We Care Tuition Agency

26 August 2008

Adopting the Kaizen Approach in Lifelong Education

I recently came across a Japanese philosophy that embodies the essence of Lifelong learning and education.

Kaizen (改善, improvement) is a philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life. It was implemented during the post-WWII era by Japanese companies. Within a few decades, Japan rose to become an economic power.

The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as:

standardize an operation
measure the standardized operation (find cycle time and amount of in-process inventory)
gauge measurements against requirements
innovate to meet requirements and increase productivity
standardize the new, improved operations
continue cycle ad infinitum.

We can apply the concept of Kaizen to our daily learning.

Setting standards for your learning
Measure your progress
Find out how you can apply your knowledge
Be creative and ask questions! Be creative to derive new and better learning methods
Set new goals
Repeat the whole process again

Learning definitely doesn't cease after school days. Embrace the joy of learning!

Labels: Improvement, Kaizen, Lifelong Learning