| Overview
In this ALT, you work with learning curves. A good opportunity
to study exponential distribution involves examining data collected
while a new employee is learning the job. These graphs are commonly
called learning curves. The longer an employee takes to get up a
speed, the higher the cost to the company. Therefore, knowing the
typical learning curve for a given job can be very useful.
The learning curve can be used to predict which employees hired
on a temporary basis have the potential to learn and do the job
well, how long to hold a new employee to a training wage, or how
to provide concrete data as a reference for comparison if changes
are made to improve the training process.
After completing this ALT, you should be able to demonstrate the
following competencies:
- Create and interpret exponential, uniform, and normal distributions
(Comp. 1).
- Construct an exponential distribution graph from collected data
and use the graph to formulate a description regarding the behavior
of the data (Comp. 2).
- Graph and analyze a learning curve in order to make a decision
(Comp. 3).
Materials and Equipment
No materials or equipment are needed to complete this ALT.
Safety and Disposal
No special safety or disposal procedures are required.
Pre-Activity
To prepare for the activity:
Activity
In your team, perform the following steps to complete the activity:
- The following problem is to be addressed:
A company producing bicycles is concerned about the costs incurred
while an employee is learning the job and not yet producing the
desired quota of bicycles.
They have a choice of two training methods.
* In the first method, the employee is shown the technique and
then left to try to perfect the process independently.
* In the second method, a trained employee is assigned as a buddy
to work with the newly hired employee until that employee is very
near the quota and can work independently.
There is little doubt that the buddy system will shorten the training
time (improve the learning curve), but since the employee helping
in the training process will not be doing his or her regular job,
there will be a loss of revenue involved in this reassignment.
Your job is to figure out if the buddy system will save money.
- Complete the graphs on Data Sheet: Production Graphs.
- Complete Data Sheet: Learning Curve-The Bicycle.
Post-Activity
Your team should now post its results from the activity to the
Discussion Board.
Assignment
There are no instructions to prepare for ALT #3: Lottery Win Probability.
Assessment
Your facilitator may use Assessment Sheet: The Learning Curve to
evaluate your results from the activity and your posting to the
Discussion Board.
|
