Application of Lean Management Techniques in Support of Improved Online Learning: A Baseline Study of Deterministic Factors Related to Instructional Design and Course Development Efficacy

Various lean management techniques (e.g., Ishikawa Diagrams, Total Quality Control, and Just-inTime) can be applied to improve the efficacy of online instructional systems. Problems with online pedagogy and errors or defects in course design can be analyzed by directed processes through techniques such as root cause analysis (RCA), resulting in determination of secondary and primary causes of a given problem or defect. In cases where active pedagogy should align with instructional design techniques such as course activities, discussions, exercises, and stated learning objectives, misalignments with pedagogical practices can be resolved by real-time intervention strategies. In this baseline study, the authors report on the results of an online course quality improvement strategy involving two deterministic techniques to provide for a quality controlled e-Learning environment. Anonymous data from 103 online courses at Georgia Military College Online Campus were used in this investigation. The data were captured by the college’s adjunct faculty leadership team during the process of course level review for one term. Problems and defects as determined from parsing the data were manually entered into the head of an Ishikawa Diagram and subsequently followed with regression analysis involving the learning management system to determine its secondary and primary efficient causes. As a result, 228 problems and defects were determined using RCA and documented on an errata sheet. Outcomes of this process were used to reach conclusions regarding the use of lean manufacturing techniques and tools in improving the quality of online learning.