Jens Ove Riis Aalborg Universitet Denmark riis@production.aau.dk

1. A Learning ArenaforDeveloping competences for the next generation students of industrial management Jens Ove Riis Aalborg Universitet Denmark riis@production.aau.dk

2. Challenges to Industrial Companies • Industrial enterprises must operate in a dynamic and complex world with many unforeseeable elements • The Manufuture report ”A Vision for 2020”: • From resource-based to knowledge-based production • From linearity to complexity • From individual competition to systemic competition • From mono-disciplinarity to trans-disciplinarity • From top-down to bottom-up production • Are we preparing our engineering students for the new industrial reality?

3. Also universities are challenged • Danish companies hire engineers from abroad • We need to develop competences that are needed • Understanding the global context of industrial enterprise • A deep knowledge of relevant theories and methods • Being able to cooperate with others on solving complex problems, including • Analysis and diagnosis, e.g. the mutual interplay in a company • Developing innovative and integrated solutions • Planning implementation • Capability of developing own competences • A shift of focus from teaching courses to staging learning processes • This calls for development of new learning modes

4. However, universities are in many ways conservative organizations • To introduce radically new learning modes requires courage, endurance and luck • Last year’s discussion in Grenoble gave rise to optimism • Several members of AIM have seen the challenges to universities and have initiated interesting and new learning developments • Problem-based learning, experimental learning, e.g. games, developing innovative solutions • An idea: Could we establish a forum for stimulating development of new learning modes?

5. A Learning Arena • A Learning Arena should • stimulate exchange of ideas and experience among teachers who have already developed new learning modes • inspire and support other teachers to initiate changes • Possible elements • An interactive website • Workshops, seminars or special tracks at conferences • An organizational unit for coordinating the exchange of learning material • Reflection and evaluation of experiences should be included

6. Guiding principles for realizing the idea • Clear focus on learning modes for new competences • We should not establish a website with traditional curricula, course outlines and overhead presentations • An open network • AIM could sponsor the initiative, but it should be open to all interested faculty member • User-driven and agile development • Start with a small group of dedicated people and the exchange of their experiences • Let it grow in accordance with their interests and the reception from others

7. Drawing on and cooperating with other initiatives • Global Education in Manufacturing (Asbjørn Rolstadås et al.) • GALA – Game and Learning Alliance (Riitta Smeds et al.) • Advanced Production Management Systems, the IFIP Working Group 5.7 • What is next? • Is the idea worth pursuing? • Are there members of AIM who would be interested in developing the idea?