Hypermedia navigation of pilot-scale process plants as a teaching tool

Educational hypermedia offers flexible access to information, supports convenient learning styles, and provides a number of teaching advantages. The student's desire to learn can be enhanced by involving them in the education process and by presenting the course material in an attractive manner to encourage student participation. A well-implemented multimedia curriculum is an effective tool in technical education. Detailed mathematical models and simulations of pilot-plants have been developed in order to create virtual plants. Students can be trained to operate and test these virtual plants in order to learn about their behaviour. Student assignments and projects based on these simulated process plants provide self and group learning opportunities at a pace comfortable to the students. This paper reviews a case study in the setting up of simulated process plants for such flexible learning.