Developing a six sigma methodology for improving retention in engineering education

Hargrove, S. Keith; Burge, Legand

doi:10.1109/fie.2002.1158694

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Six Sigma training should cover the strategic steps of DMAIC. Teams should be trained to understand general management processes and how to use statistics in order to make mathematical calculations (Hargrove and Burge 2002).…”

Section: Implementing Six Sigma (And Lean Six Sigma) Within An Educatmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quest for waste reduction at institutions of higher learning: Investigating the integration of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma methodologies with total quality management

Brits

2018

SAJHE

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Institutions of higher learning are required to rethink strategies to eliminate "institutional waste". The sector is facing numerous challenges with resource restrictions. Factors such as the impact of the Fees-must-fall campaign in South Africa and the global tendency of government initiatives to increase student enrolment targets, while subsidies, on a continual basis, are on the decrease, places institutions in higher education under enormous financial distress. This article argues that the majority of institutions' quality management systems in South Africa and abroad are underpinned by the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM). There is a dearth of research on the implementation of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma in higher education. This article investigates the integration of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma as mechanisms to reduce waste in the higher education sector. It reflects on how this integration can enhance a university's core business and institutional functions through processes of continuous quality assurance, the latter is characteristic of the principles of TQM.

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Section: Implementing Six Sigma (And Lean Six Sigma) Within An Educatmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quest for waste reduction at institutions of higher learning: Investigating the integration of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma methodologies with total quality management

Brits

2018

SAJHE

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“…These areas include recruitment improvement strategies, attrition, and graduation rates among engineering students [9]; [10]; [11]; [12]; [13].…”

Section: A Design For Six Sigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineering university-industry projects: A design for six sigma framework

Babajide

Moore

2015

2015 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

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As the world's economy becomes global, graduate workforce readiness is increasingly necessary. There has been a gradual shift in industry expectations of graduates from exhibiting academic expertise in a chosen discipline to a commercially adroit candidate with a strong command of, and immediate ability to apply, a broad range of skills deemed essential in the workplace [1]. With the globalization of technology and the rapid changes in the way companies do business, it is becoming imperative that graduates start performing and processing from their first day on the job [2]. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is an approach that can be helpful in pushing towards better-prepared graduates for the workforce. This study aims to use current student project work to analyze preparedness, particularly in terms of students' abilities to organize and communicate their thoughts. Preliminary findings show that more needs to be done in institutions of higher education to align the process of executing projects in universities with what is widely employed in industry.

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“…We view this as an initial investigation in using DMAIC to assess and improve curriculum. The literature has a number of cases employing continuous improvement strategies in institutions of higher education in nonacademic areas (Hogg & Hogg, 1995;Hargrove & Burge, 2002). Stevenson and Mergen (2006) discuss the desirability of including Six Sigma thinking in an undergraduate business curriculum, whereas Weinstein, Castellano, Petrick, and Vokurka (2008) describe an approach used to direct MBA students through Six Sigma process improvement projects.…”

Section: Using Six Sigma For Performance Improvement In Business Currmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Six Sigma for performance improvement in business curriculum: A case study

2009

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During the last few decades, a number of quality improvement methodologies have been used by organizations. This article provides a brief review of the quality improvement literature related to academia and a case study using Six Sigma methodology to analyze students' performance in a standardized examination. We found Six Sigma to be an effective tool for curriculum improvement and team building. The challenges and benefits of using Six Sigma are discussed.DURING THE PAST FEW DECADES, a number of quality improvement methodologies have been used extensively by organizations to improve products and services. Techniques like continuous quality improvement (CQI) and total quality management (TQM) have been used to provide modest, incremental improvements, whereas techniques like reengineering and Six Sigma have been used for making drastic changes to existing processes.Quality improvement in higher education involves examining the needs and expectations of various stakeholders (e.g., students, faculty, accrediting agencies). In addition, it requires the evaluation of the effectiveness of academic and academic support programs based on careful documentation and data collection. Temponi (2005) suggests that a number of factors drive the need for CQI in higher education: employers' desire for expanded skill sets at the entry level, increased competition for talent, changes in student composition, demands from accrediting bodies, and the complexities of a constantly changing business environment. She also notes a number of concerns among academic stakeholders regarding CQI: the perception of the student as the customer may lead to students' having too much influence; professors' lack of full control over course content may lead to violations of academic freedom; should inexperienced students' needs and wants actually be satisfied; implementation of CQI may affect the primary mission of teaching and research; and whether students are ready for the challenge of a collaborative effort to improve the learning experience.This article presents a case study using a Six Sigma process improvement methodology-DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control)-to analyze students' academic performance in the accounting section of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) major field examination in business administered by the business division at a liberal arts university in the southern United States. We view this as an initial investigation in using DMAIC to assess and improve curriculum. The literature has a number of cases employing continuous improvement strategies in institutions of higher education in nonacademic areas (Hogg & Hogg, 1995;Hargrove & Burge, 2002). Stevenson and Mergen (2006) discuss the desirability of including Six Sigma thinking in an undergraduate business curriculum, whereas Weinstein, Castellano, Petrick, and Vokurka (2008) describe an approach used to direct MBA students through Six Sigma process improvement projects. However, the literature is void of a DMAIC case that assesses, evaluates, and improv...

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Developing a six sigma methodology for improving retention in engineering education

Cited by 27 publications

References 2 publications

A quest for waste reduction at institutions of higher learning: Investigating the integration of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma methodologies with total quality management

A quest for waste reduction at institutions of higher learning: Investigating the integration of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma methodologies with total quality management

Engineering university-industry projects: A design for six sigma framework

Using Six Sigma for performance improvement in business curriculum: A case study

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