SPC-based model for evaluation of training processes in industrial context

Abstract

Purpose: This article aims to present successful practices in the management of training processes based on virtual reality and augmented reality, namely a strategy for evaluating the process with the principle of continuous improvement in mind, and monitoring its performance in terms of productivity and waste levels. It is proposed to apply Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools to develop control charts for monitoring individual events (i-charts).Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is based on a case study developed in an industrial project and is guided by a literature review on Work-Based Learning (WBL) and SPC.Findings: The developed work shows that SPC tools are suitable for supporting decision making in situations where the data to be analyzed is generated by human-computer interactions, e.g., involving students and virtual learning environments.Originality/value: The innovative aspect presented in the article lies in the evaluation of the effectiveness of pedagogical resources arranged in simulation environments based on virtual and augmented reality. The accumulated knowledge about the application of SPC in service areas, and others that demand data analysis, reinforces the hypothesis of the suitability of its application in the case presented. This is an original application of SPC, normally used in business processes quality control, but which in this case is applied in an innovative way to the evaluation of industrial training processes, with the same spirit for which it was designed, i.e. to provide the means to manage the quality of a process.

Effectiveness of Industrial Training Using Virtual Reality to Mitigate Risks Associated With the Work Environment: A Literature Review

“…This evaluation is based on the data that are generated from this interaction, with a decrease in the time dedicated to training and less need for new training. The model by Jesus et al [18] converges with the research by Ben-Hador et al [19], regarding the importance of training programs being marked by the promotion of interactive experiences for trainees and less theoretical ones to have greater effectiveness in program evaluations and, consequently, greater long-term return on learning acquired.…”

“…Traditional effectiveness assessments tend to be restricted to the analysis of issues related to infrastructure, materials, or specific items at the time of the assessment. Therefore, this information would hardly help to feedback and contribute to the improvement of the program as a whole, as it would lack elements to indicate actions to improve the process itself [18]. Furthermore, when it comes to simulation-based learning, traditional methods are not capable of detecting or measuring trainees' reactions, emotions and experiences during a simulation.…”

“…With regard specifically to the evaluation of learning related to aspects inherent to the training environment in VR, Jesus et al [18] proposes that in conventional training, the evaluation of the effectiveness of a training is in the ability of the trainee to reproduce that content, based on an expectation of training capacity. In the model suggested by the researchers in VR, the evaluation takes place dynamically, in the interaction of the participants with objects and learning scenarios, that is, with the simulated virtual environment.…”