Assessment of a blended instructional delivery system for product lifecycle management education
Abstract
Using a mixed research methodology of both quantitative and qualitative techniques, this Type I developmental research study assessed the delivery mechanism used in teaching a blended learning course on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) theories and tools. This study examined the following questions: (1) What are the students and instructors’ attitudes and perceptions of the delivery and format of the PLM course?, (2) Did the students improve their knowledge of PLM theories and tools?, and (3) What recommendations can be made to improve the PLM course? Participants included 18 engineers and technologists from The Boeing Company who were enrolled in Course One of the Purdue University PLM Certificate Program entitled Introduction to 3D CAD Design in PLM Environments. Multiple formative and summative evaluation techniques, guided by Kirkpatrick's Learning Evaluation Model, were used to assess this course in an intrinsic case study format. A pre- and post-test design was used to test the learning outcomes on PLM theoretical knowledge and the applied use of a high-end constraint-based, parametric CAD modeling package. Results from both the PLM theory based and the CAD skills based pre- and post assessment showed significant improvement, t(15) = 6.2, p = 0.00 and t(15) = 10.1, p = 0.00, respectively. In addition to the theoretical and skills based assessments, quantitative survey data using a Likert-scale format were collected from students and instructors to assess course delivery and content. Qualitative data were also collected via short questionnaires throughout the course as well as follow-up interviews with students two months after the conclusion of the course. Results from these surveys and interviews reveal an overall satisfaction with the delivery of the PLM course.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Miller, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Adult education|Educational technology|Curriculum development
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