Program Overview

Course Overview

The course STAT3100 - Systems Thinking for an Integrated Workforce is designed to develop students' ability to leverage workplace data and synergies, analyse and improve organisational systems, and realise quality processes and outcomes.

Course Description

Through a quality improvement and data analytics lens, the course develops the student's ability to leverage workplace data and synergies, analyse and improve organisational systems, and realise quality processes and outcomes. Students will become systems thinkers, able to engage appropriate statistical techniques for assessing, describing and improving systems, processes and outcomes, and lead data-based decision making and quality improvement considerate of the system's many stakeholders, utilising the science, psychology, and management of systems and the underlying statistical principles.

Course Content

The course covers the following topics:

• Total Quality Management (TQM) and systems thinking
• How statistician W.E. Deming founded and implemented TQM, engaging systems thinking principles, for competitive advantage within Japan and internationally
• The Deming Quality philosophy and that of other Quality theorists
• Techniques and tools for assessing, measuring and improving systems, processes and outcomes
• Understanding, learning from and reducing variability of processes through statistical thinking
• The role of management and leadership in a TQM organisation
• The role and implementation of quality improvement teams
• The "seven simple tools" for process improvement
• Fundamental statistical methods and data collection, visualisation and interpretation
• More advanced statistical techniques such as control charts, statistical process control, surveys and experimental design
• Complementary quality techniques such as benchmarking and quality standards (ISO9000)

Enrolment Requirements

Assumed Knowledge

10 unit 1000 level Statistics course and at least 40 units at 2000 level from any degree program.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Describe and defend the fundamental principles of Total Quality Management and systems thinking
2. Understand and utilise fundamental principles and methods underpinning holistic and integrated analytic thinking and process improvement within systems of both learning and organisational practice
3. Choose appropriate statistical techniques and methods for improving systems, processes and the quality and value of their outcomes
4. Write reports describing processes and recommending ways to improve them
5. Keep abreast of changes in, and practical applications of, the field of systems, process and quality improvement
6. Appreciate and apply the value arising from the process of learning and discovery

Availability

The course is available in Semester 2.

Contact Hours

The course has 2 hours of face-to-face lectures per week for 12 weeks.

Assessments

The course has the following assessments:

• Assignment 1 (20%): Written Assignment, Individual
• QUIZ (20%): Quiz, Individual
• Assignment 2 (25%): Written Assignment, Individual
• Final exam (35%): Formal Examination, Individual

Additional Information

This course is available to be undertaken as an elective.

Course Details

• Study level: Undergraduate
• Course level: 3000-level
• Units: 10
• College: College of Engineering Science and Environment
• School: School of Information and Physical Sciences