Towards competency-based education in the chemical engineering undergraduate program in Uruguay: Three examples of integrating essential skills

• Published in: Education for chemical engineers 2023-07, Vol.44, p.54-62
• Main Authors: Castelló, E., Santiviago, C., Ferreira, J., Coniglio, R., Budelli, E., Larnaudie, V., Passeggi, M., López, I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autonomous learning; Engineering education; Industrial Internships; Professional skills; Unconventional laboratory practice
• ISSN: 1749-7728; 1749-7728
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ece.2023.05.004

In 2021, Universidad de la República in Uruguay approved a new Chemical Engineering undergraduate program that incorporates novel conceptual definitions such as competency-based education. This paper describes the process of defining the new curriculum plan and presents the program's structure, as well as specific and cross-disciplinary competencies. These competencies are then compared to the learning outcomes established in the guide for programs accreditation of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. To provide practical examples of how the competency-based approach was incorporated into the program, three specific cases are presented. The first case focuses on the implementation of the internship and industry project. The second case illustrates the incorporation of computational tools as an essential part of different courses throughout the degree program. Finally, the third case describes a new design for the fluid mechanics laboratory that emphasizes hands-on learning and helps students develop several competencies. •A Chemical Engineering program including competency-based education was developed.•Implementation examples of competency-base education are included.•Two mandatory courses to promote the industrial practice´s contact are described.•Computational tools were included in different courses.•An unconventional laboratory practice was implemented in the fluid mechanics' course.