Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
No prerequisite courses are required. Basic prior knowledge of the processes of the AEC industry is expected.
Course Materials
The following are required texts for the course:
- The Lean Builder: A Builder’s Guide to Applying Lean Tools in the Field, Joe Donarumo, Keyan Zandy, Lulu Publishing Services, ISBN-9781483430928
The following are reference texts for the course. No need to purchase them unless you want to take a deep dive into lean.
- Lean Project Delivery and Integrated Practices in Modern Construction, 2nd ed.,Lincoln H. Forbes, Syed M. Ahmed, CRC Routledge/ Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN-9781138311244
- The Toyota Way, 2nd ed., Jeffrey K. Liker, McGraw Hill Publication, ISBN-9781260468519
- Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process to Solve Problems, Gain Agreement, Mentor, and Lead, John Shook, Lean Enterprise Institute, ISBN-9781934109205
- Elevating Construction Superintendents, Jason Schroeder, Independently published, ISBN-9798573330952
- Getting Home, Liz McCartney and Zach Rosenburg, Lean Enterprise Institute, ISBN-9781934109564
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Online Discussions |
Students are expected to offer comments, questions, and replies to the online “Discussion” based on assigned readings. Students are expected to actively participate in the online discussion each week throughout the semester. |
15% |
| Group Projects |
Students will work in small groups to complete the projects. The objective of the projects is to allow students to work collaboratively with the group members toward applying the lean tools for process measurement and process improvement. |
35% |
| Lean Journal |
Each student shall maintain and submit a Journal at the end of the eighth week. The Journal shall consist of the student’s lessons learned on each topic and plus/delta analysis from across the semester. More details on the Lean Journal will be provided by the instructor. |
20% |
| Final Exam |
Each student must take a comprehensive Final Exam that will assess the following:
|
25% |
| Attendance |
Live Session attendance is expected and integral to your success in the course. For missed sessions refer to the make-up policy located on each module's Live Session page. |
5% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Live Sessions
Live session attendance is expected, as it will provide opportunities to interact in real-time with the instructor, industry experts, and peers; learn new content in a synchronous online environment. This will comprise 5% of your grade.
Online Discussions
Online discussions will provide a platform to articulate the learnings from the readings and compare/contrast with previous knowledge. Comparing learnings with peers will increase the collaborative environment (15% of your final grade).
Group Projects
Students will improve their understanding of the lean tools by applying them to improve processes typical in the construction industry. They will work in small groups to work collaboratively and learn from each other (35% of your final grade).
Lean Journal
Identify the lessons learned on each topic and capture them in the form of a journal. The journal can be a comprehensive document the students can use as reference material for the future (20% of your final grade).
Final Exam
Comprehensive assessment of understanding the evolution of lean and its function in improving the processes of the construction industry (25% of your final grade).
Course Policies
Communication
The primary form of communication and platform for the dissemination of information for this course is Canvas (https://canvas.ou.edu). Students are responsible for checking these pages regularly. Assignments, changes to the course schedule, and other relevant information will be posted to this website and this will be the primary means for communicating this type of information. It is also imperative that each student verify that the email address that he or she checks regularly is linked to the email for that student in Canvas. There can be random and unannounced quizzes throughout the semester. These will be based on reading assignments due and materials covered on the same day of the lecture.
Students can also email the instructor at sghosh@ou.edu. The instructor will try to respond to all emails within 48 hours.
Late Policy
Submission dates of the assignments will be published on Canvas. Late assignment/homework will receive a penalty of 25% per class period.
Assignment/homework turned in more than one week late will not be accepted and will receive a grade of zero. Assignment/homework shall be submitted in a neat, complete, readable, and understandable (to the Instructor), and professional manner.
Problems with technology are not an excuse for late submission.
Make-up Policy
There will be no make-up quizzes/exams if not due to any of the Provost approved activities or legally required activities.
Plagiarism & Other Policies
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Unless otherwise stated, students are expected to complete all course requirements as individuals. Any indication of unauthorized collaboration will be dealt with in accordance with University policy.
Errata and Changes
Errors and omissions to this syllabus or class presentations will be revised as observed and do not constitute incomplete or late work from students. Students are responsible for bringing the professor’s attention to any and all possible errata they encounter. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus and content based on course pacing and current events that may be relevant to the material.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|