Learning to Design Experiments - An Integrated Approach

Learning to design experiments cannot easily be achieved in one or two terms, rather, becoming an experimentalist takes time and practice for most students. The faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) have developed an integrated lab-lecture curriculum that introduces lab in the sophomore year, fuses together the lecture (theory and computational studies) with observation (experimentation and real-world experiences) and offers a more graduate progression in the learning experience. Guided inquiry begins as a sophomore, with increasing levels of independence expected, nurtured through various design related activities such as the “experimental prototype.” The experience culminates with an open-ended capstone laboratory.