Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Discussions: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session

Description

This seminar will cover the evolution of the aerospace industry and explore current events with the aim of preparing students for summer internships and post baccalaureate plans. Readings from the recent book Lean Enterprise Value: Insights from MIT's Lean Aerospace Initiative and the weekly publication Aviation Week & Space Technology will form the basis for class discussions, which will also include invited subject matter experts. The course is restricted to juniors and seniors in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Enrollment is limited to approximately 20 students.

Instructors

Prof. Earll Murman
Jennifer Lynn Craig
Barbara Lechner

Prerequisites

16.03-16.04

Learning Objectives

After taking 16.812, students will be able to:

• Understand the evolution and recent history of the aerospace industry, especially the post Cold War transformation of the industry.
• Discuss current events shaping the aerospace industry and its programs - both aeronautics and astronautics.
• Appreciate value creation as a basis for successful aerospace programs and enterprises.
• Exercise reflective thinking as a means to comprehend personal growth and their own relationship with the aerospace field.
• Articulate their career interests, with an emphasis on summer internships or post baccalaureate plans.

Measurable Outcomes

Students will:

• Participate in weekly class discussions, including the opportunity to lead such discussions.
• Keep a weekly journal capturing important findings and thoughts during the semester related to the subject learning objectives.
• Demonstrate comprehension of the evolution of the aerospace industry and current events shaping its future through class discussions and journal entries.
• Articulate their semester long learning and career interests in an end-of-semester interview with the course instructors.

Classes

Class sessions will be devoted to small group (4-5 students) and full class discussions based upon two weekly readings:

• The weekly magazine Aviation Week & Space Technology will be the source for current events. Class participants are expected to read selected articles in the current issue of Aviation Week to prepare for class discussion. It is expected 3-4 articles will be discussed each week.
• One or two chapters from Lean Enterprise Value: Insights from MIT's Lean Aerospace Initiative will be the source material for the evolution and structure of the aerospace industry.

Subject matter experts (SMEs), drawn largely from the MIT faculty, will be invited to join the class each week to participate in the discussion. The intent of these discussions is to: deepen the student's understanding of the reading material; develop abilities for critical analysis of topical material; develop a sense of the linkages of current events with industrial evolution; prepare students to enter the industry with "situational awareness".

The course faculty will meet after weeks 5 and 10 to review student preparation for and participation in class discussions for the preceding period using the grading guidelines given below. The resulting grades, each worth 25% of the semester grade, will be sent to each student along with tips for improving their performance.

Excellent Performance (23-25)

Demonstrates excellent: understanding of the week's readings; contributions to class discussion; listening abilities for other's contributions; attention to engaging other class members and guests / faculty in the group discussions.

Good Performance (20-22)

Demonstrates good: understanding of the week's readings; contributions to class discussion; listening abilities for other's contributions; attention to engaging other class members and guests / faculty in the group discussions.

Adequate Performance (17-19)

Demonstrates adequate: understanding of the week's readings; contributions to class discussion; listening abilities for other's contributions; attention to engaging other class members and guests / faculty in the group discussions.

Minimally Acceptable Performance (13-16)

Demonstrates minimally acceptable: understanding of the week's readings; contributions to class discussion; listening abilities for other's contributions; attention to engaging other class members and guests / faculty in the group discussions.

Unacceptable Performance (0-12)

Demonstrates unacceptable: understanding of the week's readings; contributions to class discussion; listening abilities for other's contributions; attention to engaging other class members and guests / faculty in the group discussions.

Instructor Interview

Each student will meet with the course faculty near the end of the semester for a thirty-minute interview to discuss progress for the course learning objectives. Prior to the interview, the student should review the course learning objectives and to what extent they were realized during the semester. Each student will be asked to identify the 4-5 most important things they learned during the seminar, why they were important and what was learned. They will also be asked about their evolving career interests and how the student intends to pursue career opportunities. These interviews will be informal dialog and are intended to help focus the student on "take-aways" from the semester. The interview will account for 20% of the final grade.

Grading

Readings

Readings from the following textbook and magazine will be assigned:

Murman, et al. Lean Enterprise Value: Insights from MIT's Lean Aerospace Initiative. Palgrave Macmillan, March 2002. ISBN: 0333976975.

Aviation Week & Space Technology. McGraw Hill.