Integrating BioWin Simulation With Real‐World Cases in Water Pollution Control Engineering : A Teaching Model Exploration and Practice

ABSTRACT

To bridge the theory‐practice gap in Water Pollution Control Engineering education, this study introduced an innovative teaching model that deeply integrated the professional simulation software BioWin with a year‐long, real‐world operational optimization project from a full‐scale municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). This authentic case was transformed into a comprehensive virtual simulation project, guiding students through the complete engineering decision‐making workflow. Through a quasi‐experimental study with 80 students, the model demonstrated its effectiveness by translating abstract principles into quantifiable practice, significantly improving understanding of process dynamics (pre/post‐test, p  < 0.001), and enabling over 90% of students to achieve high‐fidelity model calibration (e.g., average deviations of 4.6% for MLSS and 0.5 mg/L for NH ₄ ⁺ ‐N). Crucially, the experimental group outperformed the control group in final exams ( p  < 0.001) and complex scenario analysis. The model enhanced students’ competencies in model building, operational optimization, data analysis, and systems thinking, providing a replicable, evidence‐based framework for cultivating data‐driven engineering talent.