Title: Process improvement: a classroom experiment

Authors: Bradley T. Ewing; Maia M. Ghandour; Mark A. Thompson

Addresses: Area of ISQS, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA ' Area of ISQS, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA ' Area of ISQS, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA

Abstract: The authors describe a classroom experiment that demonstrates many topics which are related to process improvement. The students are assigned random numbers and asked to pass a ball, in number order, in the shortest time possible without dropping the ball. This pedagogical experiment illustrates a variety of concepts related to process improvement that are often difficult to teach without having a real life example. By actively taking part in the experiment, students gain a better understanding of process improvement concepts.

Keywords: classroom experiment; operations management education; process improvement; pedagogy; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2012.051593

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2012 Vol.5 No.1, pp.24 - 31

Received: 09 Nov 2011
Accepted: 21 Feb 2012
Published online: 29 Nov 2014 *

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