The first project I ever worked on with a team in design still lingers in my mind. I was on a team of four, two artist combined with two designers building a sales ad. I had to work closely with one of the artist to build the storyboard design for the team concept. Though it was saluted as a successful project in retrospect as I look over the 15 year old storyboard it was rudimentary at best. We worked within the confines of our software and training and built the storyboard strictly by hand. We followed the concept, technical requirements, and script designed by the team. My contribution was to assure that technically what the artist rendered we could reproduce with the software and technology we had available.
My larger task grew to keeping the artist on task and on schedule. He was very precise and deliberate in his graphic style and was taking excessive time with each cell of the storyboard. He was not realizing that the storyboard is a concept piece not the entire project and can have rough drawings with informative text. If I were to redo this project today I would use storyboarding software and collaboration software to communicate with the other designers on the team. I recall we had communication issues due to schedule conflicts. Software such as SKYPE would have allowed us all to meet without everyone having to be in the same room. Designating a team project manager would have also benefitted each member in defining our roles and duties to the group. The project if redone today given the knowledge I have gained as a designer, technology improves, and software advances would be easier to produce and take a fraction of the time to create.
References:
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.
Project management triangle. (2010, June 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Project_management_triangle&oldid=368175262.
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.
Crystal Annang
Life will pay whatever price you ask of it. Quote: Tony Robbins
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives
I found a great article that discusses the “15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives”. The article is from Healthcare Financial Management, Feb,2002, by David Hefner, Christine Malcolm. I have summarized the article here and provided a link:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_2_56/ai_83044084/
1. Thoroughly evaluate project feasibility.
2. Clarify the project objectives and scope.
3. Make a single sponsor accountable for project success.
4. Appoint a full-time project manager one individual should oversee the day-to-day management, execution, and deliver of the project.
5. Establish a project-management team that can exercise real authority.
6. Create a detailed project plan.
7. Secure committed staff resources.
8. Obtain commitments from vendors and suppliers.
9. Divide project into manageable segments to reduce complexity.
10. Establish clear performance measures and report progress regularly to assess project performance, a specific set of performance indicators should be identified.
11. Take decisive, corrective action sooner rather than later resolve any performance variances quickly and decisively
12. Establish and manage a formal change-control mechanism.
13. Proactively manage a risk.
14. Develop a communication program to promote organization wide acceptance of the program.
15. Celebrate successes, at each milestone to foster team coherence.
Resources:
Hefner, David; "15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives". Healthcare Financial Management. FindArticles.com. 07 Nov, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_2_56/ai_83044084/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_2_56/ai_83044084/
1. Thoroughly evaluate project feasibility.
2. Clarify the project objectives and scope.
3. Make a single sponsor accountable for project success.
4. Appoint a full-time project manager one individual should oversee the day-to-day management, execution, and deliver of the project.
5. Establish a project-management team that can exercise real authority.
6. Create a detailed project plan.
7. Secure committed staff resources.
8. Obtain commitments from vendors and suppliers.
9. Divide project into manageable segments to reduce complexity.
10. Establish clear performance measures and report progress regularly to assess project performance, a specific set of performance indicators should be identified.
11. Take decisive, corrective action sooner rather than later resolve any performance variances quickly and decisively
12. Establish and manage a formal change-control mechanism.
13. Proactively manage a risk.
14. Develop a communication program to promote organization wide acceptance of the program.
15. Celebrate successes, at each milestone to foster team coherence.
Resources:
Hefner, David; "15 Essential steps of IT project management - Digital Perspectives". Healthcare Financial Management. FindArticles.com. 07 Nov, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_2_56/ai_83044084/
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Reflection on Distance Learning
George Siemens explains in this week’s video, the acceptance of distance education by society as a whole is due to the increase in online communication, practical experience with new tools, growing comfort with online discourse, and the ability to communicate with diverse and global groups (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.b.). The notion of distance is not the same as it was a few years ago due to the new technology we are realizing that we can now participate in conversations globally. Education has become a global interactive option for corporations and education. As new technologies have improved educational options are growing in the online environment.
My perceptions of distance learning are constantly evolving as my knowledge of interactive media expands. The views I had of how could I implement a course and fill it with interactive stimulating options for my learner’s changes on a weekly basis. We are asked to look at the future of online education 10-20 years from now and I see a future where online education is the norm and face-to-face becomes the antiquated form public education still uses. Online education will is becoming a highly sought out form of education for adult learners in various fields. I foresee both private and public institutions utilizing online learning to save time, money, and expand their reach.
As a designer it is important to be a proponent for improving the perceptions of distance learning. As such an advocate I will continue to build my own knowledge of available educational solutions through collaboration, education, and research. I will offer peers support and guidance in learning how to utilize new tools and technologies and long with accepting support and guidance. My personal technology blog and website will be building blocks to aide in my development of larger projects as I start my career.
Working as a positive force in the field of distance education involves continuous personal growth and skill develop in the field of Instructional Design Technology. I will need to offer support, guidance and training backed by research and practical practice in the field. To be a true leader I will need to join groups, utilize new skills, and actively work to spread the knowledge that Online Learning and Instructional Design open the door to education that might other be closed to many learners.
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.b.). The future of distance education [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week eight resources.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.c.). Theory and distance learning [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week Two resources.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
My perceptions of distance learning are constantly evolving as my knowledge of interactive media expands. The views I had of how could I implement a course and fill it with interactive stimulating options for my learner’s changes on a weekly basis. We are asked to look at the future of online education 10-20 years from now and I see a future where online education is the norm and face-to-face becomes the antiquated form public education still uses. Online education will is becoming a highly sought out form of education for adult learners in various fields. I foresee both private and public institutions utilizing online learning to save time, money, and expand their reach.
As a designer it is important to be a proponent for improving the perceptions of distance learning. As such an advocate I will continue to build my own knowledge of available educational solutions through collaboration, education, and research. I will offer peers support and guidance in learning how to utilize new tools and technologies and long with accepting support and guidance. My personal technology blog and website will be building blocks to aide in my development of larger projects as I start my career.
Working as a positive force in the field of distance education involves continuous personal growth and skill develop in the field of Instructional Design Technology. I will need to offer support, guidance and training backed by research and practical practice in the field. To be a true leader I will need to join groups, utilize new skills, and actively work to spread the knowledge that Online Learning and Instructional Design open the door to education that might other be closed to many learners.
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.b.). The future of distance education [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week eight resources.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.c.). Theory and distance learning [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week Two resources.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Best Online Teaching Practices-2010
o Structured discussions or debate
o Small-group discussions
Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
o Set up small groups for ease in discussion
o Build a problem solving forum
o Encourage student-to-student support
Use active learning techniques
o Hands-on-experiences
o Small-group discussions
o Study analysis
Virtual field trips
Give prompt feedback
o Grades should be posted within a week
o Questions should be answered within 24 hours
Emphasize time on task
Communicate high expectations
o Course Syllabus expresses clear expectations
o Clearly explain grading policy
Websites that contain Best Online Teaching Practices.
DESIGN FOR LEARNING http://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html
eLearning Magazine: 10 Things I’ve Learned About Teaching Online
http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=best_practices&article=57-1
vuDAT Virtual University Design and Technology: Michigan State University
offers a great website exploring and explaining the aspects of 10 years of research in online learning experiences.
http://vudat.msu.edu/teach/
Video link:
I found the suggestions given by Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown on using PodCasting to explain the weekly assignment in a pre-cast/post-cast mode to be innovative. The use of audio to personalize and humanize online learning and as a technique for reducing insecurity among online learners is effective. Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown does not give online lectures she uses PodCasting as a tool to respond to feedback and guide instruction. Best Practices in Online Teaching, Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown: http://vimeo.com/15158381
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Facilitating online learning [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week seven resources.
Levine, R. (2010, May). Top 10 quotes on collaboration. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/office/collaboration/articles/71425.aspx
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The Impact of Open Source
In understanding how the Internet has impacted the way both teaching and learning are managed in an online environment. “To teach and learn effectively we must understand the concepts of student-centered learning and distributed learning”. (Simonson, Pg. 231) In the developmental years of distance learning the instructional model essentially replicated the face-to-face teacher/textbook for the course content. “With computer and Internet-based technologies, however, have come exciting new opportunities for providing learning experiences to students”. (Simonson, Pg. 231)
“Student-centered learning promotes active learning, collaboration, mastery of course material and student control over the learning process”. (Simonson, Pg. 232) In the following paragraphs I will examine an open course class from Stanford on iTunes U: A public site that includes courses and faculty lectures. http://itunes.stanford.edu/ I focused on the Stanford School of Education on iTunes and quickly realized it was very different than my current online classroom.
Distance education is structured from the beginning with the evaluator’s requirements in mind (Simonson, 2009). Data is collected before, during, and after the instructional events or procedures. The data is evaluated in comparison to traditional face-to-face learners in the same courses and decisions about the distance learning process are actively made. Proponents of the Open University are opposed to the traditional, quantitative procedures for evaluation (Simonson, Pg. 350). The Proponents believe “in evaluation by focus groups, interview, observations, and journals to collect evaluation information in order to obtain a rich and colorful understanding of events related to the distance education activity” (Simonson, Pg. 350).
Most evaluators now use a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to measure a student’s acquisition of the material. In the Stanford School of Education open course documents I found lectures and videos on fourteen topics. I was pleased that with the click of one button I could download them in iTunes and later to my iPod. I watched several and found them relevant and fascinating in examining modern educational issues.
Yet, they did not offer actual courses that I could locate merely excerpts from courses. Yet all of them materials I viewed on the Stanford School of Education iTunes list met the standards described in the text as the “five abilities” that e-learning standards should have.
1. Interoperability-can the system work with any other system? The software works with with any MP3 player that can accept files from iTunes.
2. Re-usability- can courseware (learning objects, or “chunks”) be re-used? The individual lessons, videos, and readings are free for use and viewing and be re-used.
3. Accessibility-can the learner access the appropriate content at the appropriate time? The portability of the information makes it assessable any where the learner chooses to view the data once it is downloaded.
4. Manageability- can a system track the appropriate information about the learner and the content? This system did not require registration or information of any type to access the open lectures, videos, and text that the site provided. Without being required to log in or register they have no way of tracking who is actually using the information they are providing.
5. Durability- will the technology evolve with the standards to avoid obsolescence? The technology that Stanford is using is the latest available and the course materials are current and continually evolving. The use of iTunes enables students the ease of access with very little effort and the option for portability increases user interest. (Simonson, Pg.255)
In review of numerous Open Course classes I found that they all lacked in assessment features and opportunities for collaboration. Participation is independent study or research format with the opportunity for self evaluation in a few courses I reviewed from other Open Course Universities. Of the courses I examined I favored the ones that offered multiple modes of data (MP3, video, text) and download features. Simple features to select entire sets of course with one button increased my desire to download the courses so that I could upload them to my iPod for later evaluation. I would recommend giving Open Course classes a try and take time to find one that suits your own learning style and interest.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Planning and designing online courses [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week five resources.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
“Student-centered learning promotes active learning, collaboration, mastery of course material and student control over the learning process”. (Simonson, Pg. 232) In the following paragraphs I will examine an open course class from Stanford on iTunes U: A public site that includes courses and faculty lectures. http://itunes.stanford.edu/ I focused on the Stanford School of Education on iTunes and quickly realized it was very different than my current online classroom.
Distance education is structured from the beginning with the evaluator’s requirements in mind (Simonson, 2009). Data is collected before, during, and after the instructional events or procedures. The data is evaluated in comparison to traditional face-to-face learners in the same courses and decisions about the distance learning process are actively made. Proponents of the Open University are opposed to the traditional, quantitative procedures for evaluation (Simonson, Pg. 350). The Proponents believe “in evaluation by focus groups, interview, observations, and journals to collect evaluation information in order to obtain a rich and colorful understanding of events related to the distance education activity” (Simonson, Pg. 350).
Most evaluators now use a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to measure a student’s acquisition of the material. In the Stanford School of Education open course documents I found lectures and videos on fourteen topics. I was pleased that with the click of one button I could download them in iTunes and later to my iPod. I watched several and found them relevant and fascinating in examining modern educational issues.
Yet, they did not offer actual courses that I could locate merely excerpts from courses. Yet all of them materials I viewed on the Stanford School of Education iTunes list met the standards described in the text as the “five abilities” that e-learning standards should have.
1. Interoperability-can the system work with any other system? The software works with with any MP3 player that can accept files from iTunes.
2. Re-usability- can courseware (learning objects, or “chunks”) be re-used? The individual lessons, videos, and readings are free for use and viewing and be re-used.
3. Accessibility-can the learner access the appropriate content at the appropriate time? The portability of the information makes it assessable any where the learner chooses to view the data once it is downloaded.
4. Manageability- can a system track the appropriate information about the learner and the content? This system did not require registration or information of any type to access the open lectures, videos, and text that the site provided. Without being required to log in or register they have no way of tracking who is actually using the information they are providing.
5. Durability- will the technology evolve with the standards to avoid obsolescence? The technology that Stanford is using is the latest available and the course materials are current and continually evolving. The use of iTunes enables students the ease of access with very little effort and the option for portability increases user interest. (Simonson, Pg.255)
In review of numerous Open Course classes I found that they all lacked in assessment features and opportunities for collaboration. Participation is independent study or research format with the opportunity for self evaluation in a few courses I reviewed from other Open Course Universities. Of the courses I examined I favored the ones that offered multiple modes of data (MP3, video, text) and download features. Simple features to select entire sets of course with one button increased my desire to download the courses so that I could upload them to my iPod for later evaluation. I would recommend giving Open Course classes a try and take time to find one that suits your own learning style and interest.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Planning and designing online courses [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved from Week five resources.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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