3-Step Charrette: A Framework for Teaching Students to Solve Complex Problems in a Real-World Environment

The 3-Step Charrette problem-solving methodology turns the classroom into a consulting firm. It trains participants to solve complex, real-world problems cooperatively and systematically. Participants identify needed information and perform several research cycles in teams to gain knowledge to examine the root causes of a presented problem. Participants then re-form into different groups to find solutions, ultimately consolidating their chosen solutions into a plan of action. The jigsaw transposition from research teams to solving groups ensures that participants acquire needed expertise and properly characterize the problem before attempts to fashion solutions even begin. As participants follow the procedure, the instructor guides them using in-stream debriefing. Designed for use with a live client, this experiential exercise is useful for capstone, strategy, consulting, design thinking, and business architecture courses.

El programa Perfiles, dinámicas y desafíos de la educación costarricense: Una propuesta para la innovación pedagógica y la producción de materiales y recursos didácticos tecnológicos en la Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica

Profiles, Dynamics and Challenges of the Costa Rican Education is a program planned to be executed in a five-year period: 2014-2018. It is being executed within the framework of processes of research, teaching, university extension, and production of the Center for Research and Teaching in Education (CIDE in Spanish) of the National University of Costa Rica. This proposal considers the implementation of two sub-programs approaching two important areas: pedagogical innovation, and the production of materials and didactic technological resources. The first sub-program, Innovation, is oriented to highlighting and valuing the set of practices and successful experiences in the field of teaching, and assuming processes associated to it, such as the professional practice activities and the graduation final work proposals in different modalities. The second sub-program, Production of Didactic Technological Resources, supports the development of projects through consulting, design, and production of materials and didactic technological resources. This paper describes the methodological route proposed for the Production sub-program, along with some of the preliminary results achieved at the beginning of the implementation of the proposal. Finally, the article presents a series of reflections about the diverse dimensions that the program covers, its scope, impact, challenges, and constraints that must be assumed, as well as the different contributions in the four substantive areas on which the National University of Costa Rica bases its work: teaching, research, university extension and production.

Creating Effective Customer Solutions

Global competition and declining margins have made enterprises in diverse industries increasingly aware that assuring low cost as well as high product performance and quality is no longer sufficient for long-term success. Integrating products and services into customized solutions can help firms to gain competitive advantage. Based on 11 in-depth interviews with managers from solution providers and an exploratory survey with 45 solution providers, this paper derives a value creation process as well as a set of critical activities and pitfalls within each step. Selling solutions requires relational processes between customer and supplier comprising analysis/consulting, design/configuration, implementation/delivery, and support/operation. To better understand the relational process, this perspective was adopted on creating solutions in order to identify crucial routines and activities. Two main capabilities within this process can be identified: customer interaction and project management. Both capabilities are required in order to deliver more effective as well as efficient solutions.

Creating Effective Customer Solutions

Global competition and declining margins have made enterprises in diverse industries increasingly aware that assuring low cost as well as high product performance and quality is no longer sufficient for long-term success. Integrating products and services into customized solutions can help firms to gain competitive advantage. Based on 11 in-depth interviews with managers from solution providers and an exploratory survey with 45 solution providers, this paper derives a value creation process as well as a set of critical activities and pitfalls within each step. Selling solutions requires relational processes between customer and supplier comprising analysis/consulting, design/configuration, implementation/delivery, and support/operation. To better understand the relational process, this perspective was adopted on creating solutions in order to identify crucial routines and activities. Two main capabilities within this process can be identified: customer interaction and project management. Both capabilities are required in order to deliver more effective as well as efficient solutions.