Abstract:

Researchers have described and demonstrated the potential of the Internet for improving teaching and learning. Finding and developing Internet resources is necessary in large part because the technology itself does not provide a map for its use, and many interesting and potentially useful resources are not designed for education. Teachers in effect become curriculum makers, developing parts of the curriculum by using the Internet.

The growing interest in renewable energies is accompanied by development of technical processes for the thermal conversion of biomass and wastes. Pyrolysis and combustion have always been considered as attractive alternatives for waste disposal, since these techniques provide a reduction in volume of waste and also involve profitable energetic and/or chemical products. The education for waste management and pollution is very critical to the perseverance of global health and security of humankind.

Under the European Higher Education Area, the use of the Internet and web 2.0 tools are a first step in the adaptation of teaching to the model of European studies, where there is a need for greater participation by the student and fewer in-class sessions.

The purpose of this work is to develop an educational website that serves as a support for teaching subjects of the degree in Chemical Engineering related to waste treatment. It aims to create a dynamic and open web environment which contains material prepared or collected by teachers, but also activities for promoting independent learning and reflection by students. This material should be useful for both face-to-face instruction and computer-mediated instruction (blended learning) within this subject. One of the projected activities for students will be the participation in a debate entitled "incineration versus landfill". Links to videos of treatment plants, research groups, specific journals and so on will be proposed.

The web page will include open content, but also sections which only would be accessible with username and password. It will be available at the following address:
http://iq.ua.es/materiales/tratamientotermicoresiduos.html.

Keywords:

Chemical engineering, b-learning, combustion, pyrolysis.