Applying Mass Customization Concepts to Core Courses: Increasing Student‐Centered Customization and Enabling Cross‐Functional Integration

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis conceptual paper suggests a methodology for increasing student satisfaction in core courses by applying the principle of mass customization to increase student satisfaction. It proposes that customization can be increased by increasing course flexibility along three dimensions: content flexibility, schedule flexibility, and course length flexibility. The increased flexibility provides opportunities for both student‐centered customization and the cross‐functional integration of the core course with other disciplines. Core courses were targeted because of their high volume of students specializing in something other than the core course being taught and the associated general disinterest of these types of students. There are two main sections. The first section provides an overview to the proposed course structure while the second provides suggestions about computer‐based technology that can be used to support the structure presented in the first section. Examples are presented that pertain to a core course in statistics, but the technology and course structure presented are easily adaptable to core courses in any discipline.