Analyzing Scope Creep

Describe a project, either personal or professional, that experienced issues related to scope creep.

At my school, all faculty and staff must serve on one major task force. Within each task force, there are several activities or events that each task force are responsible for completing throughout the school year. I am a member of the curriculum and assessment task force which has many events we must do and some of them are done more than once in the school year. As a committee, we divided all of the events amongst all members into small committees within our task force.    I was chosen to lead two of the committee, 25 Book Campaign Celebration and Science Fair. On each of the committees there are about three or four people working together as a team. Also, we have curriculum nights where students led activities in a particular content area. Unfortunately, I was in charge of putting on a Science Night because I am over the Science Fair committee.  I was not informed about the Science Night until one week before the actual date. I had only one week to plan and inform parents and the community to get them involved in this event.

 What specific scope creep issues occurred?

           Even though, I am lead person on the Science Fair committee, I was not informed of all duties that needed to be completed. The timeline to have all material and individual grade level projects material ready for teachers done was almost not possible.  Another issue is that there wasn’t an enough time to inform parents, community, students, and teachers about the afterschool events that was taken place.

How did you or other stakeholders deal with those issues at the time?

In order to try to have a great turn out of parents and students, we immediately sent out flyers that went home that same day I was told about the event. It was not the time to play the blame game,  the committee and myself met and that evening  afterschool to discuss what needed to be done and I delegated specific task to  individual members.  We continue to communicate about the event progress in person and through email. Also, every morning during the announcement, I had a message about the Science Night announce as well as in the afternoon announcement. I contacted Science department of my district that also helped by providing Science kits for each grade level. We had incentives for students who came to participate as well as each teacher had goodies for each child and parents who participate in their individual activity.

Looking back on the experience now, had you been in the position of managing the project, what could you have done to better manage these issues and control the scope of the project?

          All changes that need to be made would have a change control system that can be well controlled. All of the important information and components that need to be done will be completed in advance.  Also, all of the changes will have to be communicated to all members. Teachers will be notified in enough time for them to be prepared to stay late and have all material ready and available for activity. Parents will know in enough time to get off from work, so they may be able to attend the event. Lastly, I would try to make sure the changes are implemented smoothly and properly as possible.  There will be constant monitoring and controlling of different parts of the project to make sure it is a success.

 

Effective Communication

         This week, I examined the effectiveness of a message that was presented  by “Art of Effective communication “using three various modes of communication such as email, phone, and face to face. As Dr. Stolovitch states, project managers are diplomats. Communication is not just words, it also the way we choose to communicate.  Effective communication includes positive attitude, tonality and body language and timing as well as it focus on the recipient.  When communication is clear, concise, and focus, it allows for all team member to stay on target.

In the message in the Art of Effective Communication” multimedia video they presented one message using three different modes communication. The message was sent via an email, phone call, and face to face. Below I have included my interpretation of each modes of communication of the message

Email

The message sent in an email seems to be more informal than the other methods. Without having the ability to have tonality or body language to help with the delivery of the message it wasn’t an effective mode of communication.  Even though it stated facts, it would have been more effective if the recipient was able to hear the urgency or the importance of receiving the information in a timely manner.

Phone

In the phone message, I could hear the sense of urgency to receive the data that is needed immediately.  The phones message was clear and concise.

Face to Face

The face to face mode of communication seem to be the most effective way to communicate this message. Her tone of voice was pleasant, calm, and clear, she used great body language with a positive attitude as she delivery her message. She acknowledge his busy schedule which shown him she was caring without coming off too aggressive and blaming him for not sending the data. By using effective communication skills, I believe she received the data very soon.

All three modalities of communication can be effective. As Dr. Budrovich stated in the video, tailoring your communication to the individual’s needs and preferences will improve team members’ communication relationship.  Communication can be formal or informal. Any meeting or conversation should be documented and send copy of the key points address to the client or team member.

 

 Stolovitch. (2014). (Video Program): "Communicating with Stakeholders"

Achong, Troy & Budrovich, Vince (2014). (Video Program) "Practitioner Voices: Strategies for Working with Stakeholders"

Week 2: Post Mortem

Last year, I was in charge of my school wide annual Science Fair.  There were four members including myself that worked on this project. We began to meet to discuss our expectations, roles, and responsibilities of all members. Afterwards, we agreed to meet again to follow up with all members and the progress of the project. We met again to design a project rubric to use for scoring students’ projects, confirming judges, and final details.

What processes, project artifacts, or activities did you include in the project that contributed to its success?

 The Science Fair Project was a success because we were able to communicate and work well together. We used our school email as way to communicate with administration and faculty. When there was someone not taking care of their responsibilities, it was always someone picking up the slack. All of the students was very engaged and excited to be part of the Science fair. Students were are able to compete on regional level which some of them won awards.

However, there were too many grade levels waiting to present their projects to the judges which was a waste of valuable time. There were students not being properly monitor that caused a couple of the projects to be damaged.

What processes, project artifacts, or activities did you not include in the project that might have made the project more successful?

After the Science Fair, I thought of ways it could have been more of successful. There are a few things I would like to implement this year for the Science fair such as…

·         To be more organize and planning

·         More teamwork

·         A complete time schedule of when each grade level should present their project to save instructional time.

·         Commitment to personal promises made in the plans.

Which parts of the PM process, if included, would have made the project more successful? Why?

The PM process that could have made a difference in the project is planning and organizing. According to Portny et al. (2008), "Project managers can increase a project's chance for success by planning and guiding based on understanding specific project life cycle phases" (p. 108). If this project was organized better, there could have been a chance to save some instructional times.  Each grade level would have a specific time to arrive in the Science Fair to present their project and then go back to class. Also, the project manager could ensure all members are held accountable for their performance. So that all members will be able to share important information with all members.

Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., Sutton, M. (2008). Project Management. John Wiley & Sons.

 

 

EDUC 6145- Project Managment in Education & Training

Greeting to All,

I look forward to start another course that will be filled with many insightful learning experiences. Also, I look for to reading your comments and post from you.

EDUC 6135-Distane Learnng: Reflecton

 The Future of Distance Learning

I have gained an abundance of insightful information about distance learning. Although, I have had many challenges, it was a major learning experience. Each week I have learned or clarified any of misconceptions I thought about distance learning. As Dr. Siemens stated in this week video, many people believe the distance learning was mainly due to the separation by geographical location, but through the use of online communication tools and practical use of these tools we are closer than we ever thought. Distance learning is a field that has many areas that will always grow because technology is always being innovative. In this paper, I am going to address the current and future understanding of distance learning in our society by answering the three questions. First, what do I think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future (in 5–10 years; 10–20 years)? Secondly, how can I as an instructional designer be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning? Lastly, how will I be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

I perceive distance learning will be steady growing and changing in the future. Distance learning is predicted to increase by more than three hundred percent in the next five years which universities and colleges are joining in by offering online degree programs (Moller, L., Foshay, W. R, . & Huett, J. 2008). Technological fluency is becoming a common expectation. The perception of distance learning will continue to be more accepting as people continue to become comfortable using the latest technologies such as new online communication tools to increase interaction between student-student and student-instructors (Siemens, 2014). Furthermore, I believe as people have more personal experience and practice using new technologies such as wireless, mobile laptop computer, personal digital assistance, video conferencing, video streaming, and gaming environment enhance distributed learning, they will gravitate towards distance learning. Learners will have a desire to learn through distance education. Also, in the future, there will be a contribution by experts around the world and increase of multimedia games and simulations. There will be more universities and corporate organization working together as they communicate with people all over the world. As technology advancing to be stronger as computers double in speed while decreasing in cost, and high-speed network connections continue to expand (Howell, S., Williams, P., & Lindsay, N., n.d.).

As a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance education, I will make every effort to improve distance education by supporting faculty, designing effective courses and methods to effectively evaluate distance learners experiences. Instructional designers should increase all manner of interactions, to provide appropriate student activities and, consequently, to eliminate some of the course development and workload concerns of faculty (Moller, L., Foshay, W. R,. & Huett, J,., 2008). The instructional approaches will be learner-centered which would encourage learners to become self-directed and actively participated in the learning process. This will allow the learner to be responsible for their own learning. The course content will be dictated more by what learners need, want and expect to learn.

I will strive to be a positive force for continuous improvement by creating sound instructional design regardless of the medium of delivery or the theoretical framework. As a lifelong learner, I will continue to stay up to date with the latest technology advances and be able to apply them in distance learning environment when it is appropriate. Instructional designers must stay on top of the current research and be able to defend decisions regarding who should and should not enroll in the available distance education offerings and promote designs that have the capability to serve the targeted student population (Huett. J., Moller, L,.Foshay, W.R., & Coleman, C., 2008). Instructional designers are protecting students by promoting solid distance learning practices based on research and theory.

Overall, distance learning is steadily growing at a fast rate. The keys to successful distance education are in the design, development and delivery of instructions and are not related to geography location (Simonson, M., Smaldino, S.,Albright, Micheal., & Zvacek, S., 2012). As technology advance and students are expected to be technology fluent, the more they will be comfortable using these same technology tools to further their education.

References
Howell, S., Williams, P., & Lindsay,N. (n.d.). Thirty-two Trends Affecting Distance Education: An Informed Foundation for Strategic Planning. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html

Huett. J., Moller,L,.Foshay, W.R., & Coleman,C. (2008). Implications for instructional design on the potenial of the web(Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63-67.

Moller,L., Foshay, W. R,. & 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.

Siemens, G. (2014). The Future of Distance Education. Laurete Education. 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_4198205_1%26url%3D

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

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                        

 

Converting to a Distance Learning Format

Scenario: 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.

The best practices guide for this trainer to follow when converting his program to a distance learning format will provide key information on preplanning, enhancement in the course, role of the trainer to facilitator, and how to encourage online communication. I will be answering all these questions as a way to help the trainer convert this course successful to a blended learning course.

What are some of the pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program?

Before converting the program, the trainer needs to use an instructional design model such as the ADDIE model as a guide to design an effective course. He needs to think about the important components that are a critical part of the process such as the learners, the content, the method and materials, and the environment including the appropriate technology. These components must be able to interact both efficiently and effectively to produce quality learning experience (152). According to Simonson et al. 2012, that first time instructor of distance learners should begin working 3 to 5 months in advance of the beginning date to ensure all materials are planned and readily available for student use. It is imperative that the trainer take time to plan and organize the learning experience when engaged in teaching at a distance.

The course is being converted to a hybrid (blended) course. Before, he begins, he needs to assess his students to see if they will have all the necessary attributes to be successful in a distance learning environment. If they do not, he will need to implement strategies that would encourage them to improve their skills. He could also create a storyboard as an outline of how the course would possibly flow. The trainer can use the storyboard to create each unit-module-topic as a way to organize the instructional objectives the learnings are expected to learn. In the online portion, the trainer can design a course management system that students can use to communicate and participate actively in discussions with classmates. Within the CMS, the trainer should include a syllabus to ensure communications is open between learner and trainer. This will be the primary communication for students to understand the structure of the course, expectation, and assignment process (Simonson,M., Smaldino, S.,Albright,Micheal., & Zvacek, S., 2012). The learner will need to take responsibility for initiating contact with the instructor if an issue arise. However, the trainer will need to have a clear and reliable way for learners to contact them in case an issue do arise.

The trainer should also ensure that the course would be learner-centered and learners will have many opportunities to be actively engaged. When learners are more engaged, it is more likely that they will retained the information better. Learner can work in collaborative groups, small group discussion, hands-on experience with that are prepared in advance. The key to active learning is to keep the learners involved in their own learning, not just keeping them busy (Simonson,M. et. Al,, 2012).

What aspects of his original training program could be enhanced in the distance learning format?

By converting this traditional learning course to a blended learning environment, he could enhance the technology he uses. He could have student use some of the latest Web 2.0 technologies that will be appropriate for blended course such as discussion boards and wikis. He could also use video or audio presentation of experts explain concepts. The use of tables, graphics, animation and video to present information is important but it must be shown in an engaging manner.  This multimedia should also be designed to accommodate different learning style of the student.

How will his role, as trainer, change in a distance learning environment?

The role of the trainer changes to a facilitator in any learner-centered learning environment. Dr. Purkish states that the facilitator role does not change traditional to distance learning setting. However, it is more difficult in distance learning.  As the facilitator he should implement best practices such as:

Best practices	Explanation
Become very familiar with the technology software the students will be using	·       Facilitator should know how use the software so that if student has a question about how to use a component he will be able to assist the student.
Implement variety instructional strategies	·       Facilitator should not use PowerPoint presentation because it is a way to make the students disengage from the content. Dr. Piskurish calls this “death of PowerPoint” when this method is overly used in delivery content to students. ·       Facilitator allow students to work in small groups, audio, and discussions, ·       Facilitator should make sure the activities and application allow students to work own their own pace.
Review lesson plans	·       Facilitator should have a thorough understanding of the lesson. He should know what students will be doing next and how they go by getting it done. ·       The activities that students will be completing is related to their instructional objective that keep the learner going and become actively engaged in the course.
Communication with students  and Monitor interaction	·       Facilitator must keep in constant contact with their student. If facilitator does not communicate or interact with their students, they may begin to think that the facilitator does not care about their success in the class. ·       Facilitator should participate in the discussion with the groups and track students’ participation just as he would in a traditional setting.

 

What steps should the trainer take to encourage the trainees to communicate online?

Facilitator should encourage a learning community with communication protocols, cultural diversity awareness, and understanding how to use audio equipment properly. The facilitator should initiate an icebreaker so that students will have an opportunity to get to know each other in the course.  According to Simonson et al. 2012, the ice breaker play a role that help builds relationship among the students of the group. The students will be able to learn about each other which gives them opportunities for communication and collaboration.

When designing a blended course, it is important to analyze students, become very familiar with the content and appropriate technology for this kind of course. The facilitator should look for ways to enhance learning and communication to encourage students to be actively engaged in the course.

 

References

Purkish, George (2014). "Facilitating Online Learning"

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

 

 

The Impact of Open Source

          Open course is an open educational resource that is presented in the format that includes planning materials such as syllabus and course calendar. They also have textbooks, video lectures, presentations, notes, and simulation (About the Open Courseware, 2014). These courses are free that learners of higher education and adults can gain knowledge anytime, anywhere. Adults, who already are in their desired career, can learn and gain knowledge that will help them in their career.

          The courseware I analyzed comes from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It has placed materials form over thousands of courses online (Simonson, 2012). MIT uses video content for video lectures. The videos are available in streaming mode, but may also be downloaded for viewing offline (Wikipedia, 2013). However, this is not a substitute form of distance learning, but a web-based resource for teachers and learns around the world (Rouse, 2011). After reviewing various open courseware available from MIT, I selected the course MAS.963 Technological Tools for School Reform to complete my analysis.

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

       This course, MAS.963 Technological Tools for School Reform was well- planned. The planning process for this course, includes syllabus that specifies in detail in two parts what the learners can expect to learn, do in both parts of the course. It states course requirements in order for the learners to be successful. The three requirements are students’ readings, actively learning, final paper and website and presentation. It is vital for learners to be actively involved in the discussions and course work in order to get the most out of the course. It provides how the learners can expect to be graded from the course by completing course work and being actively engaged throughout the course. To help learners with staying on track when an assignment is to be completed, there is a course calendar that provides the topics for each week. For example, in the session or module, learners topic would be an introduction and overview. Adult learners can benefit from the course calendar by staying ahead on their course work. They could begin reading the upcoming week materials at their own time once they have completed the current coursework.

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

        MAS.963 Technological Tools for School Reform is designed in sessions or modules. There are 14 sessions for this course. In each session, learners are focused on one topic for that week only. For high quality course, there should be an emphasis on the use of different of visual media to offer instructional content (Simonson, 2012). This course sequence is aligned that learning can apply what they have learned from the previous week to the following week. The course has provided timeline when all assignments are due. For example, the course project that learners will work as a team to complete proposal is due by session seven. The instructional materials for this course consist of adults and graduate learners reading journal and online, viewing video lectures and listening to audio recordings. The pace of instruction in distance education for adult learners is considered because most of them have other responsibilities including their full time career. The instructions should offer compliments to their daily life.

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

         MAS.963 Technological Tools for School Reform is a learner centered course that offers active learning for all learners. The key to active learning is to keep learners involved in their own learning, not just keeping them busy (Simonson, 2012). Learners will participate in case studies in which they are analyzing research projects. Learners can expect to participate in collaborative in learning communities designing tools, materials, and activities to be field tested. After reading the required material for that week, learners are expected to participate in discussions with class. Within the discussions, it gives learners an opportunity to present their different perspective and interpretation of the reading. Learners are able to share understanding of the centralized question. Learners will also complete a course project where they will work in small groups. They will create a website with background research, design and development notes, documentation and sources for tools and materials they used to develop their project.

Conclusion

          In conclusion, MAS.963 Technological Tools for School Reform course has a well developed course that encourages all learners to participate actively. The course has taken in the responsibilities that an adult learners have and structures the course so they can also be as successful just as a higher education learner. The course has many opportunities for learners to work in a small group or as a team to design a course project as well as communicate in discussion on various topics. The guidelines for this course are easy for learners to follow and how the course will be implemented. All of the materials that are needed are readily accessible for all learners.

 

 

 

About the Open Courseware. (20014). Retrieved from Open Coureseware Consortium: http://www.ocwconsortium.org/about-ocw/

Mikhak, Bakhtiar. MAS.963 Technological Tools for School Reform, Fall 2005. (MIT  OpenCourseWare: Massachusetts Institute of Technology), http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/media-arts-and-sciences/mas-963-technological-tools-for-school-reform-fall-2005 (Accessed 9 Feb, 2014). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Rouse, M. (2011, March ). MIT OpenCourseWare(OCW). Retrieved from What is.com: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/MIT-OpenCourseWare-OCW

Simonson,Micheal, Smaldino, Sharon, Albright, Micheal, Zvacek,Susan. (2012). In Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundation of Distance Education (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.