Teaching modelling of chemical processes in higher education using multi-media

Together with partners from three other German universities we are developing a multimedia learning system for the instruction of process engineering students. This paper focuses on a single module of that system which supports students in learning the task of stationary process modelling. As a basic example to teach systematic modelling we have selected a single distillation tray. On the base of this example, the students learn to apply systematic modelling techniques on complex problems, in particular they learn to draw proper system boundaries, to formulate mass and energy balances and to select appropriate equations to describe phase equilibrium and other relevant phenomena. To reach the intended level of competence students are supported with a pool of so called edu:snipplets, i.e. multi-media material like schematic drawings, interactive flash animations and short "edutaining" films that allow to look inside real distillation column. These edu:snipplets are integrated in a structured script that is nonlinear navigable by means of a semantic net. To foster self-paced learning some checkpoints are integrated where students can examine their understanding of the topic. Further support is given by small interactive programs (edu:trainlets) that can be fully integrated into the online script. These programmes may be as simple as an interactive visualization of some formula or concept like the bubble- and dew-point lenses and as complex as the simulation of a unit operation like a distillation tower or an adiabatic flash up to the operation of whole simulated plants in a distributed environment.