I don’t know about everyone else, but one of the most difficult things for me is trying to get lock down an estimate of the time it could take on some projects. The variables can make this difficult particularly on subject matter that you might not be familiar with, which for an ID could be a considerable amount of the projects you work on.

When I first started doing graphic design (and even occasionally now) it was hard for me to know how to charge and back then I didn’t always have a great idea of how long it would take to do some projects. So, when that would happen, I would call some design agencies or designers and pretend I was the customer. I would ask them how long and how much it would cost for certain jobs and after I had a few estimates it told me the ball park for time and cost so I would know how to charge and how long the project would take (I could also use the information to be competitive).

As an ID, I believe that estimating the activity duration and creating a good project schedule will be a great time to use the SMEs and if at all possible, not just the one that might be working with you. External SMEs from outside the company can be great resources to have a basis of comparison (provided you make sure to adhere to any NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements). I personally keep collecting resources that I can call (people I’ve worked with before that are experts in many fields and can give me advice and estimates for things). This has been extremely useful.

Other great resources come in the form of project orientated software and tips from other IDs. Here are a few that I found.

Software:

Project Manager.com
https://www.projectmanager.com/software

This is a great resource that’s accessible by all on the team. It got great reviews and scored a 4.5 out of 5 on softwareadvice.com. The features that I would use are:

1. Dashboard: a real-time dashboard that allows you to monitor, adjust, track and create tasks of the project
2. Tasks– create, collaborate, edit, review and approve tasks on the project
3. Reports– Generate reports that can be given to C-Suites and also as a tool to have in meetings with the team
4. Timesheets– Track who is doing what, when.
5. Gnatt Chart– Drag and Drop UI to create interactive Gnatt Charts.
6. Scheduling– everything from team schedules per activity and tasks to individual schedules to the hour.

Looks like a great tool and the pricing is scalable to the size of the project. I can easily see developing the scope, schedule and cost baselines as data into this manager not to mention, tracking the deadlines and status to maintain quality (Larson, E., 2012).

Dapulse
https://dapulse.com/features/

One of the things that make this tool so impressive is its integration with mobile hardware with apps. It has many of the same functions as ProjectManager along with the app accessibility to get updates and make changes could be a great factor from some projects. These notifications could be a great reminder of when whether something is missing or goes wrong, the PM could immediately address it remotely. When sharing docs, it easily integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Google calendar. This tool would be well utilized for consulting with team members, communicating any changes, and seeing all the activities associated with the task and who is responsible for them (Laureate. n.d., Creating a Project Schedule)

Peer Articles:

We are not alone. I don’t mean that in an E.T. go home kinda way.  I mean that there are a wealth of people who are more than willing to share knowledge and offer guidance. Some of the best resources are other ID’s articles, papers and general

Estimating Time Accurately-Calculating Realistic Project Timelines
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_01.htm

Mindtools.com is a site dedicated to “Essential skills for an excellent career”. In the toolkit, it has articles on Leadership skills, team management, strategy tools, etc. The one that got my attention was an article in the Project Management section. It has several great tips on managing a realistic timeline and staying on schedule but what struck me most was the Methods of Estimating Time.

It gives great details and tips of:

• Bottom-Up Estimating
• Top-Down Estimating
• Comparative Estimating
• Parametric Estimating
• Three-Point Estimating

Sometimes it not easy to remember to look at things from many different perspectives and I’m going to find this extremely useful! I look forward to using these tools in my projects to come.

4 Ways to Estimate How Long a Task Will Take
by Melissa Gratias, Ph.D. – Productivity Psychologist
http://melissagratias.com/estimating-time/

This is a great article from Melissa Gratias who specializes in Productivity, Time Management, Email Management and Goals/Planning. She talks about 4 basics that could apply to any project but what I like the most is something that I actually use, and just need to use more. A simple math equation to help you calculate time by creating estimates based off an:

• Optimistic turnaround time
• Most likely turnaround time
• Pessimistic turnaround.

She encourages people to call her if they have questions first for free (45min) then she charges as a consultant. I would use her equation. I’ve already used something similar.

Software tools

https://www.projectmanager.com/

https://dapulse.com/features/

Peer Articles

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_01.htm

http://melissagratias.com/estimating-time/

Resources

Larson, E., & Larson R. (2012). 10 Steps to Creating a Project Plan. Retrieved from: https://www.projecttimes.com/articles/10-steps-to-creating-a-project-plan.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Creating a project schedule [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Communication is a necessity in all aspects of life. Bad communication can start wars, effective communication makes peace and strengthens relationships personal and professional. As an ID or Project manager, communication with the stakeholders is always paramount.

Dr. Stolovitch states that effective communication isn’t just words. It’s spirit and attitude, tonality and body language, timing, and the personality of the recipient.

In the Laureate example of the same message given through Email, Voicemail and Face-to-Face, it becomes evident that it can be perceived in different ways, not only how it’s worded but, how it’s delivered, the timing and the personalities and relationship of individuals communicating both the person sending the message and the recipient. It can also be affected by the importance of the information. Does it need to be in someone’s hands immediately? Is it as simple as yes or no or is it very detailed data?

The message was as follows:

(Multimedia Program: “The Art of Effective Communication” link in resources below)

The message (in all its deliveries) does several things correctly:

1. It acknowledges that Mark is busy
2. It lets him know that if she doesn’t get the information that she’s waiting on, she could get in trouble too
3. It “asks” him instead of demanding or telling him to get the information to her
4. It gives him an alternative to where if he can at least just send the data, then she would be in the clear and presumably would bother him
5. It thanks him for his help before he has had time to act

Email version- I’ve found out the hard way that even if I communicate with someone via voicemail or face-to-face, it’s a good idea to send an email to whomever you talked to and confirm the information you gave or received to cover yourself. I had a boss that hated emails because when he said something to you that was incorrect or against policy, there was no documentation to support your claim. Emails can be misinterpreted by people so and ID or PM have to be very careful with proper language, words, and analogies (Laureate, n.d., Project Management Concerns). The email is clear, puts importance on the data she needs and lets Mark know that she could be in trouble if she doesn’t get his information.  One major benefit of sending an email of this nature is that it does back Jane up if she’s late for her deadline. She can tell her supervisor that there was no way of completing her project because she didn’t have access to the resources. The email is pretty straight forward, compliments and asks while stating the repercussions of if the information is not obtained.

The VoiceMail version- Clearly the individuals involved are dealing with stressful deadlines that are approaching fast and in an emotionally heightened environment, leaving messages and putting more pressure on the recipient (though effective) might have some negative results.  If the recipient is feeling overwhelmed tensions could rise and the email could be taken in a negative way regardless of how accurate it is. This could motivate Mark to seek help on his side to make sure that deadlines are met or it could get a backlash of “I’m working as fast as I can”. This would depend on the personality of Mark and the history he has with Jane. This version has the strongest impression of the urgency of the 3 versions. The speed at with the person is speaking is quick and denotes that they are in a hurry. Though not as easy as just printing out an email message, most companies do track phone calls and even if the message got erased, there would still be a log of when Mark was called and how long the call was. Hearing the persons voice personalizes the message. Whereas emails, because we get so many can at times be overlooked or even wind up in a spam folder, can get lost in translation unless they are extremely clear and concise.

The Face-to-Face version- I believe this version was better in that the recipient could hear and see the attitude and tonality of the person leaving the message and observe their body language that they are not being adversarial. Her voice was polite and concerned and there was no condescending tones or anger in the delivery of the information request. This also personalizes the information request. “If I don’t get this done, Mary will be in trouble”, so there should be more of an attachment to getting it done. It still had a tone of importance but less aggressive than the VoiceMail version.

Which version is the correct one?

I don’t think it’s that simple. What’s Marks personality, what’s the relationship of Mark and Jane? “Tailor your communication strategy to fit the specific needs of each stakeholder” (Laureate. n.d., Practitioner Voices). Does Mark respond better to someone putting pressure on him? Some people do like that. I worked with a man from New York who wouldn’t respond unless you were more aggressive with him. It’s up to the ID/PM to decide the most effective way of communicating with the individual. In either case, I would still make a confirmation email and send it to Mark whether I left a message on his voicemail or spoke with him face to face to create a virtual paper trail. It will also make sure that it didn’t slip his mind.

Resources

Multimedia Program: “The Art of Effective Communication”
http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Practitioner voices: Strategies for working with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Project management concerns: Communication strategies and organizational culture [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

A few years back, one of the colleges I worked for decided to expand by opening a satellite school. To the board of directors, this was the only way to make a school more equitable and more successful. They adopted the age-old mentality of “if you build it, they will come”. They were wrong.

If I had a week, I couldn’t list all the things wrong with this decision but I’ll summarize and stay focused on the planning and execution of launching this endeavor. The Satellite School (SS) was pitched with the premise that it would fulfill a few expectations of the Board of Directors (BOD) which were:

• Satisfy the needs of interested potential students in a city that wasn’t easily accessible to the parent school and didn’t have much competition from similar schools
• Be self-sustaining and not require substantial resources or money from the parent school (PS)
• Add opportunities for existing employees who could grow with the new SS where growth was more difficult at the PS.
• Be profitable / cost less to run

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. The school had a rough start, didn’t have enough support, and caused a moral slide of faculty and staff. So, what went wrong?

• The CEO ignored all warnings and request to reevaluate the location, scope, and timing of such a project.
• The school wound up having an abysmal number of students in the first several cohorts.
• The school was a beautiful facility, that was away from downtown and wasn’t easily accessible by public transit. It was in an industrial part of the city that you needed a car to get to or to get food for lunch. Students had a problem going to the school in the city they lived in.
• It wasn’t self-sustaining. It required staff, equipment, resources and management from the PS that wasn’t anticipated and there for, not budgeted. Staff who worked there had to drive an extra hour from the PS with little to no compensation.
• The budget wasn’t very accurate. Not enough research with the cost of hardware, faculty, and staffing compared to the number of students that would be required to make it sustainable.

Every project requires the management of 5 variables and this project didn’t successfully do any of them (Laureate, E., n.d.).

1. Time– The time was miscalculated for the project. The CEO acted as Project Manager (PM) and didn’t have enough research. In his defense, he was answering to the BODs which were bankers who knew nothing about education. The time to build out the facility was wrong and more expensive than originally thought. Classes were delayed and hiring was difficult.
2. Resources– the school took more resources from the PS than was ever anticipated. Faculty who had to teach at the SS had to have their classes at the PS covered. Hardware from the PS for one of the programs had to go to the satellite school and staff had to be shared. Because of its location, it was difficult to get to, making it less desirable for faculty and students.
3. Expertise– There was plenty of expertise in the seasoned faculty and staff, several who had opened schools before, but it went completely ignored. Communication was more of a need to know basis and was often not soon enough.
4. Quality– Quality suffered because of the lack of resources and planning. Experienced people were involved but improperly utilized. Shortcuts were made and in the end, the project wasn’t executed as it was envisioned.
5. Scope– Scope Creep was a major factor. There was a constant run of unexpected problems due largely to shortcutting and not sticking to the original plan.

This project was difficult because of the amount of restrictions and variables that were a constant influence such as the BODs, budget reductions, reworking miscalculations. The two biggest problems the PM had was a lack of research and communication. Had I been in his position, I would have had a much more thorough use of the ADDIE method and did research starting with an Analysis of:

Location– Instead of just a financial decision I would have looked much closer at transportation accessibility and nearby food accessible by walking in relation to the amount of time between classes.

Student Needs– A more complete study of students in that region who are more than just interested in this type of school and based the percentage of interest with comparable statistics of other schools that have been successful.

Communication– We had a huge number of seasoned SMEs that weren’t properly utilized. Most of the Scope Creep could have been prevented with communication and listen to the SME’s. Almost all of the SME’s warnings of what could happen did happen. What’s the point of having SME’s if you’re not going to listen to them? More surveys, and discussions with the SME’s who knew more about cost, hardware and even location of where the school should have been.

The Scope of the project– I would have defined a much more realistic scope of the project and suggested a more reasonable build out of fewer programs starting with the limited amount of resources.

Even with the restrictions that were somewhat unrealistic, I think the execution of the school could have gone much better. As it stands the school is still there but had to scale back from the original square footage and is still way under the number of students it should have to be successful.

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Practitioner voices: Barriers to project success [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Starting my Project Management Class!

It’s going to be a challenging but exciting journey!
Project Posts Coming Soon…

I really enjoyed the Distance learning course. I know this because I’ve already started to rewrite courses that I teach because of it. Distance learning has been around for a long time in many forms such as correspondence courses by mail long before there were cars but it’s only been recently that it’s been acknowledged and become so mainstream in all facets of training and learning. It’s also become more widely excepted though it’s not as far along as it could be. There are still hurdles for it to overcome.

At the turn of the last century, there were around 900,000 students enrolled in International Correspondence Schools by 1906 and by 2010 there were nearly 3 million students enrolled in online programs in America alone (Craig, 2015). Distance learning has grown and become far more accessible. The perceptions have been varied from skepticism to beliefs that it’s the future of all education and everything in between. Technology has been hugely a part of its recent growth in acceptance. George Seimans gave 4 reasons as to why that is (Laureate n.d.):

1. The increase of online communication
2. Practical experiences with new tools available
3. The current populations growing comfort with online discourse
4. And the ability to communicate with diverse and global groups.

I believe that similar to Moore’s Law, we’re going to see a continued growth and positive perception of distance learning provided that we adapt the structure of learning and not continue to look at and practice distance learning with the restriction of how it’s been taught in traditional brick and mortar schools. It’s been stated that teaching strategies in online environments tend to be locked in traditional approaches with technology being used mostly for convenience and flexibility (Wang, 2015). I’ve witnessed this personally at one of the schools I worked at were the driving force for online was the belief it was going to save money and not much thought was put into the design. It failed.

I believe that in the next decade, we will see this adaptation of design broader in distance learning courses and as it grows, so with the positive perception of distance learning. Though it’s stated time and time again that technology doesn’t drive education, it does help it and make it more accessible to learners along with more tools that can be used to solve problems. It wouldn’t have been possible to teach as many learners effectively in correspondence courses as we can now, and that’s due to technological advancements which allow at times instantaneous exchanges of information rather than weeks. Seimans did state that the factors that will and have impacted Distance Education are:

1. New communication technologies
2. Contributions by experts around the world (once again more accessible through new communication technologies)
3. Increased use of multimedia, games, and simulations

I believe this is the catalyst to have educators think out of the box if they are given the resources and time to take advantage of it. As new techniques are created and shared it will become far easier to have activities and projects in distance education and it will be perceived as a creative and effective alternative to traditional face to face courses as opposed to the skepticism of it replacing traditional courses while not always offering the same amount of quality (or so it’s perceived by some now).

As an Instructional Designer, I believe it’s our jobs to be creative in how to not make online learning different for the sake of it being different but to make it different to make it effective for distance education and the learner’s sake. We don’t need to be tied to the way it’s been done in the past but we do need to acknowledge what has worked and see how it can be reimagined instead of regurgitated.

I personally plan on being a positive force for this change by studying the back door of how to make distance education work. An example is that one of the schools I work for and teach online gives a certain amount of freedom with the content and tools you use as an instructor in the class but is restricted by how the classes are organized in due dates and the time given to create the activities for the course. I want to create specialized templates for the courses I teach and similar ones that are more suited for digital art where teachers new to teaching online would have an easier time to prep for their classes and have better ideas of what they can do to teach certain information. Creating some of this content and broadening this to other areas would help out several departments. I guess I’ll know after my capstone how effective it will be. I’m really excited to find out.

Resources

Craig, R., (2015). A Brief History (And Future) of Online Degrees. Forbes Article
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryancraig/2015/06/23/a-brief-history-and-future-of-online-degrees/#ea21cf848d9a

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). The future of distance education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Wang, V. C., & Torrisi‐Steele, G. (2015). Online teaching, change, and critical theory. New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, 27(3), 18–26.