Title

Reengineering The Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Program

Abstract

Within the next 5-10 years, the percentage of Industrial Engineers working outside of traditional manufacturing industries is expected to increase dramatically. Therefore, the goal of this educational research effort is to prepare future IE graduates for careers in emerging areas of Industry such as those found in Information technology, Service Industries and Engineering Management. For instance, in addition to the commonly performed tasks, future IEs will also be expected to contribute to system and product design tasks that will enhance the Information Technology Industries and entities heavily reliant upon the use of this IT strategies such as Global Database Systems, PDA's, mobile phones, Semantic Web Technology Companies, etc. Also, changes have occurred in the expectation of the sophistication level of "tools and techniques" used to perform system design, product design, and improvement analysis in Industry. Thus, it is imperative for future IE graduates to have courses and educational experiences that develop their knowledge base, skill set, and work experiences in the area of Advanced Information Systems. There are many factors within the Educational Environment that impact the successful preparation of students to pursue future roles in the field of Industrial Engineering. Some of the more critical factors include the educational curriculum, instructional strategies, and exposure to recent technology and opportunities for experiential learning. Therefore, this research will also concentrate on preparing students for employment with nontraditional manufacturing industries, as well as on integrating Cognitive Learning Theory into decisions regarding instructional strategies. It is important that the faculty is knowledgeable on the foundation principles in Cognitive Theory and its fundamental application to the specific subject matter of the course they are teaching. Thus, recognizing that all instructional strategies aren't appropriate for every subject; but most importantly knowing how to determine which strategy is BEST for the subject matter they are teaching and the student learning objectives of the course. Cognitive Theory of Learning fundamentals will assist faculty in determining "what to teach and how teach it more effectively." This implementation proposal will begin to form the basic knowledge of cognitive theories of learning as they apply to the Industrial Engineering discipline and this information will be used in the courses within the curriculum, to spur the development and enhancement of student knowledge acquisition skills and discovery skills. Technology has become recognized as a value-added dimension in the educational process because it provides the tools and methodologies that enrich learning pedagogies and enables needed innovation. This research will also investigate the appropriate uses of technology to support classroom instruction goals and student learning objectives. An additional advantage to exploiting the use of technology in the classroom is the added dimension of interactivity. Faculty will be encouraged to use technology more fully to create experiential learning opportunities for students to explore topics of significant relevance that help to augment their understanding of the primary course material. Post Graduation survey analysis reveals that many IE's are working in management positions or being asked to perform management roles within Industry such as team leader, project manager, and project coordinator. Also, often, the industry practice is simply to identify "The Best Engineers" and ask them to assume roles of management. Therefore, it is imperative that IE departments prepare their students for management positions as well as performing leadership roles within company organizations. Given the Industry practice of "identifying the Best Engineers and asking them to assume management roles" it is important that this basic knowledge and preparation in Engineering Management and Leadership be extended to other engineering majors outside of Industrial Engineering. Thus, this ReEngineering research effort involves modifying the IE Undergraduate Curriculum, establishing a minor degree program in Engineering Management, investigating Instructional Strategies, and infusing the use of Technology into the curriculum. This presentation discusses a comprehensive Departmental Reform strategy that can serve as a national model for other Industrial Engineering departments interested in making similar changes.

Publication Date

12-1-2004

Publication Title

IIE Annual Conference and Exhibition 2004

Number of Pages

245-

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Personal Identifier

scopus

Socpus ID

30044446881 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/30044446881

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