Wk 6 - Analyzing Scope Creep

Analyzing Scope Creep

A professional project I was involved with that experienced scope creep was a project with the training and instructional design department at my work where I was acting as the SME.  The project involved the ID/training department soliciting my input and expertise as the SME for some old training documents that needed to be updated due to a change in the process that was outlined in those documents.  The new process indicated that instead of DMT employees emailing information directly to their co-workers personal Outlook email accounts for verification, the DMT employees should now email information on documents to a shared role account through Outlook that had been set up so that there was visibility should someone be out of the office and not checking their personal Outlook email account.

The specific scope issues that we encountered included the fact that the new process that had been developed didn’t take into account that many employees worked remotely and so they would need to access the shared role account through signing onto the network which they were not accustomed to doing due to its unreliable access.  The employees were used to accessing their Outlook email accounts through webmail.  Due to this development, the training/ID department also needed to address the IT aspect of the project with working with the employees to figure out how to set up access appropriately and manage their workflow without interruption.  This additional piece of training and documentation for the project ended up pushing back many of the anticipated deadlines.  At the time, I continued to advise on my pieces of the project as I could in order to keep up with deadlines but many essential meetings had to be coordinated around the new developments.  If I had been the PM, I definitely would have taken the time to gather more detailed information on the different types of employees that were to be affected by the new changes and make sure I knew what their potential concerns were before mapping out the schedule of the project.

Communicating Effectively - Wk 3

Communicating Effectively

Effective communication is important in work/professional life as well as personal life, but especially when working on collaborative efforts with others.  When you are involved in projects with other stakeholders, it is extremely important to communicate effectively and to work with them in the ways in which they comfortable in order to achieve desired results.  Projects almost always have over-arching goals and objectives that require the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders and therefore, as an ID or a PM, you need to learn to how to communicate effectively and work through issues with others in a productive way in order to meet the needs of the project.

My interpretation of each modality of, “the art of effective communication,” was that each of the deliveries communicated the same information but in different ways.  In the first modality, the message was clear and the needs were stated but because it was a document, it could easily be shuffled in with other documents and not given the important attention it obviously deserved.  The voicemail was more immediate; you could hear the concern in her voice and it was obvious that she took the time to call to give her message a personal touch in order to get your attention.  The face-to-face interaction is obviously the most immediate presentation because you would be receiving the information in real-time; which makes it almost impossible to ignore.  While this is obviously the most direct route and probably gets you results fastest; it is not always possible on projects when working with remote team members.  It is very important therefore, to keep in mind that a personal touch is often most effective and can get a team member’s attention (even remotely) through a phone call or a skype session, etc.  I will keep this in mind with future projects when I’m working with others who are unresponsive to email inquiries or requests. 

Learning from a project “Post-Mortem”

A project from my work experience that is worth examining is a project that was developed for specialists to follow a new evaluation process for applicants who wanted to achieve offered certificates.  The certificate applicants had to have a certain amount of experience within their respective fields.  The specialists then had to review that experience from the applicant’s resume or other submitted documentation and determine if they were qualified to enter the certificate program.  It was the purpose of the project to create documentation on what the experience requirements were for applicants to qualify them for the certificate programs and to post those resource documents on a SharePoint site for all of the specialists to access as they were reviewing applicant’s files.

What training/ID did well in the project was collecting input from the specialists on their understanding of the certificate programs and requirements as well as working closely with all stakeholders to ensure the resources could be supported by technology and that they were approved by leadership and regulatory advisors prior to implementation.  What training/ID did not do well in the project was that they failed to fully understand the role of the specialist when they were reviewing these applicants.  The specialists had a very high volume of applicant files to review, and thus, they needed to access the resource documents quickly.  Training/ID had placed all resource documents for all certificates in one PDF Portfolio on the SharePoint site; not thinking about how long it would take to sift through all of the different folders to find the right certificate PDF resource.  They thought they were being helpful in organizing the documents in a visual and creative way, but really, it ended up frustrating the specialists immensely as they had to search and wait for PDF’s to load in subfolders, within folders, within the portfolio.  Ultimately, this slowed down productivity for the specialists instead of making the process more consistent and clear.  Training/ID should have sat with the specialists and observed their work flow in order to better understand their needs and workflow prior to deciding on the format in which to house the final documents.

EDUC 6135 Reflection

Reflection: Perceptions of Distance Learning

Throughout this course, I have learned a great deal about the different perceptions that surround online learning and distance education.  Our society seems to be slowly moving in a direction that is more understanding and more accepting of online learning.  It takes time for people to understand how advancements in technology can benefit online learning and distance education by providing various tools that can be utilized to enhance distance learning.  Currently, perspectives on distance learning seem to be rooted in how familiar people are with distance learning and whether they have had or whether they know someone who has had a successful online learning experience.  For those who are completely unfamiliar with online learning, it’s important that information is available to them regarding how online learning can be successful and meet learning objectives/standards just like a traditional face-to-face learning experience.

There are many advocates for distance learning, just as there are many skeptics of distance learning; it is important that both are aware of what makes online learning and distance education successful so that they understand the difference.  An online course can be successful or unsuccessful, just like a face-to-face course can be.  I think once more people start to understand this they will be more open to distance learning.  In the next 5-10 years I think that the perceptions of distance learning will be more understanding and therefore more accepting of online learning.  I think more people by that time will have demonstrated their success in advancing their knowledge and skills through online coursework and degree programs; giving distance learning a better reputation.  In the next 10-20 years I think that technology and education will have enhanced the online world to such an extent that it will make distance learning just as effective and just as accepted as face-to-face learning.

As an instructional designer, I can be an advocate for distance learning and improve societal perceptions by educating those I come in contact with about the benefits of distance learning.  Through talking with others about what makes a distance learning experience successful, I can educate them on the potential benefits of successful online learning.  I can also show them the many options that are available concerning technology tools to improve learning and communication.  I can utilize my knowledge of distance learning as an instructional designer to educate clients and others whenever possible.  I can also demonstrate various technology tools and learning experience simulations for them to illustrate how an online learning environment should operate in order to be successful.  As people learn more and understand the options and benefits of online learning, they should become more open to and accepting of it.

In the field of distance education, I can encourage continuous improvement by staying aware of the most current advancements in technology and education.  By staying abreast of these advancements and understanding how they can be effectively applied to distance education, I can make sure I am applying them appropriately.  It is important to also stay aware of critical research in relation to distance education so that I can utilize findings to improve my work.  Through keeping a critical eye in relation to learning theories, technology tools, and other components of distance education, I can make sure I am utilizing what is most effective.  Encouraging improvement within the field of distance education should be supported by applications of learning theories and technology tools that have been critically analyzed and shown to be effective.

I will continue to stay aware and to research new advancements in technology and education so that I can positively improve distance learning as an instructional designer.  I will work to educate others on the elements of successful online learning.  I hope to be an advocate for continuous improvement in distance learning so that society understands the benefits that are available with distance learning.  As Dr. Siemens stated in our video presentation this week, there is a growing acceptance of the quality of communication, the value of diversity, and the various benefits of distance learning (Laureate, 2010).  It’s my goal to further that growing acceptance by actively educating others through my work as an instructional designer and through my experiences as an online learner.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The future of distance education [Video]. Baltimore, MD.

Best Practices Guide

For the application this week, I created a best practices guide for a trainer who is considering transferring coursework to an online format.  The best practices guide includes tips for the trainer concerning the potential transition as well as important questions to consider regarding this process.  Overall, the guide gives the trainer an overview of important considerations to take into account for an effective transition of instructional content to an online learning environment and for an effective transition of their role as a presenter/trainer to that of a guide/facilitator.

The Impact of Open Source: Open Course Websites

The Impact of Open Source: Open Course Websites

While reviewing my options for evaluating open course offerings this week, I was immediately drawn to Yale University’s website because of the appealing layout and design of the website.  It was very easy to explore and I appreciated the visuals of the professors associated with the course offerings; this gave a face to the course which I found very inviting.  I chose to review a course offered by Yale University called, AMST 246: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner (http://oyc.yale.edu/american-studies/amst-246).  

The course is taught by professor Wai Chee Dimock and it offers an overview of the major works and analytical connections of the authors Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner.  I really liked how upfront and clear the initial introduction/summary view of the course was.  Right when I clicked on it, it showed a picture of the professor that seemed very personable and a bio-summary about her.  There was also a brief summary of the course titled, “About the course,” as well as direct links to the syllabus, sessions, survey, course materials, and video and audio elements.  I appreciated that all of this information was easy to find so that I knew right away how to evaluate if this was a course I would be interested in taking, “Adults are more self-directed and have specific reasons for taking the course,” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 136).   

The course appears to be carefully pre-planned and designed for distance learning.  The syllabus is very straightforward and indicates exactly which texts will be read and what all of the assignments in the course are; it even describes the “short paper” and the “term paper” that are required.  The syllabus also details the weight of each assignment in the grading scale which is very helpful to the learners.  According to our course text, it is of great importance to inform learners of exactly what is expected of them from the start of the course and to let them know how they will be graded on all activities and assignments (Simonson et al., 2012).  This course follows the guidelines indicated in our course text for online instruction by listing out the expectations, the assignments, and the evaluations that the learners will experience during the course.  The course appears to enhance student learning through course activities to a fair extent through section participation, but I believe that more activities could improve the distance learner’s experience in the course.  I believe the course could be improved by adding more activities to increase learner to learner connections and build a sense of community within the course.  I do think that it’s amazing that many universities are offering open courses such as this one; it’s a great opportunity for education to advance and become more available to learners.

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.

Yale University (2012).  Open Yale courses.  Retrieved from: http://oyc.yale.edu/american-studies/amst-246

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies: Interactive Tours

For my application assignment this week, I chose to explore distance learning technologies that would support the “Interactive Tours” example where a teacher wants to showcase distanced museum exhibits to her students and give them the ability to interact with curators and critique artwork.  There are many Web 2.0 applications and technology tools that could support this kind of interactivity and distance learning, “Web 2.0 applications are not limited to education—in fact, Web 2.0 exists primarily outside the education sphere—but these technologies have extraordinary potential for education and the kinds of learner-engaging functions that should be incorporated into the next generation of course management systems” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 129).  If the teacher decided to use a CMS to host different distance learning activities associated with her museum exhibit project, she should make sure the CMS supports the web technology tools she wishes to use.  Two web technology tools that I think would be effective to use for this project are an interactive web video and a collaborative wiki.

The interactive web video can be created by the teacher on her computer utilizing video technology and media/photos of the exhibits that are available to her on the internet.  Interactive web videos can be created online through sites like YouTube.  As Murphy (2009) describes in his article on creating interactive YouTube videos, it’s relatively easy to create options for the audience to click different icons to follow various video segments.  This would enable the teacher to create a tour of the different museum exhibits her students could explore at their own discretion and also enables the teacher to create video segments that perhaps had additional information given by the museum curators.  A great example of an interactive YouTube video that allows the audience to choose the sequence of the video can be found at this link:  YouTube Street Fighter (Murphy, 2009). 

I think a wiki would be a useful technology tool to allow the teacher to post photos of artwork and have the students critique the artwork as a group with every student having access to the wiki site, “A wiki can be an excellent tool for collaborative online writing assignments and group activities compiling information in a single online resource” (Simonson et al., 2012, p. 129).  If the teacher is working closely with the museum curators, she could even give the curators access to the wiki site to view the student’s critique and participate in engaging the students.  The curators could have valuable input and could provide additional links and information to interested students on the wiki.  A great example of a wiki that shows collaborative input as well as links to other sites, definitions, and multimedia is EduTech:  http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Interactive_multimedia.

References:

EduTech Wiki:  http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Interactive_multimedia

Murphy, D. (2009, April 20).  Create your own interactive videos.  PC World.  Retrieved from:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/163458/create_your_own_interactive_videos.html

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