Industrial engineering education-Challenging complexity by simple means

Abstract

Industrial engineers gather knowledge during their bachelor studies through lectures and practical classes. The goal of practical class might be an extension of knowledge and/or a consolidation and application of already gathered knowledge. It is observed that there exists a gap between theory learnt during lectures and practical classes. If practical classes require holistic approach and solving complex tasks (problems), students strive with understanding relations and connections between parts of knowledge. The aim of this article is to show an example of a simple practical assignment that can serve as a bridge between lectures and practical classes through discussion of interactions and relations between parts of theoretical knowledge. It is an example of in-class simulating of a line and cellular layout considering discussion of elements impacting and impacted by the type of layout (e.g. learning curve, changeovers, etc.). In-class verification of the presented approach confirmed its usability for teaching industrial engineers and bridging the gap between theory delivered through lectures and more advanced practical classes.