Student group’s challenge

“Last time I supervised a group working on the inventory management of nursing homes. […] The students quickly came up with a solution for an app that would scan and manage inventory. [..] The students already envisioned their idea and they (students) had already made a few screens. So, they were invested in the idea, and the app eventually became their proposal. By the way, it was well put together, they really worked it out well. However, I do think this is a very concrete example of where students did not really give a chance to alternative solutions and did not take advantage of what was possible in those alternative solutions, which could have improved their app. [..] This is partly caused by time pressure. Students have limited time, and if they (students) have a solution that seems to solve the problem, it is better than possible alternative solutions that the students are not sure of whether they will solve the problem. I think the main problem is that students do not take the time for it. Or students do not get the time for it. And I also think it is partly caused by uncertainty. Just as students know for sure that their idea of an app is something, all those alternative ideas—that still need to think off—are uncertain. You definitely see this with first-year students. The first-year students really want to do it by the book, and they just want to have something. Something good, something certain. And all those deviations from their idea, all those thinking steps outside of that feels like a distraction and uncertainty for the students” [T3 inventory management of nursing homes].

Teaching activities

“I asked the students if they had thought about alternative ideas, what else could you do? And if I recall correctly, the students did come up with something, but they did not really give it a serious chance” [T3 inventory management nursing homes].