From Lab Scale to Mass Production: A Project-Based Learning on the Preparation of (S)-Epichlorohydrin for Enhancing College Student Engineering Practical Abilities

Project-based learning (PJBL) is student-centered and teamwork educational activity that prepares students for the challenge of real-world problems. This kind of instructional method is highly recommended by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This paper describes an authentic project that focuses on the preparation of (S)-epichlorohydrin from laboratory (lab) scale to mass production, which provides a situation for students to explore lab work as well as real industrial practice. During the different learning activities, clear learning objectives and guiding questions would be explicitly given to students to help them apply their knowledge and skills to the engineering project and complete the tasks within a given time. Upon the completion of the project, their written reports and team oral reports are used to evaluate their learning gains. The assessment results showed that most of the students attained good scores, and all teams reached outstanding level. Their engineering practical abilities including practical operation, problem-solving, systematic thinking, teamwork, and communication were significantly improved. This paper discusses how to cultivate engineering science talents at the college's comprehensive practicing course.