engineering students 1997: Chemical Engineering Tripos starts in 2 nd Year at University, after just one year of Natural Sciences or Engineering: Year 2: Part I Year 3: Part IIA Year 4: Part IIB 1997: Physics starts a 4 th year course for the M.Sci. degree. Other sciences follow : General Engineering becomes a 4-year M.Eng. course

Number of undergraduates FoxDanckwertsDavidson B’water Chase 2002: 2 nd year Natural Sciences option of Fluid Mechanics ended 2001: Undergraduate exchange scheme with MIT starts (for 2 nd year students) 2004/5: UCAS codes set up for Chemical Engineering via Natural Sciences Chemical Engineering via Engineering

Number of undergraduates FoxDanckwertsDavidson B’water Chase Gladden 2008: Merger with Institute of Biotechnology

Number of undergraduates

Current course structure  Year 1: Either Natural Sciences or Engineering. Lectures and labwork.  Year 2: First part of core Chemical Engineering. Lectures, labwork and exercises.  Year 3: Rest of core Chemical Engineering. Lectures and exercises. Full time Design Project for 5 weeks in Easter term  Year 4: Advanced Chemical Engineering Options Broadening Material Options Research Project  Written examinations still the major assessment method Some exam papers for you to inspect (’50,’60,’70,’81,’90,’00,’08)

Information on undergraduates  Student background: 65% come via Natural Sciences 35% come via Engineering will be 50/50 in next year’s intake  37% of our undergraduates are female  Nationalities: 65% are UK 5% are EU 30% are overseas

Class list distribution 1 st nd (undiv) rd Other Number

Class list distribution University st 10.3% % 2 nd (undiv) 4.0% % 3 rd 22.1% Other 4.0 Number 4300

Class list distribution University 1960 University st 10.3%22.2% %50.2% 2 nd (undiv) 4.0%7.0% %16.8% 3 rd 22.1%2.1% Other % Number

Class list distribution University 1960 University 2007 Chem Eng st 10.3%22.2%24.8% %50.2%46.3% 2 nd (undiv) 4.0%7.0% %16.8%20.8% 3 rd 22.1%2.1%6.0% Other %2.0% Number

Changes in discipline  New technologies: Polymers Membranes Biotechnology  New understanding of fundamentals: Thermodynamics  New aspects are deemed important: Product Design  Computers: Routine use of numerical methods to solve equations Process simulators Thermodynamic and other databases readily available

Changes in teaching  Lectures continue, now often accompanied by detailed handouts  Less laboratory work  More project work  Examples classes discontinued  Plenty of College supervisions A large proportion of which are given by postdocs and PhD students  Teaching almost entirely in-house (other than a few 4 th year options)  Internet Web resources for learning Weblabs

Industrial involvement in teaching  Industrial lectures  Industrial backing of research projects  Teaching Consortium Scheme been running for 10 years About 20 companies have been involved Current supporters:

Independence  Set up as independent of Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Physics & Chemistry  Still true for “new” department Can modify course rapidly as and when we want  We train our students: to do Engineering calculations to think like Scientists  The emphasis on the fundamental scientific principles behind processes continues: We don’t teach our students how to follow recipes – We teach our students how to write them