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An Innovative Approach to Educating Students on Manufacturing

Murali Krishnamurthi, Mohamed I. Dessouky Northern Illinois University

1. INTRODUCTION The accelerated rate at which new technologies are being introduced today has created a large demand for people competent in the new technologies. The widening gap between the steady rise in the level of skill requirements and the reduced availability of people with these skills is making it difficult for U. S, industries to compete in the international market. To function effectively in today’s technological society, contribute to its growth, reap its benefits, and minimize its hazards, knowledge of the technology is essential. This is true whether one is pursuing a career in business, economics, law, education, health care, mathematical, physical or social sciences, humanities or the arts.

Academic institutions, particularly engineering schools, have the primary responsibility for producing new graduates in sufficient numbers and with adequate knowledge of science and technology and skill to meet the needs of the industry and the society. However, educators are often faced with more than the mere challenge of conveying technical information to their students. The rate of attrition and loss of interest in learning among first and second year students are significant and require innovative curricula and course designs to counter these problems. The disproportionate number of female and minority students in engineering majors compared to non-engineering majors also deserves attention.

Numerous journal articles, books, and studies have emphasized the need for providing students with the necessary exposure to manufacturing concepts and motivating them to prepare themselves adequately for the technological challenges ahead [3, 9, 14]. In order to meet these needs, and hopefully, to attract more students to engineering programs and retain them, first and second year university students should be given the opportunity take a course on manufacturing systems.

Educating first and second year students on manufacturing concepts and applications requires a carefil design of course content, level and depth of coverage, and teaching methods. Course contents must be broad enough to cover the scope of activities in manufacturing systems and to relate them to basic science and mathematics without diluting the depth of coverage. Again a balance must be maintained between theoretical analysis and application in order to keep the students challenged, but not discouraged. Finally, appropriate teaching methods should be chosen for the specific topics covered.

Traditionally, the primary qualification for engineering educators has been advanced degrees and/or industry experience and very little training in teaching techniques has been expected of them. However, the knowledge of teaching techniques, students’ learning styles, and the consequences of a mismatch between

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Dessouky, M. I., & Krishnamurthi, M. (1996, June), An Innovative Approach To Educating Students On Manufacturing Paper presented at 1996 Annual Conference, Washington, District of Columbia. 10.18260/1-2--6110