Learning a Lean Way

Part 1: Learning LeanInternational audienceThe paper “Learning a Lean Way” reflects on if and how students could improve their learning process by applying a Problem-Solving A3. Three different gains that could be achieved are focused. Applying A3s could heighten students’ awareness of their own contribution to their learning processes, the importance of being involved in a thinking process connected to learning, structure knowledge through a common language and sharing results in progress and at the end. Based on three student groups filled-in A3 formats, in addition to students’ reflections given in short interviews after course completion, four important results appeared 1) Students expressed that applying the Problem-Solving A3 had, to their surprise, heightened their awareness and understanding of how important own practices were to achieve improved learning. 2) All students seemed to have a quite clear understanding of what “good learning behavior” implies: preparation, actively participation in lectures and afterwork, but only to a minor extent did they usually practice this understanding. 3) In their root-cause analysis students gave many similar explanations as to why they didn’t act according to what they knew were the “good learning behaviours”. They focused on bad planning, low priority, deficient study techniques and class atmosphere. 4) Most students expressed reluctance to share experiences with their other classmates both during their filling-in sessions and after having completed their A3s. Overall results show that students own participation, reflections and tracking of own learning process improvements, through applying a Lean-thinking Problem-Solving A3, could be a valuable addition to increase students learning and thereby contribute to heightening quality in higher education