Demystifying PDSA as a Teaching Strategy

by Jama S. Coartney and Eric K. Kaufman -- 


The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Model for Continuous Improvement has been around in one form or another since the 1930s. In the early days, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, an educator and engineer, called it either the Shewhart's cycle or a cycle for learning and improvement. Have you ever heard of PDCA or Plan Do Check Act? In the 1950s, the business world derived PDCA from Deming's lectures and work. In fact, Moen and Norman (2009) note that PDSA was the basis for the Total Quality Management (TQM) framework, still used in business today. Deming, however, preferred that it be called the PDSA Model for Improvement; and so, people in the know tend to use the term PDSA.  

Why use a PDSA approach in education?

Today’s culture calls for data-driven disciplined inquiry; we see examples of this through the introduction of new terms, such as data analytics. As noted by the Deming institute, PDSA can provide a useful tool in the education process.  PDSA provides a cyclical process, based on the scientific method, to support data-driven continuous quality improvement. PDSA provides a means for testing, measuring, evaluating, and communicating the effects of small incremental changes on teaching and learning activities.

What is the PDSA standardized approach?

PDSA is a four-stage problem-solving model used to improve processes and carry out changes. When applying PDSA, begin by asking these three questions:
  1. GOAL: What are we trying to accomplish?
  2. What change(s) can we make that will result in improvements?
  3. How will we know the change is an improvement?
A video developed by the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System provides a great summary for how the PDSA cycle works.

Other industries besides education and business benefit from PDSA. For example, the healthcare industry has found the approach very helpful in gathering evidence on the benefits of a treatment plan. Making and evaluating small incremental changes may provide more insight into gaining a better understanding of core issues.

For a more in depth description of the framework as well as a toolkit of useful resources, Langley and associates (2009) have developed The Improvement Guide. While often promoted to business audiences, this book provides guidance for process and performance improvement, which applies to any number of diverse settings, including education and durable skill development.


Worksheets, Forms, and Toolkits for PDSA

If you would like to jump into using PDSA, below are some worksheets, forms, and toolkits to help with organizing your thoughts and approach.
  • PDSA Worksheet from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • PDSA Toolkit from Vermont Department of Education provides a 20-page guide that steps through the PDSA process.
  • PDSA Template from Carnegie Foundation
  • PDSA Tool for Health Care Quality Improvement

References:

Langley, G. J., Moen, R. D., Nolan, K. M., Nolan, T. W., Norman, C. L., & Provost, L. P. (2009). The improvement guide: a practical approach to enhancing organizational performance (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Moen, R., & Norman, C. (2009, September 17). The history of the PDCA Cycle. 7th Asian Network for Quality (ANQ) Congress. Asian Network for Quality Conference, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.



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