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Effects of gallery-walk in process simulation course
Author(s)
Date Issued
January 1, 2026
Type
Article
Abstract
This study examines the integration of the gallery-walk active learning strategy into a third-year Process Simulation course. Using a quasi-experimental design, student performance was compared across two traditional lecture cohorts (n = 157) and two gallery-walk cohorts (n = 158). Direct analysis revealed the gallery-walk was associated with improved performance on simple simulation problems, with the average percentage of correct answers rising from 63 % to 70 %. However, a performance decline on complex problems was observed in the initial implementation; this was mitigated in the second iteration by adding an instructor-led summarization phase. Notably, the intervention did not increase the number of top-performing students (scores >90 %), a finding potentially explained by the expertise reversal effect. Anonymous surveys indicated a significant increase in student satisfaction and engagement. This study demonstrates the gallery-walk's potential in engineering education but underscores the necessity of iterative refinement to address complex problem-solving and support learners at all proficiency levels.
Citation
South African Journal of Chemical Engineering, 55, 111-118, 2026