Lean for Education
Item
Title
Lean for Education
Abstract/Description
PURPOSE
This paper is one of seven in this volume that aims to elaborate different approaches to quality improvement in education. It delineates a methodology called Lean for Education.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH
The paper presents the origins, theoretical foundations, core concepts and a case study demonstrating an application in US education, specifically dealing with the problem of improving technology supports and services for instructional purposes in a school district system.
FINDINGS
An approach borrowed from manufacturing, Lean is aimed at creating and delivering the greatest value to the clients or “customers” in education systems while consuming the fewest resources and eliminating waste. Simultaneously, the method engages the organization in continuous problem solving, learning and making quality improvements with Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles. The core concepts that organize the Lean for Education approach are: continuous improvement and respect for people (Emiliani, 2005).
ORIGINALITY/VALUE
Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available on commonly used models of quality improvement in other fields that might have potential value in improving education systems internationally, such as large grade kindergarten-to-12 education systems in the USA. This paper fills this gap by elucidating one promising approach. The paper also derives value as it permits a comparison of the Lean for Education method with other quality improvement approaches treated in this volume.
This paper is one of seven in this volume that aims to elaborate different approaches to quality improvement in education. It delineates a methodology called Lean for Education.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH
The paper presents the origins, theoretical foundations, core concepts and a case study demonstrating an application in US education, specifically dealing with the problem of improving technology supports and services for instructional purposes in a school district system.
FINDINGS
An approach borrowed from manufacturing, Lean is aimed at creating and delivering the greatest value to the clients or “customers” in education systems while consuming the fewest resources and eliminating waste. Simultaneously, the method engages the organization in continuous problem solving, learning and making quality improvements with Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles. The core concepts that organize the Lean for Education approach are: continuous improvement and respect for people (Emiliani, 2005).
ORIGINALITY/VALUE
Few theoretical treatments and demonstration cases are currently available on commonly used models of quality improvement in other fields that might have potential value in improving education systems internationally, such as large grade kindergarten-to-12 education systems in the USA. This paper fills this gap by elucidating one promising approach. The paper also derives value as it permits a comparison of the Lean for Education method with other quality improvement approaches treated in this volume.
Author/creator
Date
In publication
Series
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
74-90
Resource type
Research/Scholarly Media
Resource status/form
Published Text
Scholarship genre
Theoretical
Methodological
Keywords
IRE Approach/Concept
Featured case/project
Open access/full-text available
No
Peer reviewed
Yes
ISSN
0968-4883
Other related resources/entities
Citation
LeMahieu, P. G., Nordstrum, L. E., & Greco, P. (2017). Learn for Education. Quality Assurance in Education, 25(1), 74–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-12-2016-0081
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance in Education [Special Issue]: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education | ||
 Quality Assurance in Education: Working to Improve: Seven Approaches to Quality Improvement in Education [Special Issue] |
Special Issue/Series |
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Improvement Approaches: Lean for Education |
Blog Post |
Comments
No comment yet! Be the first to add one!