Past Powerpoint Engaging Students in Operations

1. Past Powerpoint Engaging Students in Operations Alistair Brandon-Jones, University of Bath Carrie Queenan, University of Notre Dame

2. Engaging students • Do students ever switch off in class? • “hooks” are a way of engaging students, generating excitement, and enriching understanding • Are their topics that you have difficulty bringing alive?

3. Why OM is easy to teach!

4. What’s a ‘hook’? Invigoration vs. Recovery!! • Short, self-contained and get’s the student’s attention! Exercises Props Clips Articles & Stories

5. Tough topics • What are toughest topics to teach? • Brainstorm • Refine

6. Learning / Teaching – two sides of a coin? • Learning: Relatively permanent changes in behavior, cognition, or attitudes. • Teaching: to impart knowledge or skill; give instruction Other focused Self focused

7. Facilitating learning • Learning is difficult • Teachers can remove “Barriers to Learning” • Fear of Failure • Anxiety • Boredom • You can teach without removing these but they won’t learn unless you do

8. Brain Functioning (or the lack of it!) • Automatic processing • Controlled processing

9. Tradeoffs : Efficient storage and efficient recall • Automatic Processing • Controlled Processing Efficient input, inefficient recall Input is “automatic” so recall is difficult Inefficient input, efficient recall Input is “controlled” so recall is easier Examples: 1) Conference introductions 2) Finding green beans

10. The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes. Proust

11. Controlled processing • Desired state for effective learning • More powerful but less common • Triggered by things that are • Different • Problematic • Effortful • Implications? • Interrupts the students’ “learning script” • Changes how something is stored in memory

12. The role of hooks… We help create controlled processing!!!!! “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”—Author unknown

13. Other resources • Creating Significant Learning Experiences – L. Dee Fink • How to create the structure for a class to create the learning experience you want to achieve (Exhibits are very useful) • What the Best College Teachers Do – Ken Bain • Anecdotal tales of amazing profs, organized around general themes. Inspiring, but not a “how to” guide. • Brain Rules – John Medina • How the brain works and some takeaways for those who teach • The Skillful Teacher – Stephen Brookfield • Mechanics of creating a better learning enviornment • http://teaching-operations-management.wikispaces.com/ • A place to share your ideas! Please join and contribute! • http://operationsroom.wordpress.com/ • A blog of current events in OM. A great place to join in the discussion or get ideas to bring into class. http://teaching-operations-management.wikispaces.com/

14. Teaching OM Wiki http://teaching-operations-management.wikispaces.com/

15. IJOPM special issue • Teaching Operations and Supply Management • Word limit 5000 words (not 8000!) • Deadline 30th September 2010 • Lead editor: Dr Alistair Brandon-Jones, University of Bath, School of Management, abj20@bath.ac.uk • More info: • http://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/call_for_papers.htm?id=2321

16. Final thoughts…. Alistair Brandon-Jones, University of Bath Carrie Queenan, University of Notre Dame