A Learning Arena for Developing competences for the next generation students of industrial management Jens Ove Riis Aalborg Universitet Denmark Jens O Riis

Challenges to Industrial Companies Industrial enterprises must operate in a dynamic and complex world with many unforeseeable elements The Manufuture report ”A Vision for 2020”: –From resource-based to knowledge-based production –From linearity to complexity –From individual competition to systemic competition –From mono-disciplinarity to trans-disciplinarity –From top-down to bottom-up production Are we preparing our engineering students for the new industrial reality? Jens O Riis

Also universities are challenged Danish companies hire engineers from abroad We need to develop competences that are needed –Understanding the global context of industrial enterprise –A deep knowledge of relevant theories and methods –Being able to cooperate with others on solving complex problems, including Analysis and diagnosis, e.g. the mutual interplay in a company Developing innovative and integrated solutions Planning implementation –Capability of developing own competences A shift of focus from teaching courses to staging learning processes –This calls for development of new learning modes Jens O Riis

However, universities are in many ways conservative organizations –To introduce radically new learning modes requires courage, endurance and luck Last year’s discussion in Grenoble gave rise to optimism –Several members of AIM have seen the challenges to universities and have initiated interesting and new learning developments Problem-based learning, experimental learning, e.g. games, developing innovative solutions An idea: Could we establish a forum for stimulating development of new learning modes? Jens O Riis

A Learning Arena A Learning Arena should –stimulate exchange of ideas and experience among teachers who have already developed new learning modes –inspire and support other teachers to initiate changes Possible elements –An interactive website –Workshops, seminars or special tracks at conferences –An organizational unit for coordinating the exchange of learning material Reflection and evaluation of experiences should be included Jens O Riis

Guiding principles for realizing the idea Clear focus on learning modes for new competences –We should not establish a website with traditional curricula, course outlines and overhead presentations An open network –AIM could sponsor the initiative, but it should be open to all interested faculty member User-driven and agile development –Start with a small group of dedicated people and the exchange of their experiences –Let it grow in accordance with their interests and the reception from others Jens O Riis

Drawing on and cooperating with other initiatives –Global Education in Manufacturing (Asbjørn Rolstadås et al.) –GALA – Game and Learning Alliance (Riitta Smeds et al.) –Advanced Production Management Systems, the IFIP Working Group 5.7 What is next? –Is the idea worth pursuing? –Are there members of AIM who would be interested in developing the idea? Jens O Riis