Abstract:

This study explores the application of ChatGPT® in a role-play text game designed to develop Lean Thinking among lean practitioners. In certain automotive sector company for which a Life-Long Learning training program was designed, it was important to generate a shared vision of continuous improvement and directing day-to-day engineering activities towards effecting cultural transformations. Hence, the proposed methodology seeks for engaging a change of managers’ mindset with respect to Lean thinking.

ChatGPT® has been used in Life-Long Learning education with multiple roles for both instructors and participants. Instructors leverage their capabilities for teaching preparation, course material generation, assessments, and performance evaluations. Similarly, participants employ AI as a virtual tutor, seeking answers to inquiries, summarizing information, fostering collaboration, verifying concepts, preparing for tests, receiving drafting assistance, and obtaining feedback. However, the effective utilization of ChatGPT® requires meticulous planning, ethical considerations, and sustained research efforts to fully harness its potential and address its challenges.

On the other hand, Role-Play Games (RPGs) are interactive platforms where participants assume designated character roles in scenarios or narratives. In training contexts, RPGs function as life-long learning tools to engage practitioners and promote diverse learning outcomes, including simulation-based and experiential learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, storytelling, collaboration, communication, and emotional engagement.

The methodological approach of this study combines the flexibility of ChatGPT® and the catching of RPGs. This study presents the prompt engineering process focusing on Lean Thinking in an industrial context and our findings after its application.

During implementation of the methodology, top managers were organized into teams and were asked to play an RPG in which they assumed the role of the director of a fictitious company, while ChatGPT® operated as the game master, presenting problem scenarios and Lean thinking-based possible solutions. They had to discuss and select the best possible course of action according to the game, however, each answer would modify the game context and at the end a score and individualized feedback was provided.

After game implementation, we used the Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology to collect their perception towards use of IA, and we collected their take away and opinions. Our results show that after game implementation, top managers' acceptance of the proposed methodology was positive, and their perception towards Lean involved prioritizing leadership and cultural change within the organizational framework as key aspects of continuous improvement.

Keywords:

Educational Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Lean Thinking, Life-Long Learning.