Using a Supply Chain Game to Effect Problem‐Based Learning in an Undergraduate Operations Management Program

We describe our process for transforming a traditional, core operations management/supply chain management (OM/SCM) course into an experiential, integrated, and coordinated course. We developed a vison to create a course that all business majors would find engaging and relevant and that faculty would teach consistently and at the same level of rigor. A primary result was three new learning outcomes that focused on concept integration across operations, the supply chain, and the business. We specifically focused on decision trade-offs and the effects of OM/SCM decisions on other parts of operations, the supply chain, and the business. The redesigned course has been implemented for three semesters. Our experiences offer new insights for redesigning and coordinating an OM/SCM core course and a process that can be implemented in other redesign efforts.

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Course Design Process to Create a Coordinated, Experiential, Integrated Core Operations Management Course for Business Majors

Hoefle

Ott

Scherpereel

et al. 2020

“…Survey questions were adapted from Web, Thomas, & Liao‐Troth, 2014; Kandet & Stoblein, ; Ashenbaum, ; and Klotz, .…”

Section: Assessment Of Learning Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chantey Castings: A Hands‐On Simulation to Teach Constraint Management and Demand‐Driven Supply Chain Approaches

Grandzol

2018

Supply chain design and constraint management are widely-adopted techniques in industry, necessitating that operations and supply chain educators teach these topics in ways that enhance student learning and retention, optimize resource utilization (especially time), and maximize student interest. The Chantey Castings Simulation provides a platform to accomplish all three criteria. In a fun, collaborative environment, students learn important concepts related to these techniques by identifying obstacles to matching customer demand with sourcing, production, and logistics for a variety of products made from Play-Doh. Assessment data indicate the simulation is a highly-effective experiential learning activity.Subject Areas: Constraint management, Demand-driven supply chain approaches, Hands-on simulation.

“…Though this research has been done in the context of general management and leadership, these same ideas are relevant to other functional areas where pedagogy to improve application of knowledge within a situated organizational context occurs. An example is Kanet and Stoblein (2008), who integrated a problem‐based learning approach within the context of an organizational supply chain simulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the Impact of Pedagogy on Student Application of Learning: Acquiring, Sharing, and Using Knowledge for Organizational Decision Making

Stewart¹,

Williams²,

Smith-Gratto³

et al. 2011

In this pilot research we examine the impact of two leadership development training programs on the ability of students to acquire knowledge, share knowledge, and apply knowledge for organizational decision making. One program emphasized concepts and case-based application based on a technical learning paradigm. The other program used a game-based computer simulation, Virtual Leader, grounded in an experiential or situated learning paradigm. After training, students from both programs engaged in a complex in-basket exercise to examine the quality of their leadership and managerial abilities. In this exercise, participants from each training intervention worked with their trained cohort to accomplish a day of managerial work. Participants were observed and their individual and collective actions and decisions on behalf of the organization were evaluated. Using qualitative research we compared the organizational decisions associated with each group to determine which pedagogical technique resulted in the most effective application of student learning. While technical learning pedagogy was associated with greater information acquisition, the game-based computer simulation (an experiential, social-interaction oriented pedagogy) was associated with better decision quality and more shared cognition. Evidence suggests that students taught with the † Corresponding author. 4Examining Impact of Pedagogy on Student Application of Learning game-based computer simulation collectively demonstrated a greater ability to apply what they learned.