Input – Transformation – Output

I recently came across a very interesting – as well as easy to read – book from Alan Knox (2002) and wanted to tell you about it. I haven’t finished reading the book but so far one of my favourite bits has been the view taken in describing adult education provider and program. According to the author ‘thinking of your adult and continuing education provider and program as a system helps connect useful ideas (…) (p3).

What is so interesting in that statement? System obviously! That reminded me my MBA program when we talked about ‘Operations Management’, which is concerned with managing effectively the process that converts inputs (in the forms of materials, labour and energy) into outputs (in the form of goods and services).

Any system can be divided into a set of input-transformation-output blocks. These are usually represented as in figure 1.

Figure 1 Input-transformation-output blocks

Source: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=216864 (accessed on 14/03/10)

When the concept system is applied to any education provider and program, figure1 now includes the following elements.

Figure 2  Input – Transformation – Output

 

Source: http://rijeka.intereduc.ch/education/input-transformation-output  (accessed on 14/03/10)

Knox (2002) further adds ‘systematically, your agency program attracts participants, instructors, money, facilities, equipment, materials, and staff. These ingredients (inputs) interact to enable the adult and continuing education program to function (process) and produce the benefits for participants, other people associated with them, society in general, and your provider agency’.  

 Figure 3: Inside view of the transformation process

and I almost forgot ... Knox, A.B., (2000) Evaluation for Continuing Education - A comprehensive book Jossey-Bass
ISBN 0787961434