Testing a QFD methodology to improve a Calculus course for engineers

The aim of this work is to advance the teaching quality of a first-year Calculus course through the use of a cycle of continual improvement. This requires the use of a tool that both helps to gather information on the quality achieved and to detect areas in need of improvement. The Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrix can be used as such a tool. However, following the reviewed literature, the way in which theQFDis employed is indeed variable, and it has rarely been used for a first-year subject. We have developed and implemented a methodology based on the use of QFD matrices focused on student opinions. Our method is easily implementable by professors, and it does not require specific training, nor does it involve high costs. By means of a survey, we have collected the perceptions of the teaching quality, or lack thereof. These results have been analyzed through House of Quality (HoQ) diagrams to place a value on the specifications of the course and to identify and target those characteristics of greater importance, with the end goal being to improve quality. From this analysis, we have extracted some guidelines for improvements to be implemented. The study has been made in two consecutive years. The comparison of the two years shows that the weaknesses identified in the first year, and the improvements introduced for the second year, have created a significant increase in perceived quality. This methodological approach is useful in that it allows an evaluation of teaching quality. It helps in the determination of possible avenues for improvement, and ultimately it allows for an analysis of the evolution of perceived quality over time.