Accreditation implications Jarka Glassey Senior member EAF, Academic Accreditor Newcastle University Neil Atkinson, Director of Qualifications and International Development, IChemE

Outline Accreditation requirements refresher Design learning outcomes Future?

IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes  In chemical engineering terms, design means the creation of a system, process, product, or plant to meet an identified need.  IChemE is keen to encourage the development of new forms of design teaching and evaluation, to meet the changing requirements of the profession.  Portfolios of design work through the course to demonstrate the specified learning outcomes have been acquired  Demonstrate their ability to handle a range of process, product and plant design problems. IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes

IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes Design is essential and serves to:  develop an integrated approach to chemical engineering.  encourage the application of CE principles to problems of current and future industrial relevance including sustainable development, safety, and environmental issues.  encourage students to develop and demonstrate creative and critical powers by requiring choices and decisions to be made in areas of uncertainty.  encourage the development of transferable skills such as communication and team working.  give students confidence in their ability to apply their technical knowledge to real problems. IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes continued

Chemical engineering design is concerned with:  process design – synthesis of unit operations into a manufacturing process to meet a specification.  process troubleshooting/debottlenecking – analyses of particular problems with solutions requiring innovative process or equipment changes.  equipment design –specific and complex equipment to deliver a process or product objective  product design – puts together performance characteristics in a product to meet a specification  product troubleshooting – analyses of existing product problems with solutions requiring an understanding of material properties and the influence of the manufacturing process on them. IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes continued System design – creativity, broad range thinking, and systems integration needed to design a system to meet a specification  Encouraging students to take a wide perspective on problems and to develop their powers of synthesis, analysis, creativity and judgement, as well as clarity of thinking  Provide the undergraduate with the context and framework for the application of the scientific, technical and other knowledge, which is taught elsewhere in the course.  The appreciation of complexity arising from the interaction and integration of the different parts of a system, and the deployment of techniques to handle it (e.g. M&E bal, pinch technology and life cycle analysis) must form part of design teaching IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes continued Students must demonstrate  business requirements  technical requirements  sustainable development  safety, health and environmental issues  appreciation of public perception and concerns  synthesis, innovation and creativity  judgemental choices on the basis of incomplete and contradictory information  decision making  working with constraints and multiple objectives  justification of the choices and decisions taken IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes continued Students must demonstrate How to work in a team understanding and managing the processes of:  peer challenge  planning, prioritising and organising team activity  the discipline of mutual dependency How to communicate externally to:  acquire input information  present and defend chosen design options and decisions taken IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes - Assessment  Each student will be required to submit evidence relating to their achievements  This could take the form of reports, log books, plans, drawings, computer programmes and other written material.  Additionally, oral presentation is expected and should include cross- questioning IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

IChemE Accreditation - Design learning outcomes - Assessment Each student’s submission should show evidence that:  the design problems have been defined in the context of their objectives of creativity, judgement and decision making  a range of technical knowledge has been quantitatively and correctly applied  a systems approach has been adopted to handle complexity, interaction and integration  the design process itself has been competently managed by the student whether individually or within a team  the objectives have been properly considered in reaching the final design IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

So what does IChemE already accredit IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

So what does IChemE already accredit Examples of projects:  Biomass to liquids  Production of 1M litres/annum isobutanol from cellulose  Production of 1 tonne/annum of amoxicillin  Production of 500,000 tonnes/annum of 99.5% acetic acid  Integrated gasification combined recycle plant  Design of integrated life support systems for Mars space station  Cement manufacture with carbon capture  Caprolactam Manufacturing in China  Instant Soup Tablets  Recombinant intereferon production  Gold deposition process  Producing fresh water by desalination of sea water IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

So what does IChemE already accredit Methods of running the projects:  1 project / group vs 1 project / multiple groups  mixed ability vs streaming  well defined project vs optioneering  assessment – peer vs exclusively academic, consistency, time demand  different modes of assessment IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

Challenges/issues raised  Team dynamics  Balance between individual and group contributions  Difficulty with attracting guest speakers with background in project topic  Availability of data for design  Lack of expertise among faculty members in certain areas of design  A growing tendency of students to work only with readily available sources of information, not stretching beyond what is on the surface of the internet  A growing tendency of students to search for a pre-made solution and modifying it, rather then properly build analysis from first principles  Ensuring consistent standard between designs  Poor process unit design  Underestimation of costs IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes

Future ?  Creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship yet still robust knowledge demonstration  Sustainable and ethical solutions of societal challenges  Globalisation  Interdisciplinary designs  Increased student numbers  Rapid development of new technologies …. IChemE Accreditation Guidance Learning outcomes