Learning from a Project Post Mortem

I decided to use one of the largest "personal" projects that I have taken on to examine under the lens of a project post mortem this week - the renovation/restoration of our house.

Having a plan in place that considers scope, budget and time-line


Our House - Before.

My husband and I purchased a century home in 2003, with the goal of renovating and restoring it over five years (as means allowed), and then selling it to buy the home we figured we would raise our family in.  We identified what we wanted to do (scope), estimated what we wanted to spend (budget) and decided that we would do this work over the course of five years (time-line).  I even created a beautiful Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in MS Project for the first phase of the work on the house.

Expect the unexpected

The only original item that we managed to stick to was the time-line.  A few months into the project, we discovered that we were expecting our first child. With that discovery, the overall needs and plan of the project radically altered - as did the resources (both from a human resources and financial resources perspective).  As I read through Greer's (2010) post mortem questions related to Needs and Feasibility, around missing needs up front - I confess, I had a bit of a chuckle.  I'm rather uptight about identifying needs early on in a project (because un-identified needs that come up later on, come with a cost), and have limited tolerance for PMs who don't identify all potential needs in the beginning.  Looking at my house project though, gives me a different perspective.  Things do change (constantly).  As such, we do need to build in contingencies to deal with when needs do change, and be willing and able to shift when required.  In the case of our house, originally we planned to have a master bedroom, a spare bedroom, a music room and two offices.  In the end, our house ended up with three bedrooms and two offices.  We thought originally that we could manage with the one bathroom that the house had.  As we started having children though, and realized that "this" was going to be the house that we would be raising our children in, we added another bathroom into the plan.

Celebrate the successes


Our House - After.

Greer's first question on the post mortem list is "Are you proud of the finished deliverables?"  Absolutely we are.  The entire project took a tremendous amount of work, resources and time - but we are very happy with the finished results.  We invested more into the project than we originally planned to given that we planned to live in the house longer, and needed it to support being our home and work environments.  Each time we were faced with "scope creep", we carefully looked at the impact to time and budget and made our decisions accordingly.  The year that we finished the exterior work, one of our neighbors entered us into our property into local "Communities in Bloom" competition.  Much to our surprise, against very stiff competition - we won 1st place in the Residential Category.  That was a very gratifying, but unexpected result.

An area of pride.

The items that worked well in the project, were those that we had the clearest vision of "what" we wanted to accomplish.  For example, in our side yard we had a space where we wanted to have a seating area where we could have the experience of being completely surrounded by flowers in the summer.  We sketched the area out, and knew it great detail what it would look like down to the specific type of stone work and plants that would be in that space.  My husband and I did all of the work in that space (so there were fewer communication issues than if we were working with contractors).

Learn from the mistakes

If I could wave a magic wand and change anything about the project, it would be how I handled some of the external contractors that we hired.  We had significantly different experiences with contractors throughout the project, and much of the difference hinged on the contracts that we had in place up front.  As a trained and experienced project manager, I "should" have known better.  But, knowing what to do, doesn't always translated into doing what we should do.

References:

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

Project Management Welcome!

For the next couple of months, this blog will be exploring Project Management of Learning Projects.

An extra special welcome to my EDUC-6145-3 cohorts!

Best Practices – Converting to a Distance Learning Format

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

            As the trainer begins planning for the conversion, it is important that they consider who the learners are, as well as the objectives that the training is setting out to address.  With these in mind, the trainer should work to ground the delivery in a distance education theory.  According to Dr. Saba (n.d.), theory serves as a guide or a map to help practice. Equivalency theory is a practical place to start, which focuses on learning outcomes. The goal is not to create an identical experience to the classroom experience, but to provide an equivalent learning experience to meet those outcomes (Simonson, n.d.).  In a training situation, where adults are the primary audience, Andragogy is also valuable to help understand the characteristics of learners as well as the characteristics of systems that will support their learning at a distance.

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

 

All aspects of the original training program should be looked at to see how they could be enhanced in a distance format.  Beldarrain (2006) states that regardless of the delivery method, technology should:

(1) Encourage contact between students and faculty.

(2) Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students.

(3) Use active learning techniques.

(4) Give prompt feedback.

(5) Emphasize time on task.

(6) Communicate high expectations.

(7) Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.

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

 

            Generally, trainers are used to functioning in a “teacher-centered” model.  A distance model which uses andragogy as the theoretical framework is however a “student-centered” model.  The trainer needs to be prepared to move from simply delivering content, to facilitating learners in actively engaging and participating in the process (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).

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

 

            The two primary things that a trainer can do to encourage trainees to communicate online are establishing a classroom culture that is conducive to learning and establish the rules of etiquette to be used within the online environment (Simonson, et al 2009).

            Establishing a culture (or environment) that promotes respect and dignity for the adult learner is a key component of Andragogy (Simonson, et al 2009).  The creation of the culture is the responsibility of all participants, but since students do tend to look to the trainer for leadership (Paz Dennen, V. 2005), the trainer does play an important role.

            Particularly if learners are new to an online environment, it is important that they understand the complexity of the setting and how to participate in an appropriate manner. Adult learners need to feel supported and it is important that ground rules are established so comments are not directed toward a person (Simonson, et al 2009).  The trainer plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining the etiquette of a classroom which will help ensure that all participants have the experience of being supported.

References

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139–153.

Paz Dennen, v. (2005) From Message Posting to Learning Dialogues: Factors affecting learner participation in asynchronous discussion. Distance Education, 26 (1)127–148.

Saba, Theory and Distance Learning [Video] (n.d.)

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

The Impact of Open Source

I had certainly heard about “open courses” offered by a number of universities in the past, but had never taken the time to explore one of them before. This week, I looked through the courses available through the Open Yale courses program: http://oyc.yale.edu/   In particular, I looked at “PLSC 114: Introduction to Political Philosophy (Fall, 2006)” which can be found at: http://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/introduction-to-political-philosophy

Simonson et. al (2009) list a number of sets of best practices in course design for distance education. If we look at this Open Yale courses against the six criteria used to design the World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network, these “open courses” do not meet any of the criteria:

1.    They are based on clearly established learning needs and built around succinct statements of outcome.
- The Syllabus outlines what will be “taught”, but not outcomes.

2.    They are based on a variety of teaching and learning strategies and methods that are activity based….
- Teaching strategies include lectures and readings, no learning strategies are addressed.

3.    Effective distance learning materials are experiential… they address the learner’s life experience….
- Learners get the experience of listening to a lecture or reading – and participating in a survey at the end.

4.    Quality distance learning programs are participatory in that they emphasize the involvement of the learner in all facets of program development and delivery.
- This is where the course really falls short. The program is instructor centered, not learner centered.

5.    Successful distance learning programs are interactive and allow frequent opportunities for participants to engage in a dialogue with subject-matter experts and other learners.
- Absolutely no opportunity to engage in dialogue with the instructor, experts or other learners.

6.    Learner support systems are an integral part of any successful distance learning program.
- Learner support is essentially a FAQ page to assist with technical issues.

Are they really courses?

I’m not sure that it is fully appropriate to call these “courses”, as there is no opportunity for interaction available with the instructor, or others who may be participating in the course. The aim expressed on the Open Yale courses site is “to expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn.” (Yale, 2011). Absolutely, this project has made materials available – but are materials on their own a “course”? Where is the interaction, the evaluation and the application of learning? If they are looked at purely as “resources”, they are excellent – but when judged as “courses” they fall short.

I couldn’t help but think of the line from the movie Good Will Hunting (1997). , “…you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a ****** education you coulda' got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library”.  I remember thinking when I heard that line the first time that dear Will had missed the point of education. It’s about more than just acquiring knowledge through books (or online lectures). While I commend Yale for putting these “resources” online – they are just that – resources and are not an education.

References:
Open Yale courses, (2011). Retrieved from: http://oyc.yale.edu/

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

 

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

The technological solution needs to consider a number of factors.

This week, we have been assigned the task of looking at a scenario and proposing 1-2 technologies to use in addressing this scenario.  We’ll look this scenario from the framework of finding technological solutions that address:

1.    The Scenario

2.    The Requirement

3.    The Assumptions

4.    The Instructional Designer (ID)

5.    Support for the ID (and the Solution

The Scenario: Asynchronous Training

In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.

The Requirements:

As a starting point, let’s look at the requirements that this scenario needs to address:

1.    Independent design of modules so they can stand-alone

2.    Design which contains step-by-step processes

3.    Continual availability so that training can be done by all shifts

4.    Design that engages employees

5.    Reporting that will demonstrate that learning has occurred

The Assumptions:

With the requirements down, the ID needs to ask some questions about the technology available at the delivery point.  From these answers, come assumptions which will serve as parameters for the technology that can be used for creating the training modules.  So, let’s say that the ID asked some further questions and discovered the following about the organization and delivery environments that were available:

1.    The organization does not have any existing Learning Management System (LMS) or Learning Content Management System (LCMS).  A LMS will need to be considered in the solution, as the focus will be on individuals and tracking individual needs and learning outcomes over time (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2009).

2.    The organization does not have the internal ability to support these modules technically and is not open to purchasing or installing a LMS or LCMS that they will need to maintain.

3.    Web-enabled, high-speed terminals are available at each work-station within the plant with audio capabilities.

4.    The organization is not able to support additional follow-up with subject matter experts.   The modules truly need to be self-contained without any expectation of instructor or subject matter expert interaction with learners.

These assumptions need to be considered into the technology choices as well.

The ID:

The technological assumptions help to narrow down the choices.  The technological capabilities of the ID need to be considered, as well as the budget for the project.  So, let’s say that the ID has skill adequate enough to use video, audio and image editing software to support the development of the modules and has adequate skills to use a basic “What you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) development environment, but not enough budget to develop highly complex and customized interactivity using a tool such as Flash.  The ID also does not have significant technological skill in terms of determining interoperability issues that may arise related to integrating the modules with the LMS (and there is no technical back-up from the organization to deal with this either).

The Solution:

With all of these requirements, assumptions and parameters in mind, the ID sets out to find a set of technological solutions that meets all of the criteria.  The criteria that poses the greatest challenge in this situation, is the need for LMS tracking functionality without having the ability or technological support to house the LMS internally.  This eliminates some of the alternatives available that seamlessly allow the ID to create modules and publish them to a LMS (i.e. Lectora Products). 

What the ID ultimately proposes in this scenario is:

a)    Stand-alone modules  developed using the Articulate Studio (which includes Articulate Presenter, Engage for creating step-by-step scenarios, and Quizmaker for creating evaluations to measure learning)

b)    LMS tracking and reporting capabilities supported through Articulate Online (which is designed to support delivery of the Articulate modules).

The Support:

This full solution set has been used successfully by organizations such as Quality Health Australia P/L and EMsono, LLC (Articulate, n.d.).  Creation of stand-alone modules using Articulate Studio, which support employee engagement and delivery of step-by-step processes and evaluation to measure learning have been implemented by many organizations.  Articulate also has a strong, active community of users which can/will serve to support the ID when they encounter questions and/or issues with development and/or deployment.

References:

Articulate:  www.articulate.com

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a

         distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Distance Learning

Old Definition:

Learning activities where the instructor and learner are not interacting within the same physical space at the same time is what I would say was my personal definition of distance learning prior to completing the readings this week.  This includes paper-based correspondence courses where communications are sent back and forth by mail, distance education courses, corporate training done in a self-study or webinar format as well as coaching that may be done by phone or through other media.  It includes all formal and informal learning that occurs in this manner.

When Dr. Simonson described “Distance Education” in the video this week, he defined it as “Formal education in which the learning group (teacher, students, resources) are separated by geography and, sometimes by time (Simonson, n.d.) .  It includes both “distance teaching” and “distance learning”.  So in this context, “distance learning” is a part of “distance education”, but not synonymous.  When I review my original definition, I can see that there is a collapse between “distance teaching” and “distance learning”.  I don’t think that the mediums add any value to the definition either, as they are not 100% inclusive and I don’t believe that informal learning belongs in this definition either.

Revised Definition:

My revised definition  of distance education would now be:

Formal learning activities that occur where there is a distance between the learner and the source of the instruction. 

Future Evolution:

As distance learning continues to evolve, I think that ultimately, learner preferences will move more to the forefront.  I see a significant shift occurring (which has already started) where learner needs and desires move to the forefront, over those of instructors or institutions.  This will include considerations on the “when and where” that Simonson et. al (2009) speaks to.  The mediums of the future will be learner driven.  Those that don’t suit learners will die out – and those that are preferred will thrive.   Learners will continue to become more sophisticated as consumers of learning, and there will be less and less tolerance for poor quality as the field becomes more competitive and learner driven.  I also see “community” taking a larger role than it currently does, with more teaching and learning occurring through that vehicle than in the more formal structure that we are used to.

References:
Distance Education: The Next Generation [Video]. (n.d.)

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Humble Pie - Week 1

Well, it looks like I have to admit that I didn't fully read the instructions for the Blog Assignment this week and catch that I was supposed to post an initial welcoming note...  Definitely a significant miss on my part.

With that said, welcome to my blog EDUC-6135-4 Distance Learning cohorts. I'm looking forward to learning with and from you over the upcoming weeks.