Scope Creep is Inevitable

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“Change on projects is inevitable, so the possibility for scope creep is also inevitable” (Larson, 2009).

           During a recent project, my client asked me to create a digital application that will allow users to submit a lease application via her website. The SOW included the only the design and development of the digital application. She later discovered she needed more features and components added to the digital application. For example, she wanted to add an automated workflow that would allow her to approve/deny an application directly from her email. Then, she stated that upon approval of the application, she wanted the system to automatically send the lease agreement to approved applicants. Although the project was delivered on time, the budget was affected by the scope creep. I informed her of the additional cost and the SOW was updated to include the additional features.

          In my experience, clients often do not know what they fully want or need until they do. This will lead to scope creeps. “Whether scope is initially unclear or it stays vague as a project unfolds, if the product scope and its underlying requirements are not clear and precise, it is a “breeding ground” for scope creep” (Larson, 2009). When we started this project, the client knew she wanted a digital application included on her website. During the testing phase, she realized she needed additional features and components. As a project manager, I am accustomed to scope creeps.

 

Sources

Larson, R. & Larson, E. (2009). Top five causes of scope creep ... and what to do about them. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2009—North America, Orlando, FL. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Two Budget Resources for Projects

 

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Successful projects require accurate time management, resource management, and budget management. Here are two resources I use to help plan a project’s schedule, budget, and project task assignment.

 

1.    Smartsheet - Smartsheet is a tool I use for several software projects and other company-related documentation. Smartsheet offers a guide to project cost estimating. The software will assist you throughout the entire process. Smartsheet provides a guide explaining key components of cost estimate and budgeting. The platform has budgeting templates for communication management, human resource management, procurement management, quality management, risk management, and time management projects.

 

 

2.   PMI.org – This site is a hub for resources, insights, and professional advice for project managers. This site is a community “where conversation and content intersect, where you can maintain your credentials, get answers to your questions, share your expertise-anytime, anywhere.”

Two Resources For Planning ID Project Schedules

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Here are two resources I find useful in planning an ID project schedule.

1.    Smartsheet- This software platform offers many tools project managers can use to plan a project’s schedule. I started using this software to manage a software application project. The software is user friendly and customizable. One of my favorite features was the ability to create customized dashboards specific to the needs of each stakeholder.

2.     Microsoft Project- My company uses Microsoft products and software. Microsoft Projects is an additional component we use to manage projects. Microsoft Projects is user friendly and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams.

Communicating Effectively Exercisefe

 

Click here to view the Communicating Effectively Exercise Module

Here is my interpretation of email, voicemail, and face-to-face communication methods.-

Email Communication: 

The email message seems informal. The email in the above example does not convey the sense of urgency needed. Shethna (n.d.) writes, “How effective the written communication is will depend on the style of writing, vocabulary, grammar along with clarity. Written communication is most suitable in cases that require detailed instructions, when something has to be documented or in situations where the person is too far away to speak in person or over the phone.”

 

Voicemail Communication:

The voicemail message seems more formal. I hear the urgency in the caller’s voice. However, the voicemail message seems less professional. Altura Communication Solutions (2016) issued a report that stated, “Today’s emerging employee population sees business voicemail as a redundant, cumbersome time-waster used only by telemarketers or “people I don’t want to talk to anyway.”

 

Face-to-Face Communication:

The conversation seems more formal and professional. The non-verbal communication heightens the sense of urgency. This is usually the preferred method of communication. Videoconferencing has allowed face-to-face meetings to happen globally without leaving your office. The employee was able to demonstrate a calm sense of urgency through their facial and body expressions. “Although there are many other opportunities and tools being used in increased frequency HR Managers still prefer the personal communication with their employees and clients in specific situations of uncertainty and trust” (Arndt, 2011).

 

References

Altura Communication Solutions. 2016. Eliminate Voicemail, Improve Communication: 5-Point Strategy. https://www.alturacs.com/wp-content/uploads/SAM-Eliminate-Voicemail-Whitepaper-Mutare-Altura.pdf

Arndt, C. 2011. The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication in HR Departments: A study in the field of Organizational Communication

Shethna, J. n.d. Different Effective Methods of Communication (Useful). https://www.educba.com/different-methods-of-communication/

Project: Enhance First-Year Experience for Undergraduate Students

       

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Introduction

Bay Crest University (BCU) is seeking a solution to enhance the first-year experience for incoming undergraduate students. Based on recent surveys, first-year students were increasingly feeling “overwhelmed,” and the student emotional health ratings were at their lowest levels. Current students were reportedly spending more hours each week partying than studying. First-year students were increasingly preoccupied with decisions about selecting a major and focusing as quickly as possible on a career specialty.

Background Information

As explained in The ID Casebook: Case Studies in Instructional Design (2013) “First-year Working Group” made up of six key Student Affairs staff and 20 volunteer faculty as well as the associate deans from each of the three undergraduate colleges were unable to reach an agreement in recent semesters. Provost Callahan has requested innovative and creative solutions going forward.

 Current Environment

Provost Callahan has approved additional time. Additional time is necessary to build a program that the larger campus community would see as having added value for incoming students. BCU needs to do a lot more work garnering buy-in from the faculty in all three undergraduate colleges before we can have a successful pilot. Also, BCU needs a shared set of competencies established on campus. Lastly, BCU needs to complete student writing initiatives established on campus.

 Key Stakeholders

Provost Callahan, Client

Melanie Williams, Project Manager

Mark Jones, Co- Project Lead

Sue Gulick, Co- Project Lead

Associate Deans

Peggy Smith, Arts and Sciences

Hank Levitt, Business

Eli Strauss, Engineering

                                                           Goals and Objectives

BCU goals are to enhance the first-year experience for incoming undergraduate students by providing a shared experience that combines both curricular topics and co-curricular topics within the context of an interdisciplinary or theme-oriented academic course. Curricular topics include writing, critical thinking, and information literacy. Co-curricular topics such as planning and preparation, multicultural awareness, leadership, civic responsibility, and wellness/ healthy choices. 

        

         What contributed to the project’s success or failure? 

The teacher's inability to cooperate with the project leaders to develop a curriculum to enhance first-year student experiences and increase the retention rate.

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

The project management process benefits most when the team spends adequate time in the initial phases of planning. In an Chron. article, Smith states, "The planning phase is the most important; time and effort invested in this phase lays a solid foundation for the project. This phase identifies and defines the project's costs, scope, risks, opportunities and constraints. Appropriate stakeholders should be involved in the planning phase to provide feedback."

Resources:

Ertmer, P. 2013. The ID Casebook : Case Studies in Instructional Design 4th. Mark Jones and Sue Gulick: Meeting Challenges in the Design and Delivery of a University-wide First Year Experience Course

Smith, E. n.d. Phases of Project Life Cycles. Chron. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/tasks-five-phases-project-management-52690.html

 

The Future of Distance Learning

People have grown to appreciate distance learning over the past two years due to a pandemic. Educators, students, and parents were forced to transition from face-to-face education and training to online education and training. Before the pandemic, distance learning was an alternative to conventional learning methods and the students were primarily adults.

Generally, distance learning has two parts- distance and technology.

First is the physical separation of the teacher from the learner: the communication between the teacher and the learner becomes indirect, which helps students learn at their own speed, in any place, and at any time that suits their circumstances and needs. Second is the role of effective modern media and communication tools in transferring learning to students using multiple educational media, whether through printed, electronic, recorded, or visual materials. (Hamaidi, 2021)

In the future distance learning will be an intricate part of a student's educational and work career. I think in the next 5-10 years distance learning will be a significant part of elementary age students, but more significant with secondary and post-secondary age students. Academic experience and years of studies are known to “exert an influence on students' attitudes and degree of satisfaction from distance learning” (Baruth, 2021).

As an instructional designer, I can be a visible proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning by creating and designing successful learning experiences. By applying the knowledge and skills I acquired in my training as an instructional designer, I will create successful learning experiences. As we witnessed throughout the past two years, distance learning is a vital component of our educational and training needs. As we improve our distance learning experiences, we will see tremendous growth and acceptance of distance learning.

So as those communication technologies improve in quality, we're going to start to see the educational model around it also ramp up significantly. So distance education then becomes more distributed than it's ever been. Greater contribution from experts around the world, increased use of multimedia, games, simulations-- for example, video work within courses. (Siemens, n.d.)

If I encounter an opponent of distance or online learning, I will simply ask them- “Based on recent events, can you imagine a world without distance learning or instructional designers?” 

I cannot.

References

Baruth, O. 2021. Distance learning perceptions during the coronavirus outbreak: Freshmen versus more advanced students. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. Volume 37, Issue 6 p. 1666-1681

Hamaidi, D. 2021. Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Experiences with Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22(2), 224–241.

Siemens, G. n.d. Walden University, LLC. (Producer). The future of distance education         [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

 

Instructional Designing Guidelines

 Here is a guide to help you 

convert your training to an online course.

Click here to download a pdf copy.

Defining Distance Learning

             Encyclopedia Britannica defines distance learning as the “form of education in which the main elements include physical separation of teachers and students during instruction and the use of various technologies to facilitate student-teacher and student-student communication” (Berg, 2016). Distance learning provides a flexibility that conventional classrooms cannot. Flexibility seems to be the most common motivation for students and workers at a company.

“The emergence of distance learning and e-learning courses programs has provided the American population easy access to education. The flexibility and functionality of e-learning courses have to lead to the further evolution of the learning landscape in the US. Similarly, E-learning services are utilized across the United States corporate (SMBs and Large enterprises) sector for executing training and other cooperative activities like project work and assignments.” (United States eLearning Market, 2022).

Distance learning has been impactful in my education and work career. In the past, I considered distance learning as an opportunity to complete a course using the learning style I was most comfortable with. I was motivated by the lack of supervision and set schedule to follow. I thought I could redesign the curriculum of an online course to fit my needs. Clearly, I was not accustomed to the commitment, discipline and time management skills required to successfully complete a distance learning course.  

As a freshman at my University, I took advantage of the freedom from physically attending my class. I could complete my coursework from anywhere via the internet. More important to me at the time was the ability to work full-time, while taking online courses. Due to the lack of commitment, discipline, and time management, my grades suffered tremendously the first year if undergrad. By my sophomore year, I made drastic changes. I learned how to schedule time for my online courses, without interruptions. I cut back my work hours to part-time. Lastly, I participated in study groups held on campus.

                Post undergrad, I have worked for companies that are technology-driven. I have worked as an IT Analyst, Project Manager, Media Specialist, and Librarian. Each position required me to be tech savvy.  I created learning and training modules for employees in the corporate sector. Many of the employees were in other cities. They were required to complete the learning and training modules online. Also, I was responsible for conducting online meetings with partners in other countries. I created learning and training modules for teachers, students, and parents in the educational sector.

The recent pandemic has increased the demand for distance learning. Heng writes,

”COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on every aspect of society. It has caused profound disruption to the education system as governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Face-to-face classes have been canceled and moved online, bringing about the rise of online learning that has allowed learners to continue their education.” (Heng, 2020)

Distance learning has proven to be impactful in the lives of students and workers across the globe. As an Instructional Designer, I plan to be an asset to the distance learning community by providing successful learning and training experiences.

 

 

References

Berg, G. and Simonson, M. (2016, November 7). distance learning. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/distance-learning

Heng, Kimkong & Sol, Koemhong. (2020). Online learning during COVID-19: Key challenges and

suggestions to enhance effectiveness.

United States eLearning Market, Size, Share, Forecast 2022-2027, Industry Trends,

Growth, Outlook, Impact of COVID-19, Company Analysis. February 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-states-elearning-market-report-2022-2027-high-adoption-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-machine-learning-ml-solutions-by-various-non-academic-and-academic-institutions-driving-growth-301538169.html

Welcome All!

Instructional Designer Comments. Leave your comments below.

Which Learning Theory Best Describes How I Learn?

Now that I have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, my views of how I learn has not changed. I feel as though aspects of several learning theories apply to me. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, Social Learning, and Connectivism all have aspects that explain how I learn. However, I found that the Adult Learning Theory describes my learning methodology best. Adult learners are self-motivated. As adults mature, they become more independent in their studies. Adults can draw from a reservoir of experiences to aid them in learning. Adult learners are disciplined and prepared to learn (Smith, 2002). “Adult learning is simply a situation where adults are pursuing education. This can be done in a formal setting in higher education, trade school, or apprenticeship. This can also be done for adults who simply want to learn a skill and pursue education in order to learn that skill” (WGU, 2020).

Other Learning Theories:

Behaviorism

“Behaviorism assumes a learner is essentially passive, and will be shaped through positive or negative reinforcement. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior. Skinner (1974) believed that behavior is a function of its consequences, i.e. learners will repeat the desired behavior if positive reinforcement is given... Giving immediate feedback, whether positive or negative, should enable your learners to behave in a certain way” (Gravell, 2014).

As an adult learner I am actively pursuing my education. I only expect positive reinforcements in the form of good grades and my degree.

 Cognitivism

“Cognitivism focuses on what happens in the mind such as thinking and problem-solving. New knowledge is built upon prior knowledge and learners need active participation in order to learn…Cognitivism uses the metaphor of the mind as a computer: information comes in, is processed, and learning takes place” (Gravell, 2014).

As an adult learner, I rely heavily on prior knowledge.

 Constructivism

“Constructivism is about learning being an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. The learner brings past experiences and cultural factors to a current situation and each person has a different interpretation and construction of the knowledge process” (Gravell, 2014).

Many instances as an adult learner required me to bring past experiences and cultural factors to a current learning experience.

 Social Learning

Badura’s social learning theory states that learners are motivated to learn from their surroundings. They learn from their peers, teachers, family, co-workers, social media, and celebrities. “Bandura's theory moves beyond behavioral theories, which suggest that all behaviors are learned through conditioning, and cognitive theories, which take into account psychological influences such as attention and memory” (Cherry, 2021).

As an adult learner, I find myself learning from teachers and other adults. Lately, I find myself learning from the younger generation the benefits of social media.

Connectivism

“Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical” (Siemens, 2005).

As an adult learner, I can connect various learning experiences together to formulate a new foundation or concept.

      Technology is vital to my learning. Online courses and other digital applications have provided reliable resources and educational tools. I can not imagine my life without technology. Due to the flexibility technology provides, adult learning is facilitated by utilizing the latest technology platforms. “Technology assisted education is often accomplished through problem-based learning models that differ from lecture-based classes and usually involve self-directed learning and collaboration” (Wang, 2021, p. 719).

References

Gravells, A. and Simpson, S. (2014). Chapter 3- Delivering Education and Training. The Certificate in Education and Training.

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/

Smith, M. K. (2002) ‘Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy’, the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm

Wang, V., & Stelson, U. M. (2021). Adult Education with Technology for Transformative Learning. In I. Management Association (Ed.), Research Anthology on Adult Education and the Development of Lifelong Learners (pp. 718-734). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-8598-6.ch036

Western Governors University [WGU]. (2020). What is the behavioral learning theory? https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-behavioral-learning-theory2005.html

Reflection: Connectivism

 

My network has enhanced the way I learn. Internet resources like YouTube, Google Scholar, and other software resources have been essential to my learning experiences.

YouTube is a great resource for videos. Many people have bragged about attending the “YouTube university”. YouTube provides videos about any subject matter you could imagine. I have learned how to change a tire on my car, how to code, and how to understand differential equations. Throughout my undergraduate years, I depending tremendously on YouTube to help me understand difficult subjects.

When I have questions about new knowledge, I “Google” it. Google is my go-to resource when I have questions about new information. Google is not the end all be all, but it is a great resource to guide me to the information I seek. Google Scholar provides a more creditable platform for students to research. Although Wikipedia has become a more creditable source  in the past few years, I find it difficult to rely on it entirely. Google Scholar allows me to feel more confident in the source I use in my research assignments.

My personal learning network support the central tenets of connectivism.

Siemens posits the following principles of connectivism:

• Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.

• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.

• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities

Source: http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf

The tenet that stands out the most for me is the last, Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities. It is important as an Instructional Designer to make sure I remain innovative and current to maximize the potential success of learning experiences I design.