Case-Based Problem Solving Exercises for Engineering Education

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venkat Allada ◽  
Vivas Jose
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Laundry Detergent ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Taguchi Methods ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Case Based

This paper describes the development of a case-behind problem solving exercise that emphasizes the managerial and the engineering aspects of a real life project. Using the real life example of a quality initiative project that was completed at a laundry detergent plant of a international company, a series of modular exercises have been developed on topics such as organizational structure, process capability, six sigma, and Taguchi methods. The exercise modules have been developed by referring to the Bloom’s six levels of cognitive learning process. This paper provides some of the highlights of the exercise development process that may be useful to educators interested in developing their own case study-based exercises or adapting the available ones to suit their needs.

scholarly journals Asynchronous Online Discussions During Case-Based Learning: A Problem-Solving Process

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrie A Koehler ◽  
Zui Cheng ◽  
Holly Fiock ◽  
Shamila Janakiraman ◽  
Huanhuan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Case Based Learning ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Asynchronous Online Discussions ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Case Based

Asynchronous discussions are typically considered an essential aspect of online case-based learning. While instructors implement discussions to support a variety of instructional purposes during case-based learning (e.g., facilitate students’ sense making, prompt the consideration of diverse perspectives, debate complex topics), whether students receive the expected benefits is unclear, and little research has considered how students intentionally participate in discussions to support their learning during case-based learning. At the same time, students’ participation in asynchronous online discussions represents a complex endeavor. That is, students must make several decisions regarding how to effectively participate, while simultaneously experiencing several challenges. The purpose of this exploratory multiple-case study was to consider the experiences of six graduate students participating in asynchronous online discussions as a part of a case-based course. By analyzing these experiences, we were able to conceptualize students’ navigation of an asynchronous online discussion as a problem-solving process and consider individual problem-solving approaches. Results indicate that students relied primarily on instructors to determine the purpose of their discussion participation, expressed differing levels of value for participating in discussions, adopted a variety of strategies to meet discussion participation goals, and assessed their participation efforts mainly based on guidelines set by the instructor. We offer suggestions for effectively designing and facilitating asynchronous online discussions and discuss areas needing future research.

Enabling Democratic Local Governance through Rural E-Municipalities in Kyrgyzstan

2013 ◽  
pp. 34-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zamira Dzhusupova
Keyword(s):  
Local Governance ◽  
Real Life ◽  
National Development ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Development Context

This chapter presents a case study on rural e-municipalities in Kyrgyzstan as an enabling tool for facilitating and supporting democratic local governance. The authors examine the case based on their action research and discuss key findings in terms of challenges of implementing and sustaining ICT-enabled local governance observed throughout the life cycle of the real life project. The case presentation is guided by the conceptual framework built on an extensive literature review. Key findings and lessons drawn from this case study can guide policy makers and practitioners in other developing countries in designing and implementing similar initiatives with careful consideration of national development context, enabling political, administrative, and legal environment, governance structure and decentralization policies, institutional framework, and strength of rural municipalities and local communities. This chapter’s possible contribution to research includes improving understanding of the implementation and sustainability issues of rural e-municipality as one of the critical e-governance initiatives at the grassroots level.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic analysis of software evolution, a case study: VE&MINT

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Ortiz-Troncoso
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Software Evolution ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Traditional View ◽  
Software Ecosystem ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Project Governance

Open source projects may face a forking situation at some point during their life-cycle. The traditional view is that forks are a waste of project resources and should be avoided. However, in a wider technological and organisational context, forks can be a way to foster the creation of a software ecosystem. Either way, forking is explicitly allowed by open source licenses. Notwithstanding, methods for quantifying the evolution of forks are currently scarce. The present work attempts to answer the question whether a real-life project has forked. It does so by considering code and organisational characteristics of the project, and analysing these characteristics by applying methods ported from biological phylogenetics. After finding that the project is forked, implications for project governance are discussed.

Enabling Democratic Local Governance through Rural E-Municipalities in Kyrgyzstan

2015 ◽  
pp. 1009-1033
Author(s):  
Zamira Dzhusupova
Keyword(s):  
Local Governance ◽  
Real Life ◽  
National Development ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Development Context

This chapter presents a case study on rural e-municipalities in Kyrgyzstan as an enabling tool for facilitating and supporting democratic local governance. The authors examine the case based on their action research and discuss key findings in terms of challenges of implementing and sustaining ICT-enabled local governance observed throughout the life cycle of the real life project. The case presentation is guided by the conceptual framework built on an extensive literature review. Key findings and lessons drawn from this case study can guide policy makers and practitioners in other developing countries in designing and implementing similar initiatives with careful consideration of national development context, enabling political, administrative, and legal environment, governance structure and decentralization policies, institutional framework, and strength of rural municipalities and local communities. This chapter's possible contribution to research includes improving understanding of the implementation and sustainability issues of rural e-municipality as one of the critical e-governance initiatives at the grassroots level.

Immobilization check for fixture design

2003 ◽  
Vol 217 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
K M Yu ◽  
T W Lam ◽  
A H C Lee
Keyword(s):  
Computational Geometry ◽  
Interval Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fixture Design ◽  
Analysis Scheme ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Case Based

Fixture design contributes highly to manufacturing safety and quality. Computer aided fixture design (CAFD) facilitates more cost effective and efficient workholder design. However, heuristic and case-based approaches are still common. This paper addresses CAFD using the computational geometry approach. The correctness of a fixture design will be determined through vector-theoretic immobilization checking of the fixture points (i.e. location and clamping points) proposed. Details of the translational and rotational immobilization checking theory are explained, which are also applicable to general three-dimensional shapes. In real life, perfect geometry does not exist. As contemporary CAFD systems cannot cater for non-ideal geometry satisfactorily, the paper also develops an interval analysis scheme for toleranced immobilization checks. A real-life case study is presented to demonstrate the procedure.

scholarly journals The Green Business and Sustainable Development School—A Case Study for an Innovative Educational Concept to Prevent Big Ideas from Failure

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1943
Author(s):  
Jan Nicolai Hennemann ◽  
Bernd Draser ◽  
Katarina Repkova Stofkova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Patterns Of Failure ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Educational Concept ◽  
Green Business

This article addresses the question of why initiatives in the field of green business and sustainable development often fail. Therefore, it dismantles some typical patterns of failure and shows—as a case study—how these patterns can be challenged through an innovative educational concept: the green business and sustainable development school. The applied methodology is a real-life project that is designed through methodological elements stemming from business model canvas, theory U, stakeholder participation, and design thinking. The results of the school initiative are discussed and evaluated by four distinctive stakeholder groups and the school’s supporting potential to overcome typical patterns of failure in the green business and sustainable development arena by the younger generation in the future is outlined. This article concludes with ideas to enhance the school concept to reach even more stakeholder-groups and increase its reliability and viability.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic analysis of software evolution, a case study: VE&MINT

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Ortiz-Troncoso
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Software Evolution ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Traditional View ◽  
Software Ecosystem ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Project Governance

Open source projects may face a forking situation at some point during their life-cycle. The traditional view is that forks are a waste of project resources and should be avoided. However, in a wider technological and organisational context, forks can be a way to foster the creation of a software ecosystem. Either way, forking is explicitly allowed by open source licenses. Notwithstanding, methods for quantifying the evolution of forks are currently scarce. The present work attempts to answer the question whether a real-life project has forked. It does so by considering code and organisational characteristics of the project, and analysing these characteristics by applying methods ported from biological phylogenetics. After finding that the project is forked, implications for project governance are discussed.

Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Salama ◽  
Mutasim Nour ◽  
Adel Haloub ◽  
Yara Al Jundi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Initiation Stage ◽  
Set Up

This chapter aims to introduce the reader in general, and project managers in particular, to the basic concepts and applications of renewable energy (RE) with emphasis on the various renewable energy technologies (RTEs), emerging as an alternative to traditional energy sources, in an applied, practical and project-focused context. The chapter builds on academic research-based cases studies conducted by the authors. The first case relates to a real-life project which will be the first advanced biofuels refinery to be built in the Middle Eastb with an estimated cost of $700m and commercial operation date in 2022. The financial close date is scheduled for the end of Q4, 2018, and it is expected to have a lower cost of production compared to European and US refineries. The second case study concerns the feasibility study to build a waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration plant in Dubai. It provides project managers with useful insight into the details of this vital initiation stage for this type of project, based on a real-life data set, in an applied research context. The details of both cases can be found on: https://www.goodfellowpublishers.com/sustprojman. The first few sections of the chapter set up the scene for the case studies by presenting brief definitions of the basic concepts of RE and various RETs in the context of sustainable development. Then at the start of each case study, a brief introduction to the specifics of the case is presented.

scholarly journals An integrated approach to teaching and learning logistics: A case study

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus N. Cronjé
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Approach To Teaching

Business managers and students often criticise university teaching for not addressing real-life problems. Furthermore, professors are dissatisfied with the research capabilities of postgraduate students. This paper advocates an integrated approach to teaching and learning based on the features of project-based learning aimed at enhancing the practical and research skills of undergraduate students in Logistics. A case study is presented where third-year students were engaged in a real-life project in collaboration with industry, exposing them to collaborative learning, questionnaire design, surveys, analysing and evaluating results, literature review and report writing. The project was carried out in phases where students were assessed after each phase. The paper analyses the assessment of students and their perception of the value of the project. It is concluded that an integrated teaching and learning approach will increase students’ interest in the subject, understanding of theoretical concepts, research skills, business skills and life skills.

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