About this Presentation
In the early decades of the new millennium, there has been a growing global application of theory of constraints- thinking processes (TOC–TP) tools across many industry sectors including the service, healthcare and education sectors. Within the education sector, the TOC–TP tools have been applied with success in many countries, most notably in primary and secondary education. However, there are a growing number of applications in higher education (HE). We report here on recent research exploring the quality of experiences of learning and teaching in higher education. Using the theory of constraints, we have investigated the causes of less-than-ideal learning and teaching (L&T) experiences from the perspectives of students, teachers and senior academic management. The research was conducted in two business schools, one in Kenya and another in New Zealand (NZ). The theory of constraints (TOC) methodology guided the construction of the interview guide and the analysis of data. To collect data from students, focus group discussions were used, while personal interviews were used to collect data from lecturers and senior academic managers. TOC tools including the Goal Tree, CRT, EC and FRT's formed the backbone of the TOC analysis. The results of this study have demonstrated the value of the TOC methodology in producing useful insights about the root causes of undesirable quality of L&T in the HE sector. Although this paper reports on a study undertaken in one business school in each of the two countries, the results are in line with global trends in higher education, indicating that the issues may be fairly generic and are likely to be of wide interest.
What Will You Learn
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Instructor(s)
Jennifer Eckman
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.