Operation and Student Perceptions of a Large-scale, In-person Unit Operations Laboratory Course During the Covid-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

In the fall semester of 2020, many universities moved to fully online learning due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Even at universities where some in-person or hybrid instruction was permitted, many Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Laboratory courses moved online. At The Ohio State University, Unit Operations continued in-person throughout Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. The Unit Operations course at Ohio State is one of the largest in the country, with an average enrollment of 190 students every semester, making the logistics associated with lab density and physical distancing especially challenging. Several new strategies were implemented to make in-person lab possible, such as reducing lab density, scheduling lab experiments based on their physical proximity, strictly enforcing 6-foot distancing, working around student and TA absences due to illness or quarantine, and developing best practices related to requirements for personal protective equipment. Overall, in-person Unit Operations lab at Ohio State was successful, with students conducting a total of 1,820 person-hours of experiments in the lab under COVID-19-related safety protocols. No major problems were encountered related to compliance with COVID-19 policies or precautions, and there was no indication that any students, TAs, or instructors contracted an illness as a result of attending the lab. Results of a survey of student perceptions of the lab experience indicated that students felt safe attending lab in person and preferred it to potential virtual options. The purposes of this paper are 1) to provide guidelines and best practices to Unit Operations courses which have not yet returned to in-person instruction, 2) to record experiences and strategies from the COVID-19 pandemic to inform future instructors and administrators in the event of another pandemic or similar event, and 3) to present and discuss student perceptions of the lab experience. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021