Page 151 - Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century

Conclusion
This study assessed the students’ responses to the use
of Design-Expert® in a chemical engineering laboratory. The experiment involved the production of diesel from
the reaction of vegetable oil and alcohol with the help
of a catalyst. It is clear that students found the software useful, with 75 per cent strongly agreeing that it provided better accuracy of results compared to designing
without the software. The investigation revealed that
the Design-Expert® offers better insight into the process of optimisation that cannot be attained by a regular laboratory experimental method and signifies as one of the most effective and efficient data analysis approaches for experimental design. In addition, the students indicated their willingness to implement the software in future, seeing it as improving the quality of their experiments. The use of the software will allow students to work in a group to design and conduct experiments, to achieve a collective goal, will widen their abilities and encourage new ways of thinking. Finally, the use of the software will assist in the acquisition and assessment of GA4.
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References
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