Reflections on the teaching of thermodynamics in chemical engineering

Abstract

Since 1974, almost half a century ago, after completing my doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley, and incorporated as a full-time professor at the Faculty of Chemistry at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, I have dedicated my academic activities to teaching thermodynamics, mainly chemical engineers. I have taught undergraduate and graduate level courses and refresher courses to a considerable number of practicing engineers. In this article I comment on the reflections on the teaching of thermodynamics in chemical engineering that form the essence of the methodology that I have followed. Teachers must clearly establish the objectives we pursue in teaching. It is not just transmitting knowledge, teaching is much more. We influence positively or negatively according to our attitude towards students. They are the objective of our teaching work. If we are MENTORS -with capital letters- then, we must go beyond just teaching a discipline, we must incorporate elements that help them improve their self-esteem, develop their intellectual abilities and, above all, grow as people. Our attitudes towards students: Respect, consideration and motivation, are essential for a good performance as a teacher. Establishing challenges that are enthusiastically perceived and committed is an important ingredient to achieve their integral development as a person. The goals I have pursued in teaching thermodynamics are summarized below:

• The general objective that I have had is for the student to develop their intellectual capacity. The teaching of thermodynamics has been the vehicle to achieve this.
• The approach I have followed in teaching is problem-solving learning.
• I focus on developing the ability to solve complex problems that are within your reach.
• Students learn when they solve a problem, not when they see how the teacher solves it in class. Although they cannot reach the solution, having tried it has an important learning value and when they see the solution, "They can hear and they can answer because they have comprehended the issue".
• Set important challenges that lead them to grow intellectually and increase their self-esteem.
• Students must carry out a project that involves the knowledge learned in the solution of a complex problem.
• Be willing to help when they get stuck and value each question.
• The evaluation procedure and instruments must motivate the student to make the effort to learn.
• The exam must serve a learning purpose in itself. When designing an exam we must ask ourselves what do I want them to learn by solving the exam?
• Test problems are no more difficult than those solved in class or in the problem series. They allow me to differentiate the reasoning ability of each student.
• The exams are an indicator of how well the learning objectives of the course and the development of problem solving skills are being met.
• I try to be fair in assigning the final grade and that it is a reflection of the effort that each student put into the course and is a reward for the effort made.