Template based programming in chemical engineering courses

The use of a template-based programming approach to prepare students for the wide variety of computer related issues that may arise in their engineering duties is discussed. The system reduces the amount of effort required by students toward outcomes not tied to the objectives of a chemical engineering course. The reduction in time required for the programming tasks increases the available time to focus on understanding model development and appropriate usage of numerical methods. The approach is not limited to a particular language and may be utilized in a variety of courses.