Experiences with a Hands-on Activity to Contrast Craft Production and Mass Production in the Classroom*

For many industrial engineering students, the basic principles of craft production and mass production are easy to grasp and understand; however, students less familiar with manufacturing often have a difficult time appreciating the subtle differences between the two. Explaining the differences between the two using examples and cases is relatively straightforward and easy, but many students have a difficult time comprehending the importance of the learning effect, why bottlenecks occur, or how quality can decrease during mass production. In this paper, the author’s experiences with a paper airplane production activity to contrast craft and mass production are discussed. This activity provides a simple, yet dramatic, approach to demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of craft and mass production in the classroom. After discussing the merits of hands-on activities and the paper airplane production activity itself, sample results are presented along with an evaluation of its impact on students’ understanding of the two production methods.

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