Redesigning Teaching-Learning Process in Skill-based Course: Exploration of Lean Intervention at Engineering Undergraduate Classroom

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Advanced Research in Teaching and Education

Year: 2026

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Redesigning Teaching-Learning Process in Skill-based Course: Exploration of Lean Intervention at Engineering Undergraduate Classroom

Sugandha Bhatnagar, Pushp Lata & Kuldip Singh Sangwan

ABSTRACT:

Higher education classrooms are complex process systems, yet they are seldom examined through a systematic process-analytic lens such as Lean. In industrial settings, Lean routinely identifies bottlenecks, feedback delays, and non-value-adding activities, while classroom systems continue to operate with largely unexamined inefficiencies that attenuate learning value. This study applies Lean Philosophy to diagnose and redesign classroom processes using Fishbone analysis and Value Stream Mapping (VSM). A sequential quasi-experimental design was adopted in an undergraduate skill-based course across two semesters. In the diagnostic phase, Fishbone analysis identified root causes of inefficiencies related to communication flow, assessment cycles, feedback delays, and student participation, followed by VSM of the teaching–learning process to distinguish value-adding and non-value-adding activities from the student perspective. Based on this analysis, the course was systematically redesigned to improve information flow, streamline assessment cycles, and enhance responsiveness. To evaluate the impact, quantitative survey data measuring student engagement and learning experience, and qualitative interview data, were collected at the end of each semester. Findings indicate improvements in perceived clarity, transparency, and the flow of classroom teaching, along with an enhanced learning experience, while course engagement remained at a similar level in both semesters. Interviews further reveal enhanced process transparency and stronger perceived instructional fairness following the redesign. This study contributes by adapting Lean tools to higher education classrooms and demonstrating how process-level diagnostics can enhance educational value delivery. The findings suggest that treating teaching as a value stream rather than a content-transmission activity offers a structured pathway to enhance educational value in skill-based courses.

Keywords: Lean Philosophy; Teaching-Learning Process; Higher Education Classrooms; Value Stream Mapping; Fishbone analysis; Classroom process design; Student learning experience; Student engagement; Process improvement