Experiencing Concepts Helps Abstract concepts become concrete when students can connect the words to real things and activities. By turning your classroom into a factory for a class period, you will help students understand and retain knowledge of these concepts. Elements of the Portable Bookmark Factory for the Classroom Dr. Cheryl Dunn Grand Valley State University – Each Student Plays a Role Assembly Line Supervisors Assembly Line Workers Equipment Store-room Clerk Materials Store-room Clerk Quality Control Data Gatherers Oh! Glue is an indirect material! It was partially used up by an imprecisely measured amount in each bookmark we made! A Large Suitcase Labeled plastic boxes for each type of tool and material Materials: wallpaper or contact paper, tassels, glue sticks, bookmark designs, laminating pouches Laminating machines and various tools – scissors, long straight edges, rulers, hole punchers, pencils Post-Production Class Discussion – Reinforcing the Experience Review vocabulary worksheet Discuss ways in which captured information could be used to support decisions, e.g. variance analysis Discuss capacity constraints and ways of breaking the constraints, e.g. small vs. large laminator, single vs. 3-hole punch Discuss cost measurement issues, e.g. direct, indirect, fixed, setup, waste, training, quality control Discuss material/labor tradeoffs – such as using wallpaper border pre-cut to desired bookmark height to save one labor step -- effects on quality and on costs Students get to keep the bookmarks they made! Workstation instructions Source documents Vocabulary Worksheets Introduction Many students find manufacturing concepts abstract and confusing. Machine Operation? Bill of Materials?? Production Run??? Overhead???? HELP!!!! Machine Operation? Bill of Materials?? Production Run??? Overhead???? HELP!!!! Evidence of Effectiveness Feedback from Instructors who have participated in the portable bookmark factory and/or used it in their classes: “This is the best experiential learning project that I have ever used in a class. The instructions and teaching notes were comprehensive and clear. It could be used/modified for any business class. In fact, one of its main strengths is the ability to use this project to stress the multi- disciplinary aspects of production.” “One student said it was her favorite part of the class.” “We used this in both the Operations Management and Managerial Accounting class. It was a great way to demonstrate the interdisciplinary aspects of business and provided an experiential learning experience that was fun as well as educational.” “I have got to find a way to use your bookmark exercise. It is wonderful.” “…we are going to expand on the exercise and make it the basis of our analysis of internal controls and flowcharting exercises, so it will be an integral part of the entire course. I suspect it will be the most memorable part of the course – and isn’t that the most effective teaching?” “The bookmark activity in particular was very enriching.” (paraphrased) The bookmark my students made provided hints for a course topic. I noticed this semester they know that topic better than last semester and had much less confusion due to them learning that topic off of the bookmark. “Using hands-on exercises like your bookmark exercise allows students to visualize the concepts that we are trying to get across in class.” Approved