Appendix IB. Course Syllabi

IE 408 Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Use the Theory of Constraints as a way of approaching problem solving, win-win negotiation, project planning and effective delegation in the context of engineering/business systems. Term projects are aimed at improving design outcomes.

Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing.

Text:
Goldratt, E. M., It’s Not Luck, North River Press, 1994. Workbooks from the Y. Goldratt Institute.

Course Objective:

1. The students are enabled to learn using the Socratic method through lecture, recitation, exercises, and problems based on the student’s work/academic experiences.
2. To gain experience in focusing on the "real problem".
3. Gain experience in the understanding of the interdependency of people associated (managerial) problems.
4. To practice and develop teamwork and leadership skills in a logical manner.
5. To develop communication and presentation skills.

Topics Covered:

1. Day-To-Day conflicts.
2. Improving others’ solutions.
3. Chronic Conflicts.
4. Project Planning and Team building.
5. Creating explicit directions (applies to operations manuals, process planning, and actions for project completion).

Class Schedule:
The course meets 2 times per week for 75 minutes/session. The 5 topics are each covered in approximately 8 class periods. There is lecture, role-playing, and work in groups of 2 on the individual problems and groups of 5 on the projects at times in the semester. There is a mid-term and a final. One day is for presentations on the group projects.

The majority of work on the project is outside of class but the in class work is to ensure the tools used in the project are understood and used correctly.

Professional Component Contributions:
The students learn how to solve communication problems in a logical manner that is focused toward win-win rather that compromise. They recognize the cause-effect relationships associated with various people situations and the tools to approach the problems in a positive manner. Team building and projects planning are specifically used in the projects in a precise logical manner. The solutions to the project problems are such that the group can initiate the solution with help from others. This approach permits and encourages nontraditional solutions rather than "someone else must solve the problem because it is his/her fault."

Relationship to Program Objectives:

IMSE Objective 4
The homework is submitted for grading and scrutiny. Work is resubmitted for correction to ensure the students really understand the tools used in the assignment. Some of the work in groups of 2 and selected students present to the entire class. Projects are discussed in class and in outside of class sessions with the instructor to give clarity where it is necessary.

IMSE Objective 5
Each team includes 4 to 5 students. The groups are assigned based on diverse backgrounds and majors, i.e., if possible no team has all one major, all one sex, all one nationality, or all the same age group if there are nontraditional students. The projects are chosen so that all of the tools (topics 1 — 5) are used to obtain a solution and a plan for implementation of the solution.

IMSE Objective 6
The classroom topic (and participation) used to explain the technique of project planning and team building involves the obstacles and milestones (to overcome these obstacles) for pursuing lifelong learning with respect to communicating and working with people.

IMSE Objective 7
The students have the tools to communicate in problem (conflict) situations and specific project planning strategies as well as team building. The students taking this elective have used the project-planning topic in the capstone design course as well as using the tools in industry work experiences. Employers are seeking people with the background in TOC (the management skills of this course or IE 409)

Prepared by: Howard D. Meeks

Date Prepared: June 12, 2000