2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Bridging the gap between theory and practice remains one of the greatest challenges in Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics education. Students often master the equations but struggle to interpret their physical meaning or apply them to real-world problems. This work presents an innovative instructional approach that integrates professional skill development, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration, through an entrepreneurial-minded learning framework embedded in a core Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics course.
This approach centers on a challenge-based activity that situates students in a realistic, high-elevation survival scenario where two chemical engineering juniors, stranded in an Arizona mountain cabin with no electricity, limited resources, and a fire ban, must devise a method to heat water using only a metal hose and other materials potentially available in the cabin (their creativity in action there!). To address thermodynamic questions regarding temperature, boiling conditions, and internal pressure, students must integrate theory with practice, apply technical concepts and tools such as Equations of State, steam tables, vapor pressure calculations, and make reasoned, data-supported decisions under realistic constraints. The activity encourages divergent thinking by allowing multiple solution pathways, such as the use of solar heating or exothermic reactions using fertilizer (that may be found in the cabin!) to generate heat, while requiring critical assessment of feasibility and safety.
Implemented as a collaborative team assignment, the exercise emphasizes professional communication and peer interaction through oral presentations and structured peer evaluation as well as faculty (not only the instructor but also invited faculty members from Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry) evaluations using rubrics assessing clarity, creativity, technical rigor, safety, and environmental awareness. A reflective “Perfect Problem” approach (learning from failure) extension reinforces metacognitive learning and continuous improvement as teams revisit and refine their solutions after further study.
Results of the implementation of this published Engineering Unleashed Card #4453: Think, Act, and Feel Thermodynamics challenge problem will be presented to show how this activity links technical mastery to the development of professional identity. Surveys helped quantify how students learn to frame challenges as opportunities for innovation, integrate multidisciplinary perspectives, and communicate effectively while considering ethical, safety, and environmental implications. A follow up survey was conducted one year after exposing the students to this experience and results will be presented to demonstrate how Think, Act, and Feel Thermodynamics has impacted the education of Chemical Engineering students at LATech and equipped them with both conceptual understanding and the professional skills required of forward-thinking engineers prepared to create value in complex, real-world contexts.