ChemSPARK

Advance Organizer in Virtual Reality for Chemical Engineering

In the context of learning and working 4.0 the project ChemSPARK, funded by the Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, aims to reduce dropout rates among (bio)chemical engineering students. At the beginning of their studies many students experience an overload, struggling to connect the various subjects and information they encounter. By developing an advance organizer for the whole bachelor studies in the form of a virtual reality model of a chemical production plant, the project aims to help students by creating and integrating pre-knowledge in the teaching and learning activities. It also provides the students with an environment in which most aspects of their studies are combined into a single outcome.

The virtual plant will feature multiple levels of detail and scale, mirroring the structure of the bachelor's curriculum. For example, the students will be able to explore the virtual site, seeing how their knowledge of equipment design is applied. Moreover, they will have the opportunity to look inside certain pieces of equipment to observe chemical processes at molecular, microscopic and macroscopic level.

ChemSPARK is accompanied by the Zentrum für Hochschulbildung at TU Dortmund University and the Department of Experimental Psychology at University of Oxford. Through evaluations and close collaboration with students at both the beginning and the end of their bachelor's studies, the project will be developed in cooperation with the students.

Information on the project