Title: Case study: using value stream mapping in the educational process - how focusing on student actions can help depict the teaching process

Authors: Lejla Brouwer-Hadzialic; Vincent Wiegel

Addresses: Lean and World Class Performance Research Group, Faculty of Technology, HAN University of Applied Sciences, PO Box 2217, 6802 CE Arnhem, the Netherlands ' Lean and World Class Performance Research Group, Faculty of Technology, HAN University of Applied Sciences, PO Box 2217, 6802 CE Arnhem, the Netherlands

Abstract: Although many lean higher education efforts have focused on administrative/support services and processes, only a few actual applications of lean methods have been meant for teaching, which is the core business of higher education. The absence of experiments and research in these contexts has challenged us to apply lean to our own undergraduate course. We have paid special attention in this experiment to the use of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to depict teaching process, the shortcomings of VSM and the use of service blueprinting.

Keywords: lean thinking; higher education; VSM; value stream mapping; service blueprinting; educational process; teaching improvement; student-centred approach; information flow; rich informational nature; co-production; communication synchronicity; six sigma; case study: student actions; undergraduate courses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCA.2016.080451

International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 2016 Vol.10 No.1, pp.50 - 61

Accepted: 12 Jul 2016
Published online: 23 Nov 2016 *

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