This blog will discuss a professional project that experienced scope creep, identify the issues that impacted the project , interaction with the issues at that time and then provide  a suggestion for what could have been done had I been the project manager.

The organization is a non-profit extensively engaged in supporting the transitional employment efforts for seasonal workers in upstate New York. My responsibility on the team was the Career and Placement Manager charged with community and business development and workforce board representation. The remaining team consisted of the Division Director, and the Budget Manager (BGM). The goal of the program as with many non-profit organizations is to continue to search out and complete grants to further the cause of the organization and to sustain the needs of the program and is associated needs.

This project consisted of completing a grant proposal for the division. As the most recent member of the team my grant writing skills to that date were limited, this was the first red flag when the Division Director (DD) assigned me to write as a primary responsibility, a six figure grant proposal. It was not a fear of writing it, but the lack of experience I had in the area. I realized the possibilities of what could be if I was successful with this proposal, although committed to the team; I had my reservations with this project assignment.

The next issue for this project was time constraint with respect to the DD. The DD was consumed with traveling and meetings. Limiting her availability to assist and provide critical feedback for completing the proposal. The BGM as well was limited in time for fielding questions and providing guidance for completing the proposal.

The issues of inexperience, and management availability impacted the project in a very significant way. As result of these identified issues, the structure of the projects scope began after the first week. Deadlines to discuss and meet became few and infrequent within the first week of the assignment, in conjunction to meeting other deadlines. We completed multiple revisions leading up to the day of the grant deadline, almost missing it, we had to send it via overnight express; while encountering high levels of frustration and low morale (from my perspective). An attempt was made to inject some structure around meeting with the DD and the BGM earlier in the project life cycle for discussions and early review so we could avoid having to “scramble” at the last moment for submitting the project. However noble in our efforts, this did not help.

In retrospect, a few simple but important steps could have been initiated to have eliminated or significantly reduced the project scope. Had I been the Project Manager, my first action would have been the installation of a Linear Responsibility Chart, a simple but beneficial chart that would have provided assistance with identifying team roles and responsibilities. “Defining and sharing team roles and responsibilities up front can improve performance and help to identify and head off potential difficulties during a project (Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E., 2008).” The next item I would have included during the initial project team meeting an appropriate methodology for personnel planning. Planning the personnel via a Skills Roster, discussing actual skill set and interests would have reduced the amount of revisions, provided the opportunity to actually learn from the experience as opposed to just going through the experience. Using such a chart provided the project manager the opportunity to assess the skill and knowledge level of the team members thus helping to crete an environment where the members are comfortable with the project tasks. “In addition to serving as a guideline to help project managers request the appropriate people to work on project activities, a Skills Roster can reveal gaps and weaknesses in staff skills and knowledge that can guide in the following areas; training, career development and recruiting (Portny et al., 2008).”

Just the addition of these two charts would have provided a necessary guide for keeping the project on track, more structure and a solid foundation for the team members with a level of comfort for seeing the project through to fruition.

Robert J. Jackson

Reference

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stolovich (2010) noted in a video podcast that effective communication is influenced by spirit and attitude, totality and body language, timing, and the personality of recipient. These and the modality are key factors we should take into consideration when communicating with others.

To elaborate on that perspective, in my course for this week were given an assignment requiring us to engage with three different modalities for the same information and to record our reactions to each before progressing to the next. The modes of communication were as follow:

• 1) Written-email
• 2) Voice – over the phone
• 3) Face-to-face – within an office

1)      Response to the email

My initial reaction when reading the email was of sudden urgency from Jane, very concerned because of her deadline. I say with respect to where the placement of the words “please” in the email.

2)      Response to the Voice Message

Jane’s voice was in a soft tone, not what I expected based on reading the email. My perception shifted and my demeanor to be more relaxed. It was a more of a plea for help, not a tone reflecting a belligerent or irate individual.

3)      Response to the Face to Face

The face-to-face was by far told the total story of the message. Jane was relaxed. Her body language helped to convey her plea for help. The way she motioned her head and how she fluctuated her voice on certain words, such as when she started her request and at the conclusion of the request.

My interpretation actually decreased or softened from on modality to the next. In that when I started reading the email I gathered extreme urgency. But when I viewed the face to face I still have the sense of urgency but it had become calm. I believe the factors that influenced my perception were the modality. When I was able to view see Jane, I was able to receive everything from her that allowed her to communicate the message and that is body language. Returning to the point made by Stolovich (2010), communication is not just words. Our bodies convey messages in conjunction to our words and we must be considerate of the language it speaks when we are communicating with members of project teams. From the way we shake a hand (if we even shake it at all), how we position our heads or how we fluctuate or voices, the implication from each gesture  has the power to shift the dynamics of the project team from focused too distracted.

Reference

Stolovitch, H. (Performer) (2012). Communicating with stakeholders. [Video Podcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1373694_1%26url%3D

The project I am describing was a team project completed for Walden University. The team was assigned to complete a full Instructional Design project based on the ADDIE model. At the project initiation and planning the team consisted of five members with assigned roles and responsibilities. At the conclusion of that phase, to our surprise the team was reduced to three members.

Before the team could move forward new roles and responsibilities had to be assigned to remain on target for the project completion date. It was challenging to not only assume the responsibilities of the previous role but the roles of the new duties and try to form an understanding to be successful. There was minimal amount of time to re-work tasks in the event of failure.

What contributed to the project’s success was the ability the remaining team members quickly reassigning a project manager, the remaining roles and responsibilities. Obtain buy-in from the remaining members to assume the roles and commit to deadlines for each responsibility. The pertinent link within each was the daily communication factor. Success was possible because the remaining members reminded each other of when tasks were completed, reworked or behind. This factor created a barometer within the team and increased the likelihood project would be completed and on time. Not only that, it helped members to ask questions and seek help in areas where they were inexperienced so as to minimize covering weaknesses.

For the project to have been more successful, less stressful I believe in the planning phase it would have been important to have established a contingency plan. Although team members were pre-assigned for this project, taking some time to examine a contingency plan would have allowed the team to function at a lower stress level and with a greater transition to the perform phase. Not having a plan in position to function in the event the unforeseen happened put the team in a position of performing frantically. This is not the state a team should be in to achieve project success, because in that position the members are not at their best, they are functioning in doubt about their roles, responsibilities and losing site of the intended project scope.

Important to note about defining a contingency plan is it will help the team:

• Remain together in the event they are required to implement the plan
• Re-evaluate the parameters (tasks, new phases) for the finished project
• Adjust scheduled deliverables
• If appropriate estimate new costs
• Keep the project moving, members motivated
• Manage scope adjustments
• Have the assurance to close out the project

Reference

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201260_02/MS_INDT/EDUC_6145/Week%202/Resources/Week%202%20Resources/embedded/Murphy_W2_6145.pdf

The goal for this blog is to engage in worthwhile discussion regarding Project Management (PM) in Education and Training to include Instructional Design (ID). The platform for the majority of the topics will stem from my participation and graduate course work at Walden University in the current course, Project Management in Education and Training.

It’s my desire via this blog to provide my perspectives that will be active and stimulating regarding various topics of Project Management, Instructional Design and sub-topics with respect to each.

Thank you for stopping by and adding this Blog to your reader.

Robert J. Jackson

So with that I say the future of distance education is here to exist as a component of the mainstream educational system. Distance education is an innovation that will continue to allow the members of society (young and old) to pursue and increase their knowledge in various areas of study. With advancements in technology that continue to connect people from every corner of the world “distance” no longer remains a learning barrier, but just the time and space that physically separate the members of the online learning community; teaching communities that will establish at a rural, corporate and collegiate level, working in unison for the benefit of the student. Meeting the learning needs of a growing diverse population will keep the future of distance education at the forefront of learning theory and application. This is the future of distance education

To participate as a proponent of the distance education movement my charge as an instructional designer is to communicate the benefits and positive impact of distance education. As societal needs shift and the demand for individual time increases, constructing and designing distance education courses that engage the learner will become a major component in the equation for the continued success of distance education. Improving the perception about distance education begins with every opportunity I am afforded as an instructional designer to shape a distance learning course so that the outcome for every student is a positive learning experience. This is one way I believe we can communicate the significant and positive influence of distance education.  If we [I] communicate a message that is clear and concise about the theories and aspects of distance education with clarity showing the value it has in the continued development of every community nationwide one student at a time, then it can be said that much has been accomplished to help begin the shift regarding societal perception concerning distance education.

As I move forward to the realization of becoming an Instructional Designer I understand my involvement with this progress is I am:

1)      A force that can influence – one student at a time

2)      A force that can change the landscape of distance education

3)      An individual force that supports the growth and development of distance

What does that equate to? Simply stated I am in a position to impact lives and further the expansion of the learning theories and concepts that address the environment of distance education. My voice and actions are the vehicles of distance education and I am responsible for ensuring it reaches the destination of continuation. I will do so with increasing my development and understanding for the field so that I am equipped to construct and design learning components and systems for the students in communities’ worldwide.

In conclusion, as the expansion of new communication technologies, contributions from experts around the world and the use of multi-media become more common place within the fabric of our daily lives we will witness the expansion and increase in dimensional movement for distance education. The key to moving the acceptance of distance education is to provide a level of comfort for distance education that learners believe equates to a traditional classroom format (Siemens, 2010).

Reference

Russell, T. (1999). No significant difference phenomenon. Raleigh: North Carolina State University.

Siemens, R. (Laureate Education). (2010, July). The Future of Distance Education [Video podcast]. Retrieved from www. mym.cdn.laureate-media.com

A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.

Before the training manager completes his conversion to a blended course, some pre-planning is necessary to ensure the success of the students in the new course format. This can be accomplished by starting with a simple question and answer check list as noted in figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1

The manager will need to perform a delivery analysis of the current training content so that he can determine what portion to convert online and what portion for in class. This is important because in a blended or hybrid course the content delivered online can range from 30% -79% (Simonson, et al., 2012).  See figure 1-1. Also he will need to identify any conversion constraints or potential issues, and establish the tools he will use to facilitate the new course format.

Another important component he will need to include is a document to announce the transition in the training format and introduce the students to the hybrid training model. In this document referred to as an orientation guide, he should include information regarding the following topics:

Figure 1-3

The syllabus is the single most important document an instructor can prepare for the new course (Simonson, et al.). It and the orientation guide will serve as the precursor for the new course format. It will help the students in the acclamation phase and should serve as an ideal buffer for the transition. Another important aspect the trainer will need to consider and sometimes overlooked is the total number of students to be enrolled in the new course. Student count will impact the level of interaction and communication within the course. The trainer will need to analyze what topics and group assignments he will designate as online and what he will use for the classroom portion for discussion.

In the new distance learning environment the trainer’s role and responsibilities will shift from just a trainer to course facilitator. To help with this he will need to receive training on the course delivery system and the technology tools to ensure students have clarity for course interaction with each other and in the discussion. According to Sorensen and Baylen (2004) the trainer will need to practice some key suggestions to make certain the learning experience offered in the new format encourage the following:

Figure 1-4

The trainer’s involvement will require more expansion of the reading material prior to class, in like fashion including the students interactive activities associated to the course so they understand the need for advance preparation (Simonson, et al., 2012).  Furthermore the trainer will need to construct the online portion in a clear and concise manner so students have the appropriate understanding of their individual responsibilities (Kilic-Cakmak, Karatas, & Ocak, 2009).

Communication will play a significant role for student learning in the new hybrid format. He will need to encourage communication while creating a learning environment the students can be comfortable with and are not overly concerned with sharing their thoughts (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004). The trainer can encourage this by introducing a group work atmosphere early in the course. Forming groups offers students the opportunity to become engaged with one another. This sense of connection creates a community within the class, a place where the members have the support from one another.

In conclusion, the previous mentioned scenario is feasible with proper preparation by the trainer. The transition will require the dissemination of information of the components of the course. This is necessary to ensure clarity between student and trainer, and student to student, so early introduction for students to the concepts and technologies of the new hybrid format is important to their success. If the trainer adheres to the suggested ideas and tips in this guide success is achievable with a relatively smooth transition to the new model.

Reference

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kilic-Cakmak, E., Karatas, S., & Ocak, M. (2009). An analysis of factors

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson, 5.

Sorensen, C., & Baylen, D. (2004). Learning online: Adapting the seven principles of good practice to a web-based instructional environment. Distance Learning: A Magazine for Leaders, 1(1), 7-17.

url:  http://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/plsc-118
Selected course: The Moral Foundations of Politics with Ian Shapiro

The course, The Moral Foundations of Politics with Ian Shapiro, appears to be pre-planned. It is simple in design for navigation for the user. Links are included for reviewing the syllabus, the course sections, the course survey and purchasing books for the course.

The designer included resources related to the course, such as the transcripts, pdf, audio files, mp3 availability and bandwidth options for down loading at low or high speed. Video and audio portions of the course are available via YouTube or iTunes. Providing the course in various mediums makes it available to the learner, allowing for greater accessibility. This point as part of a larger list of suggestions is noted by Bates (in Foley, 2003) where he proposed 12 rules as guidance for the use of technology in education. He refers to these as the “golden rules”. He notes “each has its strengths and weaknesses, therefore they need to be combined (an integrated mix)” (Foley, 2003, p.843). Following this guideline helps the distance learner to engage in the learning process, becoming more capable of establishing a relationship with the content and the learning environment.

When reflecting on the recommendations suggested by the text, Teaching and Learning at a Distance, Foundations of Distance Education (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2012) the course is organized, it provides the unit, module and topic and is easy to understand the approach for the course content. According to the authors, they suggest the unit is the significant body of knowledge representing key subsections of the course. The module is a key subsection of the unit, typically consisting of several sessions. The authors go further to state a topic is the thought that helps to explain and support the module. The open course reviewed provides this three tier model. Significant to this model, the authors suggest, topics form modules, modules form units and units become the main subdivisions of the course (Simonson, et al., 2012).

With respect to course activities for maximized student learning, the course designer implemented reading assignments, with additional links to view each chapter section. This equates to student-to-content interaction. The included pdf’s provide the notes highlighting the subsections, facilitating the process following along and referring back to the content in the video or audio portion of the course.

Overall, the open-course reviewed at http://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/plsc-118, meets the design specifications for designing distance learning instruction and Internet-based distance learning. The designer takes into consideration the importance of each component’s strength and uses it to provide a systems approach towards the entire distance learning process for the course. This model of interconnected components increase the likelihood the course will provide the environment where the learner will function successfully. With that said, It was noted, “the interaction of these components creates the type of learning experience necessary for student learning” (Simonson, et al., 2012).

Reference:

Foley, M. (2003). The Global Development Learning Network: A World bank initiative in distance learning for development. In M. G. Moore & W.G. Anderson (Eds.), handbook of distance education. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

http://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/plsc-118

What: A Collaborative Training Environment

Here is the scenario:

A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.

Action required: Implementing a training workshop for these offices

Items to address:

• New automated staff system must be implemented in six regional offices
• Staff is located throughout all the different offices, cannot meet at the same time or in the same location
• Imperative that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration

Having a staff environment that is unable to meet at the same time or in the same place poses a challenge for delivering the training, but attainable with some creative thinking and the right technology tools.

First, it’s necessary to introduce the staff to the new automated information system. The use of a media site will aid in this area significantly and provides the platform for the training session. A media site such as Slideshare will provide the staff with video/audio presentation and will provide the means to offer a place to store downloadable supporting documentation while they view training. Slideshare is a robust platform for sharing presentations and documents (http://www.slideshare.net). The site currently hosts several available presentations users can access, ironically several of the presentations discuss the nature of distance learning from various platforms similar to this example.

Slideshare offers the following:

• Upload presentations publicly or privately
• Download presentations on any topic and reuse or remix
• Embed on blogs, websites, company intranets
• Share on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Zipcast: free, no download, 1 click web meetings
• Slidecast: sync mp3 audio with slides to create a webinar
• Embed YouTube videos inside SlideShare presentations

Since the staff cannot meet at the same time or in the same location, this site will store the prerecorded media presentation for each individual to view at a location and time of their choice.

In addition to Slideshare, the use of a wiki will provide each office the opportunity to share documentation and their experience implementing the new automated system. This will support the offices in collaborating on learning the new system and aid in the sharing of information. My suggestion is Zoho Wiki, although a fee is associated with its use, it will offer a platform supportive of collaboration and development.  Zoho Wiki offers collaborative tools to share knowledge across the board.  Staff members can stay connected with their group / teams regardless of location and still work together on the same page. Zoho Wiki offers workspaces, comprehensive history tracking, workspaces and versioning (https://wiki.zoho.com/HomePage.html). The Montana Library Association in their 2007 Conference developed a Zoho Wiki (http://mtlib.wiki.zoho.com/). Members were provided access to the presentations during the conference, their own blog for the conference as well as a comment and attached file section.

Discussion Forum

To participate in ongoing collaboration and discussion, implement a blog set as private for the staff members of each office. A blog is a great way for the students to provide feedback about course content or reporting activities within an environment of learning (Simonson et al., 2012). For this application the blog becomes the venue where the staff can share and express their views; include links or images of something they may have encountered during the use of the new automated information system. The development of this kind of community fosters a Community of Practice (CoPs) for informal knowledge transfer. It provides discussion surrounding the informal and formal process of knowledge transfer in the work environment (Suave, 2007). My recommendation for a free blog site is this one, WordPress. It offers customizable designs for the blog, provides 3 gigabytes of file storage and offers the option of a public or private setting (http://wordpress.com/).

One final item I would add to the list of technology tools for this distance learning example is an online assessment such as SurveyMonkey. This will Taking into consideration the geographic location of each office, learning a new system and in some cases the technology tools as well, as the instructional designer I think it’s crucial for future training and development for the instructor to collect data from the staff regarding their overall training experience. SurveyMonkey will provide the means to accomplish this task. The free basic plan offers 10 questions per survey, 100 responses per survey, it’s web-based, data is collected via weblink, email, Facebook, or embed on the blog site previously mentioned and the results are Real-time (http://www.surveymonkey.com/).

In conclusion in my opinion, the use of the previously discussed technology tools will provide the opportunity for the instructor to effectively deliver the training, engage in a rewarding interactive learning experience and collect necessary data to adjust accordingly for future sessions.

Reference:

Sauve, E. (2007). Informal knowledge transfer. T + D, 61(3), 22-24. Retrieved from Proquest

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

http://mtlib.wiki.zoho.com

http://www.slideshare.net

http://www.surveymonkey.com

https://wiki.zoho.com/HomePage.html

http://wordpress.com

Distance learning is a methodology, comprised of learner interaction within a virtual community of remote learners where technology (e.g. Telecommunications, Course Management Systems) provide the opportunity for the learner to engage in the same level of discussion and cognitive development while adhering to the high standards and principles equivalent to a traditional classroom setting.

Edwards (1995) suggest the use of the term open learning to describe distance learning, noting the term is used to describe a new way of looking at education in a quickly changing and diverse world. He goes on indicating that distance education and open learning are two different approaches to education. Without a clear definition of the two, Edwards continues with his suggestion noting distance education provides distance learning opportunities using mass-produced courseware to a mass market.

With that said, it is my personal belief that distance learning continues to change because the demands of the learner’s desires continue to evolve to keep pace with various industry changes and to remain competitive within the work force. This takes into consideration personal obligations brought on by family, or community involvement, each of which contends for personal time. As a result individuals seeking to increase their knowledge and skill set want quality, convenient and on demand programs capable of meeting their expectations. Distance learning is positioned to asynchronously not only meet but exceed the requests of those individuals. Moller et al. (2008) points out e-learning is instantly available, providing timely and on-demand learning access impossible in a traditional training center. Finally, e-learning is scalable: Once developed, tens of thousands of employees or customers can use it immediately.

The future for distance learning is promising, such that it is capable of meeting the evolution and demands of individual development by supplying access to quality education backed by proven industry wide standards. More professionals and continued learners are opting to choose distance learning as the method for obtaining new skills to help them keep pace and remain relevant. Distance learning is rapidly becoming a popular choice for continuing professional education, mid-career degree programs, and lifelong learning of all kinds (Moller et al. 2008). The expansion of distance learning in the areas of quality, accreditation and delivery methodology in conjunction with advances in technology will succeed and support the communication of committed faculty and life long learners.

R. J. Jackson

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70. Retrieved from http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.