This paper shares the experience of the Diploma in Chemical Engineering (DCHE) of Singapore Polytechnic (SP) in using the CDIO Framework to guide the design of spiral curriculum for chemical engineering students. In this spiral curriculum model, simple concepts are introduced to the students first, which are then revisited and re-construed in a more in-depth and elaborated manner throughout the three-year course. The CDIO learning outcomes are intertwine into the context of learning to support the levelling up of knowledge and skills from one semester to another, from one module to another, while integrating critical thinking skills with disciplinary knowledge to provide a more holistic approach to engineering education for our students. The paper first introduces spiral curriculum for chemical engineering and explains how the modules are sequenced within the three-year course based on the complexity of concepts, context of learning as well as opportunities for application and integration of knowledge. Then, it describes the use of block teaching as a means to deliver the spiral curriculum where knowledge and skill competencies are levelled up via a cluster of modules offered within a semester. DCHE had two runs of block teaching and the third run is currently in-effect. Qualitative and quantitative surveys were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of block teaching on student learning and student performance in assessment across different cohort of students in the first two runs. A z-test was used to compare student academic performance at 5% significance level and statistically there are no significance difference. It was found that generally student were able to connect the concepts taught from one module to another better compared to a non-spiral curriculum. Some improvement plans had been implemented based on the feedback of the first two runs and these are discussed in the paper. Faculty teaching staff who facilitate the learning with students also plays an instrumental role in the spiral curriculum where they must have the ability to provide the integrated learning experiences to students and help students make connections between the concepts that are taught in different modules and across semesters. So, it is important that faculty members are able to deliver more than one subject or area of study. While there are benefits for using block teaching to aid student learning, there are challenges and trade-offs which are further discussed in the paper. In the last section of the paper, it outlines the broad areas where we strive to continue to study the effect of block teaching in future cohort of students to improve the delivery of the spiral curriculum and support student learning.
