Digitalization of learning resources in a HEI – a lean management perspective

Abstract

Purpose Lean is considered as a major management approach for improving operational productivity and organizational performance. It is a systemic philosophy that emphasizes on fulfilling customer needs, waste minimization, and a commitment to a culture of continual improvement. In recent years, many higher education institutions (HEIs) have leveraged on the use of technology to provide flexibility in learning and just-in-time training for learners in the efforts to improve both the internal processes of course delivery and enhance the provisions of education quality. In recognizing these trends in HEIs, the purpose of this paper is to identify the key factors that facilitate the conversion of printed learning resources to e-learning resources in a HEI. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative exploratory case study approach and examined a unique case of a HEI that is undergoing the transformation process from printed learning resources to digital sources to simplify the processes involved in educational service delivery and operational complexity. Data sources include semi-structured interviews with key personnel directly involved in the project of converting printed learning resources to digital sources, notes taken from informal discussions, and secondary data such as minutes of meetings, learning resource archives, and relevant literature. A retrospective perspective was adopted in the case analysis since the HEI has already completed 50 percent of the conversion phase when this study was carried out. Findings Abductive reasoning approach and well-established lean principles were used to make sense of the digital transformation process of the HEI. Based on the retrospective case analysis, the authors found evidence that characterizes lean management principles and identifies the critical factors (CFs) that have facilitated the HEI to achieve the key milestones in the conversion journey. These include common vision, top management support and leadership, timely information sharing, and relationship management with key stakeholders in the transformation processes. Research limitations/implications Since this research is an exploratory case study, the results obtained cannot be generalized. Future research can be conducted to provide an impact analysis of the potential risk factors of a system that employs only the use of e-study materials. In addition, future studies can also assess the quality of the learning services that is supported by the e-resources by gathering student feedback on their e-learning experience that is supported by the online digital learning resources and learning management system. Practical implications This study provides managerial insights into the levers to engender the transformation from a traditional print learning resources model to leaning with digital e-learning resources. The insights into the CFs aid education managers to introduce process innovations and encourage behavioral changes that will benefit learners, instructors, and administers. Originality/value The study is one of the first to apply lean management principles in making sense of the transformation processes involved in the use of digital innovation in higher education context. The findings provide a holistic view of the process transformations.

Dawn or dusk of the 5th age of research in educational technology? A literature review on (e-)leadership for technology-enhanced learning in higher education (2013-2017)

“…Brown (2013) and Shieladevi and Rahman (2016) take a change management perspective. Other theories taken from the management field include learning organisations (Trevitt et al, 2017) and lean management (Tay & Low, 2017).…”

“…Cluster 2 results studied leadership from the perspective of stakeholders who are not themselves in TEL leadership roles: change management from teachers' perspective (Sheiladevi & Rahman, 2016); teachers' perceptions of organisational culture (Zhu, 2015), related to a previous study involving both teachers and students (Zhu & Engels, 2014); futures visioning with deans and lecturers (Inayatullah & Milojevic, 2014); instructional designers and e-learning production staff (Ashbaugh, 2013;Tay & Low, 2017) students' perceptions of leadership in online instructors (Bogler, Caspi, & Roccas, 2013).…”

“…-the application of technology acceptance and adoption models (Akcil et al, 2017;Boyd & Sampson, 2016;King & Boyatt, 2015;Livingstone, 2015;Markova, 2014;Sutton & DeSantis, 2017;Van Wart et al, 2017); -the application of tools and methods from the business world, as suggested by Sangrà (2009), with the caveat of the necessary cultural adaptation to HE (Chow, 2013;Mishra et al, 2016;Spackman et al, 2015;Tay & Low, 2017); -using data for decision-making (Brown et al, 2016;Burnette, 2015;Persichitte, 2013); -studying TEL adoption from the point of view of organisational learning (Tintoré & Arbós, 2013;Trevitt et al, 2017); -personal digital competence / literacy / confidence, of both leaders and staff (Akcil et al, 2017;Boyd & Sampson, 2016;Brown et al, 2016;DomingoCoscollola et al, 2016).…”

Experiential learning at Lean-Thinking-Learning Space

“…The literature review covered the study of learning spaces, simulators, and games, among others; however, none of them showed significant evidence of educational possibilities where developed interactive methods and experiential learning spaces to design products and manufacturing processes. This review can also refer to focus on other aspects of education [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36].…”

Lean Office and digital transformation: a case study in a services company

“…There are similarities between the Lean Management philosophy and improvement strategies applied in organizations. Tay and Low (2017) report the case of a digital transformation in a Higher Education Institution, which evolved from the traditional printed materials to digital formats, simplifying its internal operations and creating value for the teaching and learning community. Wagner et al (2018), who propose a concept of integration to enhance Industrie 4.0 technologies in industrial value streams, using elements of design thinking.…”