From numerical problem solving to model-Based experimentation-incorporating computer-based tools of various scales into the ChE curriculum

A proposed framework for incorporating computational tools of various scales into the ChE curriculum is discussed. The study of computer languages such as FORTRAN has been included in the ChE curriculum since the 1960s. Programming languages are often taught by computer scientists not engineers, and this is usually before the students encounter any engineering problems that are complex enough to require programming. Most of the problems that are included in the textbooks and the publications mentioned in the previous section can be characterized as Single-Model, Single-Algorithm (SMSA). A review of the state of the art of computing in academia and in industry has demonstrated that incorporation of the most necessary computing tools into the undergraduate curriculum represents a major challenge. The presented framework also enables and encourages the inclusion of additional software tools and databases within the undergraduate curriculum as part of the regular courses.