Project creep

Scope creep can be defined as, “the natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members, to try to improve the project’s output as the project progresses” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008).  After reading this definition I am reminded of many projects I have been involved with in the field of secondary education.  The part of the definition that most grabs me is the part about project team members.  The scope of a project can definitely change when you get a group of dedicated and talented educators in a room together and the ideas start to fly.

One example of this occurred towards the end of my tenure at my first teaching job.  I had worked for that district for over five years as a social studies teacher and had worked well with a few other teachers who started around the same time.  The high school used to have a travel club that created overseas travel opportunities for students.  The club disbanded before I started at the school when the teacher who oversaw it for many years retired.  Certain groups in the school traveled, but they were always tied into a content area or class and we felt it was important to offer travel opportunities that were not tied to a specific club or class.  I and three other teachers from other departments set out to bring back the travel club.

We started by getting approval from the building principle who was an enthusiastic supporter of student opportunities, although he was not one to help define projects and preferred to get projects handed to him that were completely defined and ready to go.  With his tentative approval to move forward we contacted the retired teacher who used to run the travel club.  We visited him afterschool and he gave us all kinds of inspirational stories of student travel.  He was still in touch with many students from his three decades of teaching and many of those relationships were through travel.

Excited by the retired teachers successes we met again to try and create an outline for how the club would operate.  By this time the school board had been informed of our plans and while supportive they added a lot of expectations we were not prepared for.  Some suggestions were obvious such as code of conduct expectations and liability, but others were not.  A big stumbling block was that all trips needed to connect to learning.  This was puzzling since our initial goal was to revive a club that had travel as its central theme and not a connection to a class or club.  Through some emails we tried to explain that the club needed to be free from connected learning to a class, the trip itself was the experience.  

In the meantime, our group discussed funding ideas, destinations, as well as ways to create learning standards.  Our principle wanted us to finalize the club details before the spring so it could be featured as part of a transition night that showcased the different clubs and activities at the school.  Very quickly our project idea moved from the initial feasibility phase to a club that needed to justify its existence as well as present evidence of what it did to parents and students.  In a few short weeks the scope of this project expanded far faster than we were prepared to deal with.

I wish I could say we managed the increased scope of the project and revived the travel club, but the pressure of our principle to produce something combined with the school board’s insistence on tying travel to state standards proved too much, too fast.  On a positive note I learned that as the head soccer coach I could create travel opportunities for my team, but by leaving it open to any interested students I circumvented state rules about having contact with my players out of season.  In my second to last year at that school I took a group of 17 high school students, most of them soccer players, to England for a week during our spring break.  Besides exploring London, a city I had visited multiple times before, we saw two soccer matches.  It was a great experience and I am still in touch with some of those students who I traveled with. 

Looking back on the project I would have done a few things different.  First, as a group we never elected a project lead.  A strong leader would have moved things along.  Also, since we did not have a lead we were receiving different communication from the board and our principle.  Next, we started with the final product and tried to work backwards.  A better approach would have been identifying what the procedure and expectations were in a more chronological order.  As we ran into roadblocks that did not fit our image of what the travel club would be we stalled out and lost momentum.   Finally, we should have defined the project before presenting our idea to the principle and the board.

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Week 3 blog post-Communication

The same message is being delivered three different ways-email, voice mail, and face to face.  From each of these three deliveries the recipient will probably feel differently.  Of the three, I felt the voice mail was the most effective, email in the middle, and the face to face delivery the least effective.  

The voice mail was the most effective to me because it balances the weak points of the other two.  The email’s sentence structure and lack of specifics created a heightened sense of anxiety for the recipient and from the sender.  One response of the reader on reading the email could be, “What do you want me to do about it?” or “When do you need it?”  The face to face delivery of the message might be the most direct route, but it also corners the recipient who the sender is acknowledging may be overwhelmed.  The recipient might feel pressured to give a response that will make the person happy, but might be unrealistic or just plain avoiding the issue.

The voice mail combines the best parts of the email and the face to face.  It communicates the need and does a better job of recognizing the stress of the situation.  The recipient has time to construct a response without feeling threatened or overly pressured.  

This exercise underscores some important lessons about communication.  When something is in writing, proper sentence structure and specific information should be included because the message lacks the emotion and empathy a voice lends.  Face to face situations should be saved for crisis mode or if a good working relationship already exists.  Being forced to deal with a situation right now can lead to unrealistic responses or friction.  A final thought is that each of these examples seems to fall under informal communication rather than formal communication.  Limiting these more informal types of communication helps make sure that feelings are not hurt or misunderstandings occur (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008).  

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

wk2 assignment-project post mortem

When I started my first teaching job the district was already in the first stages of a multi-year initiative that focused on curriculum.  The overall goal was to update the current curriculum and create a better flow of what was taught at what grade levels.  This was a big undertaking involving all the teaching staff and was planned to take a few years to complete.  When I was hired as a high school social studies teacher the sequence of courses had been determined with objectives identified.  The next step was to create common assessments that each grade level teacher would use.  The idea behind creating common assessments was to make sure that all students, regardless of who taught them, were being assessed in a similar manner.  Our grade level divided the project into two parts, common project based assessments and quarterly exams as mandated by the school board.

This was ten years ago and I still use some of the materials my team developed, even though I no longer work for that district.  The project based assessments we developed were the big success of from the project.  As a rookie teacher I knew of project based assessment, but had never used them in a “live” setting.  Through collaboration with more experienced teachers I learned a lot about how to develop and use project based assessments.  I occasionally run into former students when I visit my hometown and often times they mention how they remember some of the projects we developed and implemented.  There was a lot of positive energy during the creation of the common projects as everybody shared, refined, and critiqued each others ideas.  It was a positive experience and an environment where professionals collaborated and shared materials they were enthusiastic about. 

The other part of the project, developing quarterly exams had more mixed results.  Although the group worked well together creating projects, there was less consensus on what a standardized test should include.  This was further complicated by the vague instructions from the board office to create a standardized test to measure student performance.  Right from the start there was a split between how much the test should be worth.  Half the group wanted to use the test for reporting only, but not for grades.  The other side wanted it to be weighted fairly heavy so students would take it seriously.  Other splits surrounded around how to prepare students for the test, types of questions, and the overall rigor.  Our group leader tried to get clarification from our department head and administration, but their responses were also vague about what they wanted.  One possible thing that might have helped our group would have been a SOW document that clearly defined what the board wanted (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008).  In the end tests were developed, but there was no standardization about how the tests were delivered or used for grades and the results of the tests varied widely between teachers.  Eventually the tests were dumped after three years when the school board stopped requiring reporting of the quarterly exams since our problems were not unique to our content area.

In conclusion, the team and the project worked well together on parts of the project that they understood and had enthusiasm for.  The quarterly exams requirements were unclear and there was a lot of resistance in the school as a whole to create standardized exams.  The lack of support by the teachers combined with less than clear expectations by the stakeholders resulted in materials being developed that were not effective in measuring what they were intended to measure.  Creating better guidelines and communicating them to the teachers building the exams might have resulted in a better outcome for the quarterly exams.

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Week 8 reflection

In the discussion forum this week the class was asked to conduct a very informal poll of people they knew concerning their attitudes about distance learning.  The results of my poll showed a growing acceptance of distance learning as an option.  Many of my classmates also reported results that this as well.  After reflection on the discussions of my peers I feel distance learning is currently approaching a tipping point that will alter its perception among learners over the next 5-20 years.

Currently distance learning options seem to be the favored way of continuing education among educators I know.  Some of these programs are completely online and others are a hybrid model.  The most likely attraction of distance learning for working professionals is probably convenience.  Distance learning allows professionals to continue working and balance family and other personal obligations with educational goals.  Technology is a major factor in making distance learning convenient.

By looking at entertainment, we can see how convenience has become a driving force in technology.  In a recent news article, streaming music services have moved music sales past CD’s.  (http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120818/business/708189963/)  Movies and TV shows are watched at an increasing rate through services like Netlfix or through on demand features of cable and satellite services.  The more these services are used, the less novel they are and the more part of everyday life they become.  As our expectations for convenience in entertainment increases, it is logical that it will spill over into other areas of our lives.

This is why distance learning is approaching a tipping point of acceptance.  According to Dr. Siemens in the resources for week eight online communication is increasing.  As a society we are becoming more comfortable with and demanding the convenience online communication offers.  As this movement continues to build and move through society, other areas will adapt it such as businesses and government.  Perceptions are changing and will continue to change and evolve. 

One clear way to be a positive source of continued improvement in distance learning and a proponent of distance learning is adopt the right method or tool for the task at hand.  General criticisms of distance learning have to do with rigor or a lack of interaction.  And to be honest, they are right to a degree.  If you look hard enough, you will find instances that seem to prove that point.  But this is where choosing the right tool or implementing the appropriate method comes into play.  Distance learning will be seen as positive solutions to training and educational problems because of its convenience that people are coming to expect and because it is the right implementation.  Distance learning will continue to grow in use and acceptance because it is convenient and because it delivers what it promises.  As it delivers positive results to more people, it will continue to grow.

Twenty years into the future is a long time and difficult to predict.  But it is safe to assume that distance learning will assume an equal status to traditional methods as long as it is implemented effectively using the best research as a guide and it meets the needs of its learners.  Being considered equal does not mean it will replace.  There will always be a place for traditional learning, but in the future there will be more options for specific needs.   

Summary of Week 7 Application Assignment

In week 7 the application asked us to create a guide that would be used to transfer a face to face learning program to a blended, or hybrid, learning situation.  In my guide I focused on pre-planning, enhancements, communication, and the role of the facilitator.

In the pre-planning section I tried to stress that the face to face program needed to be modified for a distance learning situation.  The enhancement section noted how visuals, interactivity, and activities enhance the experience for distance learners.  For communication I focused on online etiquette over communication tools since communicating online is different than face to face.  The role of the facilitator changes in a blended situation since the facilitator needs to focus on building the learning community and interactions without being physically present. 

The full document is below.

 

A Guide to Convert a Face to Face Learning Program to a Blended Learning Format

I.  Introduction-What is blended learning?

                Blended learning, or hybrid learning, refers to learning that mixes face to face learning with learning that takes place outside of normal constraints of time and place using technology.  A course is considered blended when 30%-79% of the content is delivered online (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012).  There are many important things to consider before converting a face to face learning program to a blended learning format.  A common mistake is to “shovel” the content from your face to face learning program into an online format.  Not only will this tactic decrease the likelihood of success for your learners, but it also fails to take advantage of features of blended learning that could help improve the chances of success for your learners (Simonson, et al. 2012).  This guide will help you prepare a blended learning course and provide you with some general guidelines to consider while making the transition.

II.  Pre-Planning Strategies to Consider

                Throughout this guide an important consideration to keep in mind is that blended learning requires the same thoughtful approach to instruction that face to face learning requires.  You should use the following checklist to avoid trial and error mistakes during the pre-planning process of converting to a blended format.

ü  What are the objectives and outcomes from your face to face program?  Keep these in mind because you are not changing your outcomes, just how you deliver the instruction.

ü  What content does the program currently use and how can it be transferred to a blended course?  All of your content does not need to go online since you are working in a blended format, but deciding which portions can be accessed online is a consideration.

ü  How will the online portion of the class be managed?  You will need to have access and knowledge of how to use a CMS (course management system) in order to organize and manage the online content.

ü  How will your audience, the learners, connect to the online portions of the course?  The nature of your program will influence this greatly.  For example, if this is part of professional development time and resources will need to be provided. 

ü  How will you know your learners have accomplished the objectives or outcomes of your program?  It is possible your current method of assessing success will need to be modified or changed.

ü  What is the plan when technical problems occur?  Identify key people to contact and have alternate plans ready to keep the program on track.

III.  Enhancements

                This section is designed to help you make decisions regarding your current face to face program and revise it to incorporate strategies that are more effective in a distance learning environment.  Here are three areas to consider-interactivity, visuals, and activities.  Look at your current face to face program and decide what needs to be modified or revised in order to incorporate these concepts.

Interactivity

What can be done to make sure the learner is connected to the learning process?  A problem with blended learning situations is that the learner can feel isolated and disconnected form the learning community during the distance portions of the class.  Increasing the level of interaction often leads to a higher level of student satisfaction (Simonson, et al. 2012).  There are a number of technology tools such as discussion forums, blogs and wikis that can be used to increase the level of interaction between distance learners.  Communication is an important part of interactivity and this is discussed in more depth in section three.

Activities

Most people learn best by doing something.  Decide what activities from your face to face program will be transferred to the online portion of the class.  Many of the technology tools that increase interaction can be used to create something.  For example, if your face to face program had the participants make a poster showing their learning, that activity can be translated to creating a wiki.

Visuals

Undoubtedly your face to face program incorporated visuals of some kind.  While transferring your program to a blended format you need to not only consider if and how you will transfer those visuals to the online portion, but what else can be added.  Long sections of text can become tiresome to the learner and you can cue learners about essential information by adding a simple visual.  An example of this is above where this section was started with a simple diagram noting three areas of enhancement for distance learning. 

Visuals can also refer to video or animations.  If there was video in your original face to face program it is possible that it can still be utilized in a blended program.  There is also the opportunity to take key information from lectures and record it so your learners can access it anytime as well.  Be careful to not shovel your recorded lectures into the blended course format without considering length and if it is essential to the objectives.

III.  Communication

                Without communication there is no interaction between you and your learning community.  Because a substantial portion of the course will take place outside of the classroom communication is an important.  There is a wide variety of communication tools that you can choose from and that you will be working with.  Instead of discussing the types of communication tools available, it might be more effective to discuss how to communicate online since it is essential for learners to understand how to communicate effectively in an online environment (Simonson, et al. 2012). 

                Before starting the online portion of your blended course take the time to inform your learners of the expectations and differences involved with communicating online.  Some of your learners may have experience working online, but others may be more familiar with informal online etiquette or have no experience at all.  A key thing to remember is that distance learning situations are devoid of the cues we come to recognize from face to face interactions.  Care needs to be taken to make sure that ideas are not only communicated properly, but that communication is also done in a respectful way. 

                The following link, http://www.bucks.edu/old_docs/online/dlresources/etiquette.htm provides an online quiz with some general guidelines for good online etiquette.  You can share this with your learners or adapt it to your course.  Either way communicating expectations at the start of your course is a positive step towards building a successful learning community.         

IV.  Role of the facilitator

                Facilitating any learning experience does not simply mean being a fountain of content knowledge.  You will find that in a blended learning situation your role as a facilitator will expand or change to include areas not present in the face to face learning environment.  In a blended learning situation a facilitator will,

·         Encourage a high level of interactivity. 

·         Provide clear instructions and guidelines for activities and assignments.

·         Respond to questions in a timely matter.

·         Encourage participation by responding to students personally and incorporating thought provoking questions.

·         Choose topics of discussion that encourages discussions.

·         Use rubrics to guide assessment.

·         Use grouping strategies to better organize and respond to students.

·         Create a positive learning community by creating guidelines and expectations.

The above list is adapted from the article “Strategies for Enhancing Student Interactivity in an Online Environment” (Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford, 2006).

Conclusion

                At this point you should be ready to approach converting your face to face program to a blended learning program.  Here are some final tips to summarize the process.

·         Do not dump your face to face content into a blended model and expect it to work.

·         Blended learning requires the same care and planning that face to face learning requires.

·         Remember to create positive interactions for and with your learning community.

·         Communication online is different than communication face to face.

·         Your role as a facilitator will change and expand in order to support a blended learning environment.

References

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

Durrington, V., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190–193. Retrieved from http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/433631/strategies_for_enhancing_student_interactivity_in_an_online_environment/