Analyzing Scope Creep

Project scope is the work that has to occur to deliver a product, service, or result with specified features and functions (Wikipedia, 2013a). Scope creep refers to sometimes-uncontrolled changes in project or course requirements, in addition to continuous growth in a project's scope (Wikipedia, 2013b). Scope creep is commonly caused by new features that are added to the project (Lynch & Roecker, 2007). Scope creep can be beneficial as long as the project team can properly respond sensibly to the project’s changing conditions (Greer, 2010). However, the changes can cause the project to stray from its original obejctives and design. It can also occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled.

The project that I am describing occurred in the Intro to Computers & Technology class during my first college semester. We were required to create a PowerPoint presentation about IT and computers, and then explain it to the class. My group consisted of three students: two others and myself as the group leader. However, from the initiation of the project there was a problem with communication. Even though we were in a group, we seldom communicated. As the time approached to gather information, there was little input even after making contact with team members. Consequently, I wound up doing the bulk of the project work to research, compile information, and create slides with graphics for the presentation. The scope creep resulted from lack of communication and underestimation of time. It was not until the final day for completing the project that we eventually met as a group. The result was members hastily putting together their parts of the presentation within a few hours before class. Slides added at the last minute had to be adjusted to fit into the presentation. But because I had done so much of the work already, these last minute revisions created a potential for collapse of the project, or for a completely different version. Also, due to lack of time to properly rehearse my speech, I stumbled occasionally during the presentation. Still, this did not negatively affect my overall performance and grade. I received an A for the presentation and course, respectively. But in my evaluation, the process to complete the project was very inefficient and quite stressful at times.

As the unofficial project manager, in retrospect, I realize the mistakes that I made. I could have insisted on devising times where we could meet in the library, and communicate more often via email and phone. This would have given us the opportunity to keep within the timeline, discuss exactly what information was needed from members, and how their input fit into the presentation. This is an important part of controlling and creating a project, because any proposed changes should be discussed and approved by team members and stakeholders (Lynch & Roecker, 2007).

References:

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Retrieved February 14, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_02/MS_INDT/EDUC_6145/Syllabus/Syllabus/embedded/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf

Lynch, M. M., & Roecker, J. (2007). Project managing e-learning: A handbook for successful design, delivery, and management. Retrieved February 14, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_02/MS_INDT/EDUC_6145/Week%206/Resources/Week%206%20Resources/embedded/6145_Wk6_Lynch_Ch5.pdf

Wikipedia (2013a). Scope. Retrieved February 14, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_(project_management)

Wikipedia (2013b). Scope creep. Retrieved February 14, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_creep

Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

Project managers are primarily responsible for developing and producing project budget estimates as well as allocating resources (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008). A critical part of the project budget is cost estimates, which detail the costs of the resources needed to complete the project tasks (Greer, 2010). After identifying the project tasks, each task in the network diagram should be reviewed according to the resources (people, equipment, and materials needed to complete the task), effort (labor units required, such as staff hours), and duration (the period of time over which the task occurs). Sometimes new project managers can confuse duration and effort. There can also be issues with calculating cost, such as overestimation. These links are intended to help PMs and IDs avoid these issues, as well as enhance their knowledge and understanding of how to complete the aforementioned tasks for projects.

URL: http://www.pmsite.com/Forum/tabid/159/aft/2003/Default.aspx
This link is a message board topic about how the total project cost of the project can be properly distributed to all activities (Tibi, 2012). One of the answerers stated that it is best to build the total cost from the bottom-up. Additionally, there is discussion pertaining to when a top-down method is chosen, involving "lumpsum" resources or an expense item assigned to some of the activities.

URL: http://vandylb6.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/project-schedule-budget-plan-2/
This is a blog that highlights some websites that can help a project manager develop a budget plan (Vandylb, 2012). There is a website developed by the University of Wisconsin provides a template for project management, listing five major steps: conceive, initiate, plan, execute & control, and close. Planning is also divided into a four-stage progression: project kick-off meeting, develop work plan, develop project control plan, and finalize final project plan and gain approvals. Also included is an entry on blog site written by Don Clark pertaining to budgeting for instructional design projects. There is also information about an interesting case study detailing Verizon’s transition to e-learning.

URL: http://www.ukdissertations.com/dissertations/management/cost-management.php
On this blog, cost is described as one of the three pillars supporting project success or failure, along with time and performance (UKDissertations, n.d.). Cost management is described as the process of planning, estimating, coordination, control and reporting of cost-related aspects of the project. There are paragraphs on resource planning, estimating costs, and types of estimating, such as bottom-up estimating, analogous estimating, parametric estimating, design-to-cost estimating. Further information includes tools for analyzing/evaluating cost management, various charts and diagrams that can be used, as well as applying histograms. This site can enable project managers and instructional designers to really understand and help plan a project’s schedule, create a budget, or break down the project’s tasks.

References:

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Retrieved February 7, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_02/MS_INDT/EDUC_6145/Syllabus/Syllabus/embedded/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf

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.

Tibi (2012). Total Project Cost. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.pmsite.com/Forum/tabid/159/aft/2003/Default.aspx

UKDissertations (n.d.). Cost Management. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://www.ukdissertations.com/dissertations/management/cost-management.php

Vandylb (2012). Project Schedule & Budget Plan. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from http://vandylb6.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/project-schedule-budget-plan-2/

The Art of Effective Communication

E-mail

Electronic mail or e-mail is both an informal and formal method of communication. The message began with professional courtesy, which is important in business communication. Even though the message conveyed importance and urgency, the tone was respectful of the recipient’s schedule. This again, is a requirement of effective written communication. Jane’s e-mail stated a clear purpose and situation. It also included a possible solution or suggestion, which involves Mark sending the data in a separate email.

Phone

Voicemail is a very common means of communicating by telephone within the company and other businesses or clients. I believe that the phone conversation seemed a bit urgent in Jane’s tone. Furthermore, I believe that making phone calls can emphasize the importance of the issue in a different manner to other forms of communication, such as e-mails, text message, IMs, etc. The caller is able to use inflection in their voice and overall tone to convey additional meaning to the message. It is also used as a follow-up if there is no response to an e-mail. For instance, in my classes, I usually would email the instructor, and if I don’t get an immediate response, I’ll send another email. But if it is a particularly urgent issue, and I don’t receive an e-mail response, I would make a call.

Face-to-Face

Face-to-face communication involves addressing the message directly to another person. Jane’s face-to-face communication with Mark included the informal tone that Dr. Stolovitch suggested. Jane spoke to Mark in a friendly and polite manner. Her face did not suggest anxiety, even those she expressed urgency. Jane also demonstrated that effective communication is not exclusively in words, but in the spirit, attitude, tonality, body language and timing. One of the main advantages of face-to-face communication over telephone and e-mail communication is that the individuals have the ability to speak to each other in real time, whereas with the other methods, there may be delayed delivery of the message. Jane has kept the tone of all of her communications business-friendly and respectful. This is again important in effective business communication.

Conclusion

Dr. Stolovitch’s video combined with this exercise was very informative and useful, and I intend to apply this information to my communication in general. It helped to emphasize the importance of effective communication, whether it is e-mail, telephone, or face-to-face. Additionally, the exercise reinforced that it is vital to avoid ambiguity but to be specific, straightforward, and respectful.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with Stakeholders [Video webcast]. Retrieved January 24, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2099917_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). The Art of Effective Communication [Multimedia program]. Retrieved January 24, 2013 from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html

Learning from a Project “Post-Mortem”

In my undergraduate degree I took an IT course for object-oriented design, which pertains to the C++ language and the coding used in computer programs. Although I was aware that this was one of the progressively difficult courses in my major, I felt confident in my ability to obtain a good grade. But it turned out to be the exact opposite. This was not a successful course for me. Even though I tried to stick with the course throughout the semester, I received a D grade. It was probably the hardest course that I have had in my academic career which included other programming and advanced math courses. It seemed that I had a mental block in understanding C++ language and how to transfer the coding on paper. I also had difficulty getting the programs to work. I tried to get help from the instructor and from Internet resources. But my understanding and performance on tests did not show much improvement. Therefore, by the final exam, I attempted questions to the best of my ability, but I really didn’t know many of the answers.

Especially in the light of my graduates studies about learning processes and instructional design, I can think of some reasons why I did not have a successful outcome in the course. As a learner I could have applied myself in a more structured and consistent way to the course content and instruction. Had I implemented some of these processes and activities I believe that I could have obtained a better grade. For instance, early in the course I could have devoted more time to reviewing the course outline, the available resources and the objectives. This would have given me a more realistic understanding about what the course entailed. I also could have invested more time reading the text, practicing coding and reviewing completed projects. Now from an instructional design perspective, in my estimation, the analysis, design, and development phases were not fully developed for this course. It was designed and presented at an advanced level aimed at learners who were experienced with coding and working in IT. The course should have been created to accommodate learners of different levels of experience. The beginning of the content should have covered the basics before moving on to more difficult concepts. Also, the equipment, materials, and support provided were insufficient (Greer, 2010). The textbook was not structured with learning aids such as worked examples and guided tutorials. It would have also been logical to provide extra resources such as video and audio especially with such a complex subject. With regards to the instructor, he was a good lecturer but he did not provide in class demonstrations of work, and was not receptive to communication outside of class.

References:

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Reflection

What do you think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future (in 5–10 years; 10–20 years)?

It is clear that distance learning and digital education is an emerging trend in education, on its way to prominence (Cohen, 2012). Distance education will become a mainstream educational delivery method, evidenced by most colleges and universities already providing a majority of their educational offerings in web-based formats. There is clear value and advantage in incorporating new technologies in education. In the global brain-based economy of the 21st century, our workforce requires ever greater levels of education and constant learning. However, there are educators who maintain a cynical reaction to distance learning, and others are vehemently opposed to the technology involved. For instance, I had an online course with an instructor that strongly did not believe in distance learning technology for literature research, and my ideas for the project were constantly rejected. Nevertheless, there is a growing shift towards a “triple-helix”, in which universities, corporations and government agencies prominently use distance learning in their operations and training (Laureate Education, n.d.). Innovative use of technology can make acquisition of education and knowledge more available and flexible. This advancement is widely expected by experts to increase the amount of education available throughout the world. On social level, students will increasingly utilize distance learning as a means to building connections and friendships that valuable to a successful professional career.

Distance education also benefits corporations by allowing them to interact with different offices worldwide (Laureate Education, n.d.). Connecting with their global offices they are able to standardize training by offering online courses, archived instructional videos and access to learning management systems. Tools such as wikis and blogs are expected to continue to build successful learning experiences and projects for online education.  Web conferencing tools such as Elluminate and Skype are among the technologies that increase instructional delivery and access for distance learners across the globe. Furthermore, there are other important developments with use of technology devices such as iPads and smart phones. These communication tools are now be equipped with instructional applications to enable students, instructors, workers, and others to interact with each other over long distances.

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

Online learning is viewed as a convenience because students stay at home and attend school, and set their own time and pace to complete their assignments. However, this can be quite perilous, because there is the risk of procrastination. This situation can cause students to become overwhelmed with assignments and projects that will be done hurriedly and submitted at the last minute. But with proper planning and discipline such problems can be avoided. Distance learners have the responsibility to review and work in accordance with the curriculum and assignment schedule that is posted online at the beginning of each semester. Another area of difficulty exists with some learners being turned off by the lack of face-to-face interaction with the instructor or other students. This is why interaction has to be an essential part of the distance education setting. It is important for me as an instructional designer to engage in communication such as phone conversations, e-mails, or synchronous chats or online meetings.  Each student has the opportunity to easily interact with other students to talk about what they are learning. It is also imperative for the student to be able to contact the teacher with questions, concerns, or general feedback. I would provide timely feedback on assignments, via chats, discussion posts, and e-mails. Students are likely to lose motivation if they feel isolated. Therefore, it would be required of me to develop and create these opportunities for collaborative learning which also helps to build intrinsic motivation.

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

During the analysis phase, I would ensure that I obtain critical data on characteristics of the target audience, such as learning needs, learning styles, and expectations of the instructional project. This would be accomplished by discussion board posts, chats, and surveys. Because online learning is largely self-directed, I would encourage learners to engage in decisions about their learning including the ability to communicate and collaborate with unfamiliar colleagues and peers (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2007). Instructors and instructional designers have to be able to provide proper organizational conditions to allow flexibility, time, and incentives to experiment with new instructional methods. Therefore, I would maintain allowances for several distance education delivery modes, such as blended, mobile, and video game-based simulation (Nash, 2005). Increased use of these tools is critical to the growth of distance education (Laureate Education, n.d.). By doing this, I am enabling multiple instructional and component materials in a manner that effectively conveys the information to learners (Morrison et al., 2007). Additionally, it not only enhances understanding of the particular subject, it also provides the motivation for learners to remain engaged in all aspects of the course.

Another very important factor of distance education that I would need to figure out is the use of technology to deliver instruction (Fendel, n.d.). In order to keep the distance learner motivated, it is important that the learner is comfortably using the technology required for the instruction. In my orientations, I would detail how the course will be conducted, as well as the various media that will be used, along with the platform or learning management system that should be used. My overall goal is to always evaluate how effective course development, instructional methodology and use of technology achieve successful learning outcomes. I would also maintain professional growth by taking advantage of related seminars, webinars and research of best practices in the instructional design field.

References:

Cohen, S. (2012). Distance Learning and the Future of Education. Retrieved December 20, 2012 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/distance-learning-and-the_b_1928535.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). The Future of Distance Education [Video webcast]. Retrieved December 20, 2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1959715_1%26url%3D

 Fendel, B. (n.d.). Instructor Strategies for Motivating Students in Distance Education.
Retrieved November 19, 2012 from http://itec.sfsu.edu/wp/860wp/F06_860_fendel_motivating_students.pdf

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). Designing Effective Instruction (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Smith Nash, S. (2005). Learning objects, learning object repositories, and learning
theory: preliminary best practices for online courses. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 1. Retrieved December 17, 2012 from http://www.ijello.org/Volume1/v1p217-228Nash.pdf

Converting to a Distance Learning Format

Summary

The ADDIE model is a versatile instructional design model that the instructor can apply to this project. It employs a systematic, step-by-step framework to ensure that course conversion and development occurs in a structured manner (Kruse, n.d.). Analysis, the first phase in the process is where determination is made with regards to learner needs, knowledge and skills gap (Reigeluth & Donaldson, n.d.). The trainer has to consider and remember the user capabilities and needs early in the planning and implementation of the course (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012).  Putting the course online provides students with the flexibility to access course material and complete assignments, without the time constraints of class attendance. The instructor can also benefit by having potentially greater contact with students who are not as typically communicative in face-to-face learning (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008). Trainers in a distance environment will take on a role as facilitator. The facilitator role has many “hats”, such as instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant (Hootstein, 2002). Online learning has to be effectively presented to learners of every level to accommodate different types of learners while adequately addressing their learning needs, through public-based learning, or PBL (Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford, 2006). One common way of communicating problem-based learning is through discussion boards, or threaded discussions.

Full Link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/117515557/WK7AssgnMillerD

 References
 

 Durrington, V., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student

interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190–193.
Retrieved December 10, 2012 from
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/433631/strategies_for_enhancing_student_interactivity_in_an_online_environment/

Hootstein, E. (2002). Wearing Four Pairs of Shoes: The Roles of E-Learning Facilitators.

Retrieved December 11, 2012 from http://www.astd.org/Publications/Newsletters/Learning-Circuits/Learning-Circuits-Archives/2002/Wearing-Four-Pairs-of-Shoes

Kruse, Kevin (n.d.). Introduction to Instructional Design and the ADDIE Model. Retrieved November 28, 2012 from http://www.transformativedesigns.com/id_systems.html

Moller, L., Huett, J., Holder, D., Young, J., Harvey, D., & Godshalk, V. (2005). Examining the impact of learning communities on motivation. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 6(2), 137–143.

Reigeluth, C. & Donaldson, A. (n.d.). Instructional design: A new paradigm. Retrieved

November 28, 2012 from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EIDT/6100/CH/mm/eidt6100_instructional_design.html

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

The Impact of Open Source

Does the course appear to be carefully pre-planned and designed for a distance learning environment? How so?

The open course site that I selected was from the Massachusetts Institue of Technology (MIT). On MIT, the course that I chose was called 6.00SC Introduction to Computer Science and Programming (MIT Open Courseware, 2011). This course appears to be carefully pre-planned, organized and designed. It contains the important elements of a prototypical and effective online distance learning course. Instructional material is organized in 3 units. Unit 1 has 9 sessions, Unit 2 has 10 sessions, and Unit 3 has 7 sessions. Quizzes are presented for completion in 90 minutes with open book. Accessibility is enhanced with links to the syllabus, software, references, units, and course materials that can be downloaded.

Does the course follow the recommendations for online instruction as listed in your course textbook?

This course follows several of the recommendations suggested in Chapter 5 (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). Three unit quizzes are offered, with the final covering all of the material, including lectures, recitations, and problem sets (MIT Open Courseware, 2011). There are self-assessment tools such as lecture questions with answers and unit quizzes with solutions. Also available are links to archived video lectures (which was fairly extensive), assignments, exams, recitiation videos and solutions. There is a course study group in which students can post questions related to the topics. Usually, there are immediate responses (75% of the questions asked are said to be answered in 5 minutes).

It is important to note that not all of the recommended learning strategies are followed in this course. For instance, the threaded discussions do not appear to be graded. Although the course is structured in units, it does not quite follow the Unit-Module-Unit guideline (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). Furthermore, unlike most distance learning courses, there is no requried course textbook. Much of the course reading is derived from online sources, along with additional optional references.

Did the course designer implement course activities that maximize active learning for the students?

I believe that this course provides many opportunities for students to engage in active learning. The course material that is offered helps students to actively participate in their own undertanding of the course (Simonson, et al., 2012). There is a set of lecture videos, along with supporting resources for each lecture, along with handouts, PDF slides, and code files (MIT Open Courseware, 2011). The course study groups involve freqent collaboration and interaction among the students. The recitation videos are developed by course teacher’s assistants (TA's), and they allow students to review content and problem solving techniques. In the homework problems, there are sample student solutions. According to the syllabus, the course is aimed at students with little or no prior programming, but the acquired experience should help them to understand computational approaches to problem solving.

References

MIT Open Courseware (2011). Introduction to Computer Science and Programming. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-00sc-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-spring-2011/index.htm

MIT Open Courseware (2011). Syllabus. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-00sc-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-spring-2011/Syllabus/

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