Analyzing Scope Creep

Scope Creep is "the natural tendency of the client, as well as the project team members, to try to improve the project's output as the project progresses" (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer & Sutton, 2014).  The problem with Scope Creep is it can potentially increase costs and delay projects causing frustration for the client as well as the project team.

On a personal level, scope creep happens almost every time I decide to do a project or remodel an area of my home.  As of late, I have been obsessed with home-improvement projects, on a small scale, but nonetheless it is nothing but projects, projects, projects around here.  My husband says I have “Project-ADD” because I often start new ones before the old ones are complete.

This spring, I decided to redesign my raised garden and transform it into an actual garden bed.  I planned out the dimensions, measured, picked the perfect sunny spot and purchased the outer landscaping bricks.  My yard slopes down so I had to account for the angle and build a small retaining wall. Not only did I want it to be functional, it needed to be pretty as well. 

I went a bit over budget on the dirt/compost as I wasn’t really sure how much was needed, but it wasn’t too bad, easily worked around economically speaking. The problem with scope creep came when I started to dig and place the bricks.  HUGE lesson here…’call before you dig’. Though I did not get electrocuted or reach any depths where I was in danger, I did slice through the invisible fence wiring a few times. No big deal I thought, a bit of electrical tape should fix that right up.  Well it didn’t.

Our lovely black lab Beck quickly learned the ‘fence’ was down and he could go and visit the entire neighborhood.  We did not know it was not working until we got the call from the police department that they had our dog.  A small city fine for the dog running loose, a call to the local utilities to come out and mark up the yard and some new wiring (done correctly) and the garden was finally complete. On a good note, I was able to plant my vegetables in time and am now reaping the benefits of fresh produce.

 

 

Resource

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

When researching Project Management solutions and resources, my first criteria in the search was to find something inexpensive (free would be best).  I wanted to find a template where I didn’t have to download software; something I could just incorporate into what I already have.  I found that in Bright Hub PM.  They offer a free download of an Excel spreadsheet and as they state, “…creating a project budget can be time-consuming”… using a template will help alleviate potentially overlooking tasks…”all you need to do is input the information” (Bowen, 2013). When all is said and done, you can save, print or email the completed budget.  The website also offers many free resources and tips.

 

The next resource I located was ProWorkFlow, which offers a 14-day free trial.  A few items offered in the software are: One place Projects for details, tasks and communication, FREE training and support, mobile apps, templates, reporting, file uploads and storage and resource management.  It also integrates with a variety of accounting software such as QuickBooks.  There is also a blog to follow for additional tips. The software is priced competitively, as low as $10 per month for an individual user (perfect for a freelancer or independent contractor).

 

Resource

Bowen, R. (2013, July 31). Use This Excel Project Budget Template to Simplify Your Next Project's Budget Creation Process. Brighthub Project Management. Retrieved July 30, 2014, from http://www.brighthubpm.com/templates-forms/75727-use-our-excel-project-budget-template-to-simplify-your-life/

 

Communicating Effectively

 

 

The assignment was to observe three modalities of communication; all with the same content but delivered by email, voicemail and by personal message via face-to-face.  Once the message was received, reflection was given on the effectiveness of each form.  This scenario despite the type of the modality, would be considered informal communication; though the request was past the established schedule, the content/reports were late which creates “communication that occurs as people think of information they want to share” (Portny, et al, 2008. Pg. 368).

 

 

Link to the Communication Scenario Examples

 

Email

Reading the email I felt the message was fairly urgent, though not demanding.  The source of the email acknowledged that the receiver may be busy but would appreciate the requested content. Because of the nature of email/text, urgency is difficult to differentiate as there is no tone to the words.  As the sender of the email, you do not have immediate notification of how the message was received.  Giving a timeline or due date would be a more effective way of describing needs.  When something is needed urgently by a manager, cc’ing them on the email may help speed the process; along with requiring a 'read-receipt' of the email.

 

Voicemail

Listening to the voicemail I got the distinct impression the caller was trying to be polite without appearing challenging or authoritative, yet was clear on what was needed.  This felt a better directed than the email because of the tone and vocal inflection. As the caller leaving the message, you do not have immediate notification of how or when the message was received.

 

Face-to-face

By far the most appropriate way to communicate in this example.  Along with the verbiage being spoken there were non-verbal cues of urgency and tone/vocal inflection, though it was a bit informal.  I feel she got her point across and was able to put pressure on the coworker and wait for a response. The clarity that encompassed all aspects of the face-to-face communication were effective and valuable at getting what she needed.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resource

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.

 

 

Learning from a Project Post Mortem: Where is the meat and cheese?

 

The culmination of life events (for a teenager) is the celebration at the end of the curricular road; The Graduation Party.  I began planning the party and creating a potential budget the summer before my son’s senior year. In my mind, where it was all assembled and were it stayed, the plan appeared to be moving forward.  My son wanted ‘walking tacos’ and pumpkin pie (well it was his party so he got to choose). And so the menu was solidified, besides the items I added such as cupcakes, nachos, etc.

In principle, I have had enough dinner parties and birthday parties to be conscious of the important essentials of creating a smooth and fun atmosphere. I did my due diligence by researching how much meat each walking taco would require (times) how many people were expected.  In fact, I researched almost every aspect of food and drink that would be required in making sure all guests had their fill.

Unfortunately I did not ‘factor in uncertainty’ (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton & Kramer, 2008, pg.6) and had a few deficiencies:

1.      I did not have the correct amount of taco meat. Our guests were hungry and we went through 70 pounds of taco meat in the first 2 ½ hours.  This required my mother-in-law to make another trip to the store in the middle of the party, to purchase more meat and cook it.  This also increase the expenses of my party budget as the additional meat was purchased at the local grocery store and not by bulk at Sam’s Club (similar to Costco).

2.      In addition to the shortages in meat, the nacho cheese machine was well-loved by all and another grocery store run had to be made.

Though we had rain…lots of rain, we were prepared with tents and tarps and a clean garage. I am blessed to have a great network of friends who helped provide these items as the closer to the party date, it became apparent the sun would only shine for a small percentage of that day.  The planned yard games and bonfires were not to be, but dancing and cards replaced them seamlessly. Because of the atrocious weather of the day, I did not anticipate the amount of people we had invited to actually attend this event; there were also the guests who were not formally invited (son’s friends etc.) that he ‘forgot’ to mention.  All-in-all I feel the party was successful, besides the few drawbacks and the added bonus of an important learning lesson.

 

Resources

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.

Project Management in Education and Training

 

~And the journey continues...

Future of Distance Learning

What do you think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future?

In the future, the depiction of distance learning, distance education and online learning/education will lose its stigma as an inferior alternative for higher education.  Distance learning will become synonymous with traditional learning and at some point it will be difficult to distinguish between the two formats in regards to superiority.  “Growing acceptance of distance education is fueled by; the increase of online communication, practical experience with new tools, growing comfort with online discourse, and the ability to communicate with diverse and global groups.”  (Laureate Education, n.d.).  More university and colleges will incorporate distance learning into their education platforms and it will become “central to an institutions operation” (Osborne, 2013).  Along with distance learning becoming a standard, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) will gain more ground as businesses begin to use these courses to train employees.  Living in a technological world where internet and mobile messaging are the primary source of communication in the workplace, employers may require students have online courses in their portfolio as a way to show they can work with and in a diverse demographic. Just as paper and pen has given way to tablets and drop boxes, online learning will become par in higher education institutions and business training.

Included in the shift to distance learning and almost half (45%) of college students “taking at least one online course” (Bolkan, 2013) is the increased trend of adults entering higher education.  While “a large a majority of the American public and…business leaders say it is more important for job candidates to be well-rounded with a range of abilities than to have industry-specific skills” (Stratford, 2013), adults are finding themselves taking remedial courses to obtain their degree, which costs valuable time many do not have. With this thought in mind, the flexible course design can “shorten the process and will focus on learner-directed activities, including project work and multimedia assignments (Osborne, 2013). Speeding up the process of learning while still creating well-rounded educated adults is the Kentucky Community & Technical College System.  The Learn on Demand program lets “students work through the models sequentially, completing each in a dramatically shorter period of time and progressing at their own pace” (NextGen Learning, n.d.).  Remedial courses can be taken and completed in a 3-week module as opposed to a typical 16-week semester.  Adult learners will save precious time and can soon focus on program courses.

 

How can you as an instructional designer be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning?

While distance learning still provides “institutionally-based and formal education” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2012, pg. 32) means the outcome is to continually provide superior and quality education to the learner.  Flexibility is a major proponent of online learning and creating courses that engage the learners increase satisfaction and will also increase popularity.  As we continue to create course and design the learning experience, one group of potential students to keep in mind is the student who is anxious to try distance learning.  “The challenge we face as designers is to create distance learning that … draw in those who prefer face-to-face, and convert those that fear it” (Trask, 2014). How, as an instructional designer do we appeal to and attract students who have never taken an online course?  One way is to design a course with required elements (and outcomes) but allow the learner to “pick and choose what they want to do and what they want to avoid” (Bull, 2014). This buffet-style design will work with assessment options as well, adding differentiation to appeal to a variety of learning styles as outcomes measure what is learned not how they learned it.

 

How will you be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

 Designing courses that are equivalent and that the learning activities, though different, have the same effect on the course outcomes.  An important factor in continuous improvement is the learning experiences; “anything that promotes learning, including what is observed, felt, heard or done” (Simonson, et al, 2012, pg. 53).  This includes designing opportunities for extensive collaboration between students and copious instructor interaction.  Personally, I feel education is life-long and I plan to continue my educational journey through specialized training to update my skills and knowledge and as we are well aware, Improvement starts with ‘I’.

 

References

Bolkan, J. (2013, June 24). Campus Technology. Report: Students Taking Online Courses Jumps

             96 Percent over 5 Years --. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from

            http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/06/24/report-students-taking-online-courses-

           jumps-96-percent-over-5-years.aspx

Bull, B. (2014, February 3). 10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing Online Student Retention,

            Satisfaction and Learning. Faculty Focus 10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing

Online Student Retention Satisfaction and Learning Comments. Retrieved June 26, 2014, from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/10-assessment-design-tips-increasing-retention-satisfaction-student-learning-online-courses/

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). The future of distance education [Video file]. Retrieved

            from https://class.waldenu.edu

NextGen Learning. (n.d.). Kentucky Community and Technical College System | NextGen

            Learning. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from http://nextgenlearning.org/grantee/kentucky-

community-and-technical-college-system 

Osborne, C. (2013, January 8). Top ten predictions for online learning in 2013. SmartPlanet. Retrieved June 26, 2014, from http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/top-ten-predictions-for-online-learning-in-2013/?tag=content%3Bsiu-container#.UUCUKgTXh5o

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

Stratford, M. (2013, September 18). Poll: Most Americans and business leaders say graduates should be well-rounded @insidehighered. Poll: Most Americans and business leaders say graduates should be well-rounded @insidehighered. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/09/18/poll-most-americans-and-business-leaders-say-graduates-should-be-well-rounded#sthash.wgWe0AlU.dpbs

 

Converting To a Distance Learning Format

 

 

Converting to a Distance Learning Format

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.

 

Pre-Planning Strategies include:

·         The Learners
·         The Content
·         The Method of Deliver
·         The Material
·         The Learning Environment
·         The Necessary Technology

“The interaction of these components creates the types of learning experiences necessary for student learning”…and they must…”interact both efficiently and effectively to produce quality learning experiences” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2012, pg. 152).  Interaction will be both face-to-face and online (synchronous and asynchronous) so decisions will need to be made as to what aspects of discussions will be in which format.

 

Distance learning brings its own set of engagement challenges; strategies to combat lack of involvement include problem-based learning, collaboration (group work) and discussion boards.  Learning activities are imperative in a distance learning environment.  While the content is significant and essential, it is the activities that will keep the learner committed and enthusiastic as they learn the content. Visuals in online learning, such as multimedia elements, can be used as a benefit to augment and develop key concepts. “Visuals that break down a complex idea in to components can show relationships that might otherwise be confusing to students” (Simonson, et al, 2012, pg. 160). Care must be taken when choosing applicable technology that is relevant to objectives and as a way to eliminate extraneous information.

As a distance learning facilitator, the role changes to that of a student supporter, communication guide and active participant.  Students need to know the trainer has their best interest in mind and without visual cues from the students, support should come from both emotional and evaluative by communicating through comments and discussion responses.  This goes with being an active participant in the course, especially during discussion boards.  Discussion boards are a powerful tool in distance education and discussion threads (can) require student response and interaction.  By setting posting and response requirements, students have a clear expectation of how to continue the thread.  Using a variety or combination of factual, evaluative, convergent and divergent questions, that require more than a yes or no answer will also help sustain the dialog.

 

References

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson