A Tabletop Flexible Manufacturing Cell for Use in the Production/Operations Management Classroom

Abstract

A simple tabletop flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) was developed for use in senior level operations management and quality assurance management courses. This article explores the use of this FMC in a variety of classroom situations, such as (a) in demonstrations and integrative case studies designed to increase student understanding of how to apply class materials and information; and (b) in MBA students' directed studies in the management of technology.

The Use of Student Consulting Projects as an Active Learning Pedagogy: A Case Study in a Production/Operations Management Course

“…This section briefly discusses the literature on the use of active learning in operations management courses. Both Polito, Kros, and Watson (2004) and Sower (1997) point out the inherent challenges of teaching operations management, a course that is required in the business core at many business schools and colleges throughout the United States. In general, much of the difficulty in teaching operations management centers on how students perceive the course.…”

“…Each of the articles we have described emphasized experiential learning in the operations management classroom (see, e.g., Sower, 1997; Polito, Kros, & Watson, 2004). This research offers an alternative to classroom‐based active learning for operations management courses.…”

“…Space limitations prevent us from discussing the way active learning has been used in operations management courses. Examples of active learning in the operations management classroom include case studies and video plant tours as well as in-class simulations (Sower, 1997). Sower demonstrates the effective use of a flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) to help students learn production and operations management at Sam Houston State University.…”

Aprendizaje activo y desempeño del estudiante: diseño de un curso de dirección de la producción (Active learning methods and student performance: A design of a production management course)

“…En la universidad española, cursos generales de Dirección de la Producción han estado considerados en la formación tanto de licenciados en Dirección y Administración de empresas como de Ingenieros Industriales (Machuca y Alfalla, 2003). En estos contextos, en los que la mayoría de estudiantes han tenido un contacto muy limitado con el mundo laboral, la base para comprender los conceptos que integran la disciplina así como su aplicación práctica es muy limitada (Alfalla et al, 2011;Fish, 2008;Sower, 1997). Por ello, la utilización de metodologías de aprendizaje activo, dirigidas a facilitar la comprensión de la aplicación de las bases de la dirección de producción, así como de los contextos reales en los que ello se realiza, van a llevar a que los estudiantes tengan una experiencia de aprendizaje más eficaz (Kolb y Kolb, 2005).…”