The effectiveness of a field observation exercise to learn process management

To address the need for students to better comprehend process management concepts in an undergraduate-level operations management course, we proposed and examined the effectiveness of an experiential learning activity, the Service Process Observation Exercise (SPOE). After teaching process management topics in the form of a traditional lecture, students were offered the opportunity to observe, record, and analyze a live, functioning process and to report their findings. Analyzing exam results following the activity, we found that the students who participated in the SPOE scored 5.3% higher than students who did not participate on items measuring knowledge of process management concepts. No differences were found on items measuring the knowledge of other concepts covered in the course. These findings are robust, even after controlling for potential covariates, suggesting that the SPOE significantly improves student comprehension of concepts directly related to process management.