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1. (2023). Assessment of a Particle Sedimentation Hands-On Learning Tool with Application in Blood Cell Separations. Education for Chemical Engineers, On-Line, 28-40. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2023.07.001

   Kaiphanliam, K. M. (July 2023, Education for chemical engineers)

   Chemical engineers frequently contribute to the advancement of the medical field; however, medical applications are often only covered in elective courses. To introduce medical applications into the core curriculum, we implemented a hands-on learning tool that portrays blood separation principles through microbead settling in a core third-year chemical engineering separations class. Test scores from twenty-six students show significant growth at p < 0.001 from Pretest to Posttest I at average values of 41 % and 68 %, respectively. Posttest II scores reveal a significantly higher average score of 84 % for students who sat through lecture before the hands-on experiment in comparison to 75 % for students who first had the hands-on experiment then lecture with statistical significance of p = 0.046 and a moderate Cohen’s d effect size of 0.442. Students report positive, lasting impressions from the guided-learning worksheet and hands-on learning experience on their feedback surveys and one-on-one interviews. Retention assessments from four students six months post-intervention reveal retention of concepts with an average test score of 74 %. These outcomes suggest hands-on learning tools are most impactful on conceptual and motivational gains when supplemented with pre-experiment lectures and quality complementary learning materials. 

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2. Work-in-Progress: Hands-On Learning Devices for Exposure to Biomedical Applications Within Chemical Engineering

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--35642  

   Kaiphanliam, KM (July 2021, American Society for Engineering Education)

   null (Ed.)

   Chemical engineering students learn valuable fundamentals that can be used to enhance the medical field, yet the lack of emphasis on such applications can misguide undergraduate students as they choose their major. To address this misconception, we propose the use of a hands-on, interactive learning tool to expose freshman-level chemical engineering undergraduate students to applications that go beyond the traditional oil refining and catalysis emphases typically discussed in the introductory “Applications in Chemical Engineering” course. We developed a low-cost, modified fidget spinner that introduces students to blood separation principles. On each arm of the spinner, there exists a see-through chamber filled with fluid and microbeads at various ratios, which simulates the effect of hematocrit, or red blood cell fraction, on settling velocities and terminal position—phenomena that are utilized to enhance blood separation efficiencies. Due to COVID-19, we plan to implement this device by mailing fidget spinner kits with a complementary worksheet to the students to conduct observational experiments at home in the spring 2021 semester. We hypothesize that introducing biomedical applications early in the undergraduate experience will help students understand that chemical engineering knowledge can easily be transferred to biological systems and will have a significant impact on motivation and retention of women in the cohort. Motivational surveys will be used to assess pre- and post-implementation attitudes toward chemical engineering as a major and will be compared to control data collected in fall 2020. In the paper and presentation, we will also share the mathematical modeling behind creating the microbead blood simulant. We plan to conclude the paper and presentation with theoretical and practical implications of our findings. 

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3. Virtual Implementation of a Hands-on Learning Tool and Its Effect on Student Comprehension and Motivational Gains

   Kitana Kaiphanliam, Olivia Reynolds (November 2021, Annual meeting American Institute of Chemical Engineers)

   Our project involves the national dissemination of highly visual hands-on learning tools focused on fluid mechanics and heat transfer principles to 44 institutions and branch campuses within the United States. Like many other educators, our team had to adapt the implementation protocols to accommodate remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than students working in groups with our hands-on learning tools, we created follow-along video implementations and supplementary tutorial videos. The videos allow students to complete the complementary worksheets associated with each hands-on learning tool while watching a graduate student explain basic concepts and collect real-time data with the hands-on learning tools. The supplementary tutorial videos are focused on an in-depth discussion of a single conceptual aspect of the learning tool. Across three remote-learning semesters, a total of 36 virtual implementations at 12 institutions were completed with approximately 630 chemical and mechanical engineering students. An asynchronous implementation method was used for 70% of the virtual implementations, while other instructors presented virtual material in a synchronous virtual setting with several allowing live, small-group discussion. At the conference, we will present conceptual and motivational assessment results to compare the effectiveness of virtual implementations versus traditional interactive hands-on implementations. 

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4. Development, Dissemination and Assessment of Inexpensive Miniature Equipment for Interactive Learning of Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer and Biomedical Concepts

   Van Wie, B.; Durak, Z.; Reynolds, O.; Kaiphanliam, K.; Thiessen, D.; Adesope, O.; Ajeigbe, O.; Khan, A.; Dutta, P.; Curtis, H.; et al (August 2022, ASEE annual conference proceedings)

   As this NSF LCDLM dissemination, development, and assessment project matures going into our fourth year of support we are moving forward in parallel on several fronts. We are developing and testing an injection-molded shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat transfer concepts, an evaporative cooler to expand to another industrial-based heat exchange system, and a bead separation module to demonstrate principles of fluid mechanics in blood cell separations applications. We are also comparing experimental data for our miniaturized hydraulic loss and venturi meter LCDLMs to predicted values based on standard industrial correlations. As we develop these new learning components, we are assessing differential gains based on gender and ethnicity, as well as how students learn with existing LCDLMs in a virtual mode with online videos compared to an in-person hands-on mode of instruction. 

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5. Transition of an Interactive, Hands-on Learning Tool to a Virtual Format in the Covid-19 Era

   Reynolds, O (July 2021, American Society for Engineering Education)

   null (Ed.)

   The 2020 coronavirus pandemic necessitated the transition of courses across the United States from in-person to a virtual format. Effective delivery of traditional, lecture-based courses in an online setting can be difficult and determining how to best implement hands-on pedagogies in a virtual format is even more challenging. Interactive pedagogies such as hands-on learning tools, however, have proven to significantly enhance student conceptual understanding and motivation; therefore, it is worthwhile to adapt these activities for virtual instruction. Our team previously developed a number of hands-on learning tools called Low-Cost Desktop Learning Modules (LCDLMs) that demonstrate fluid mechanics and heat transfer concepts—traditionally utilized by student groups in a classroom setting, where they perform qualitative experiments and interactively discuss conceptual items. In this paper we explore our efforts to transition the LCDLM hands-on pedagogy to an entirely virtual format and focus on a subset effort with greater detail to be show at the ASEE conference as we analyze additional data. To aid the virtual implementations, we created a number of engaging videos under two major categories: (1) demonstrations of each LCDLM showing live data collection activities and (2) short, animated, narrated videos focused on specific concepts related to learning objectives. In this paper we present preliminary results from pre- and post- implementation conceptual assessments and motivational surveys completed for virtual implementations of LCDLMs, and compare them with a subset of results collected during hands-on implementations in previous years. Significant differences in conceptual understanding or motivation between hands-on and virtual implementations will be discussed. This paper will provide useful, data-driven guidance for those seeking to switch hands-on pedagogies to a virtual format. 

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