Personal Professional Development Plan

Professional Development is an imperative for today’s workforce.   Because knowledge  is continually impacted by new developments and technologies, it has a limited shelf-life.   Cathy Gonzalez describes this phenomenon as the “half-life of knowledge (Gonzalez, 2004).”   Essentially, it’s the time span between the acquisition of knowledge and the point at which it becomes obsolete.  For me, this means a commitment to life-long learning.  As I complete my master’s degree in Instructional Design, I realize that professional development has to be factored into my career plans. 

Most organizations offer some form of employee development , but the current trend is for employees to initiate involvement (Noe, 2010).   For instance, the organization might offer in-house courses on management skills, but an associate might need to express interest in management in order to take advantage of them.  Employee development opportunities can include assessments, formal education (either external or internal), job experience, or interpersonal relationships as with mentoring and coaching programs (Noe, 2010).      

For the immediate future, I plan to pursue development opportunities in the form of job experience and interpersonal relationships.     I’ve had lots of job experience as a corporate sales rep, and many of the skills gained in that environment are transferrable to a career in Training and Development.   I also have experience as an instructor.   Whether the vehicle is a full-time job, contract work, or an internship, I’d like to gain more experience as a trainer and instructional designer.   I will also initiate a mentoring relationship with senior level trainers and instructional designers. 

While I am not enthusiastic about more formal education at this juncture, I do realize that it may be necessary.   I’m open to classroom or distance learning on the software most commonly used in instructional design.   Short of the classroom, I plan to continue learning this software through informal means.  To that end, Lynda.com, Youtube, and Adobe TV are great resources.    I also intend to take advantage of any relevant in-house education offered by my employer. 

Resources

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Gonzalez, C., (2004). The Role of Blended Learning in the World of Technology. Retrieved August 12, 2011from http://www.unt.edu/benchmarks/archives/2004/september04/eis.htm.

Technology Trends in Training & Development

New technologies continually challenge us to expand the way we think and perform our work. In recent years, training and development practice has experienced a transformation from traditional design and delivery methods to blended methods involving multiple options, multimedia, and multi-channels. These new technologies span the gamut from webinars and podcasting to online survey tools and learning repositories. In most cases, technology does not directly improve learning; it increases access and efficiency (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011). Online courses, for example, may decrease expenses for travel, materials, and instructors. However, learning outcomes are generally the same for face-to-face and online instruction (Tucker, 2001).

The trend toward blended training includes a combination of learning delivered through digital and classroom methods. In addition to offering blended learning designs, corporations acknowledge that most employee learning happens through informal means (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2010; Suave, 2007). Whether in an online, classroom, or blended format, the average employee spends only one week out of a year in formal training. Outside of structured learning events, employees still have a need for training and information, so learning continues (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2010). With the proliferation of information on the internet and elsewhere, it’s critical that companies direct employees to the right information at the right time. The following technologies impact delivery, collaboration, and information gathering for both formal and informal workplace learning:

Mobile Devices: Smartphones, Tablets, and iPods

Today, we depend on cell phones to function normally. Roughly 250 million Americans and more than half of the world’s population have Smartphones (Ahmad & Orton, 2010). It’s no surprise that cell phones have now become an extension of the workplace. Companies like Tyco and Capital One are using PDAs and iPods to deliver training and/or post-course follow-up (Noe, 2010). According to a recent study of more than 400 IBM employees who use Smartphones in the field, the phones are being used for two main purposes: performance support from colleagues and access to late-breaking information. The study also found a preference for simpler information and fewer options in mobile applications. As a result of the study, IBM has redirected its mobile learning initiatives so that the focus is not so much on delivery of learning modules, but performance support systems, collaboration, and networking (Ahmad & Orton, 2010). Further, the study found that most users will quit an application if they can’t find the information they need within thirty seconds. Mobile devices are part of our everyday lives. It makes sense to offer job aids, expert lectures, and directory information for access via mobile devices; however, training professionals need to consider whether learners will have dedicated time and space to process content presented in this format.

Webcasting / Webinars

One of the drawbacks of distance education is the propensity for isolation in the learning process. Webcasting overcomes this problem because it offers the ability to reach learners in multiple locations with real-time interaction (Noe, 2010). Programs like WebEX™, GoToMeeting, and Elluminate® allow trainees to ask questions, participate in polls, and chat rooms. Instructors and students can share their workspaces in these forums as well. Webcasts can also be recorded and made available for post-training reference. Because a webinar can reasonably replace face-to-face meetings with very little loss of interpersonal aspects, the technology is likely to be used more frequently for training as well as other business functions.

Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS)

Electronic Performance Support Systems are electronic infrastructures that capture, store, and distribute an organization’s knowledge assets to enable individuals to achieve required performance levels in the fastest possible time with minimal support from other people (Noe, 2010). As employees perform their work, they have the advantage of assistance from the (EPSS). For instance, a customer service rep who enters a specific customer response could be provided with the best option for meeting a customer need via an automatic pop-up or dialogue box. Software wizards and help tabs are examples of Electronic Performance Support Systems. Most EPSSs provide task-specific information, automation for certain tasks, interactive process guides and just-in-time advice (Noe, 2010). We see evidence of these systems all around us. As we work toward greater efficiencies in the workplace, we will continue to see growth in automated assistance. EPSSs will pay a major role in supporting transfer of skills post-training. In some cases, these systems can replace training (Noe, 2010).

Computer-based Simulations

Simulation refers to training methods that represent real-life situations where learner decisions result in outcomes that mirror what would happen on-the-job (Noe, 2010). The major advantage of simulation is that it provides practice opportunities without the risks of true consequences (Noe, 2010; Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011). Computer-based or desktop simulations fall into three categories: branching stories, interactive spreadsheets, and game-based virtual labs. Companies like Pitney-Bowes, Tylenol, and Miller Brewing use simulations in all of these categories to teach product knowledge, management skills, and bartending processes (Noe, 2010). Gaming is especially relevant with training for motor skills. For instance, a study of surgical residents found that the Nintendo Wii® game, Marble Mania®, allows natural hand movements similar to those performed in laparoscopy. The study concluded that this simulation is an effective teaching method for specific surgical skills (Bokhari et al., 2010). Simulations can also be created using cloud-based (online) resources. Second Life®, for example, allows for replication of work environments where trainees can interact with other classmates, experts, or coaches using an avatar.

Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems centralize the management of learning activities in an organization. Not only do these systems provide a platform for delivering training, but authoring, recordkeeping, tracking, and monitoring functions are integral to most of them. Using an LMS affords true integration between all aspects of training and the human resource function (Noe, 2010). For example, companies can track employee learning and link it to performance evaluations and/or career development plans. LMSs also provide repositories for training content that can be accesses as needed. Most importantly, the historical data captured through these systems can be useful in building the business case for future training and performance interventions. Some organizations develop their own LMSs, but popular vendors include Ziiva Prosperity, Moodle, and Blackboard.

References

Ahmad, N.,& Orton, P. (2010). Smartphones make IBM smarter, but not as expected. Training and Development, 64(1), 46–50. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database

Bokhari, R., Bollman-McGreegor, A., Kahol, J., Smith, K., Feinstein, M., Ferrara,J. (2010). Design, development, and validation of a take-home simulator for fundamental, laparoscopic skills: Using Nintendo Wii® for surgical training. The American Surgeon, 76(6), 583 – 586. Retrieved from the Ebscohost Database

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Sauve, E. (2007). Informal knowledge transfer. T+D, 61(3), 22–24.

Stolovitch, H. D., & Keeps, E. J. (2011). Telling ain't training (2nd ed). Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.

Tucker, S. (2001). Distance education: Better, worse, or as good As traditional education?

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 4 (5), Retrieved from http://distance.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter44/tucker44.html.

The Value of Needs Assessment in Instructional Design

Before embarking on any instructional design, it’s critically important to start with a needs assessment.   Noe (2010) describes needs assessment as the process used to determine whether training is necessary. The needs assessment is also important because, whether training is involved in the performance improvement mix or not, its outcomes inform the rest of the design process.   A needs analysis should include analysis of the organization, person (learner), and task as it relates to a performance issue(s).  Information outcomes should include the identification of performance improvement interventions, target learner groups if training is appropriate, recommendations for appropriate training methods and the feasibility of buying versus developing new training (Noe, 2010).   Training & Development professionals use several methods to gather this information including surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, and examination of existing documents.   The key is to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure accuracy (Noe, 2010).      I’ll attempt to demonstrate the process with a hypothetical scenario.     

Whole Foods Market is the leading distributor of natural and organic foods in the United States.  The company was founded in 1980 with one store in Austin, Texas.   Since then, Whole Foods has expanded through an aggressive strategy of acquisitions and mergers. Today, Whole Foods has stores in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.   Its corporate culture is steeped in collaboration and cooperation as reflected in its Declaration of Interdependence (Whole Foods, 2012). Whole Foods’ business mission is to sell the highest quality natural and organic products available while creating wealth through profits and growth.  In the process, the organization is committed to working with all of its stakeholders in a way that respects the customers, employees, vendors, and investors.    This commitment is evident in the chain’s green initiatives and financial support for local farmers.    When it comes to employees, Whole Foods recognizes that its success is dependent on the collective energy and intelligence of all of its team members (Whole Foods, 2012).  The company offers profit sharing, ongoing learning opportunities, and opportunities for employees to participate in self-directed teams to discuss issues and solve problems.   The company’s mission and values are best expressed in its motto: Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.  

If I were doing a Needs Assessment for Whole Foods, I would start with focused collaboration to identify business needs.  Being familiar with its mission to provide quality natural and organic food while wealth building for the future, I would meet with key members of upper-management to confirm the business strategy for the immediate and long-term future.   In the past the company has grown through mergers and acquisitions, so I’d be interested to know how this strategy has impacted training needs in the past and if they planned to continue with this strategy.  After confirming the business strategy, I would meet with mid-level managers to determine where performance gaps exists and which gaps, if closed, would provide the greatest impact toward reaching company goals.   I would also evaluate existing performance records to ascertain this information.   For instance, the organization should have a record of sales per store by month as well as number of customers, employee exit interviews, customer satisfaction surveys, etc.   
Organization analysis should yield information about priorities, problem areas, and causal factors.   Once I had a clearer picture where performance improvement opportunities exist, I would define the targeted performance improvement group.  For example, if the company’s priority is employee retention, and it is determined that certain stores are suffering from high turnover due to interpersonal skills deficiencies on the part of store managers, I would recommend training in this area for under-performing store managers.   I would then move to the person analysis to gain more information about the background, experience, learning needs, and motivation of the learner group. This information might be retrieved from electronic surveys and/or focus groups with a sample of store managers.  I would also work with middle-managers to identify Subject-matter experts (SMEs) to help with task analysis.  

The goal of task analysis is to identify the important knowledge, skills, and behaviors that need to be emphasized during training (Noe, 2010).  Every task does not require training resources, so it’s important to rank tasks in terms of the frequency of performance, importance, and level of difficulty.  Tasks that are performed infrequently might be better supported through other methods (i.e., job aids and resource guides).   Once tasks have been prioritized, I would continue working with SMEs like successful store managers to determine how they developed their interpersonal skills and how they use them on the job.    
Armed with the information from a quality needs assessment, I would be prepared to make recommendations about training requirements.   If the company decided to pursue training, the rest of the instructional design process ─ design, development, implementation, and evaluation ─ would stem from this foundational information.  

References  

Whole Foods Market (2012), Declaration of interdependence. Retrieved July 5, 2012 from: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/declaration.php

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Training & Development for a Competitive Advantage

     

     Often, training is viewed as optional and peripheral to core business functions. Yes, it's true that your organization may be able to survive without it, but the goal of any organization is to survive and prosper (Beach, 2006). Organizations need to continually innovate in order to carve out and maintain a competitive advantage. Financial and physical capital are tangible and usually visible to anyone who might be interested in knowing what resources your organization has. Today, businesses are concerned with leveraging human and intellectual capital to gain a competitive advantage (Noe, 2010). Training in and of itself may not be the answer, but Learning and Development as an organizational initiative can improve business outcomes. Experts agree that training is only effective when it's aligned to true business needs, so training professionals should always work collaboratively to identify them (Noe, 2010, Stolovitch & Keeps, 2004). When this happens, employee learning is strategic, new skills are transferred to the work environment, and organizational benefits are apparent in improved performance as well as time and money saved. When learning and development is a priority, the organization also makes gains by capturing and sharing knowledge so that it doesn't leave the organization when people do.      

     According to the American Society for Training & Development, U.S. organizations continue to invest in learning and development (Paradise, 2008), and rightly so. A recent study by the same organization involved 500 publicly traded companies. Of those, the companies investing the most in training and development realized a shareholder return that was 46 percent higher than the market average (Noe, 2011).  Table 1 includes some interesting facts and figures on the status of the training industry today (Kranz, 2008; Noe, 2011; Paradise, 2008). Is your organization committed to learning and development?



Table 1



References

Beach, R.B. (2006). Leadership and the art of change: A practical guide to organizational transformation,     Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Kranz, G. (2008) E-learning hits its stride. Workforce Management Online.  Retrieved June 28, 2012, from http://static-71-166-250-129.washdc.east.verizon.net/eLibrary/ARCHIVES/GENERAL/GENREF/W080200K.pdf

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill
 
Paradise, A. (2008). State of the Industry Report.  Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development

Stolovitch, H. D., & Keeps, E. J. (2004). Training ain’t performance. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press

Hi everyone!  If you’re new to my blog, it’s a discussion space where I share information on topics germane to the Human Performance Technology and Instructional Design fields. By the way, I’m closing in on a master’s degree in this area.   I’ve taken a break from posting for a while, but I’m excited about getting back to it.  For the next eight weeks, I’ll be focusing on Workplace Training & Development topics like:  

• Planning for Needs Assessments
• Evaluation Design
• Tools for Trainers

 If the journey interests you at all, please follow me by subscribing to the blog.   I look forward to a healthy dialogue, so please feel free to comment on any of the posts. 

Scope Creep: Project Obstacle or Opportunity?

According to Lynch & Roecker (2007) less than 30% of software development projects succeed.  Success is determined by the triple constraints of time, scope, and resources with very few projects being completed on time, under budget, and within project specifications.   Like IT projects, Instructional Design projects often fall into the unsuccessful category, and most experts attribute these failures to scope creep (Stolovich, n.d.; Portny et al., 2008; Greer, 2010).    Scope creep refers to the expansion of a project’s initial scope based on changing needs, technologies, or supporter requests.   There’s a natural tendency for project team members to want to improve the project as more information becomes available (Portny et al., 2008).   Every change in the number or quality of project outputs affects the amount of time, money, and resources needed to complete the project.   Scope creep is normal for most projects and can be a good thing, but it needs to be managed.  In fact, most modifications are the result of changes in vision, budget, or needs.  Some degree of scope creep can be expected as it ensures the project deliverables are still relevant upon completion (Portny et al., 2008).    I can recall several projects that experienced tremendous scope creep while I was working on them, but I will focus on one for now.

I had the pleasure of working in a start-up high school a few years ago and was charged with creating an online magazine that was completely student-run.  Let me give you some background before diving into scope creep for this project.   The high school was designed on an early college model with curriculum directly aligned to those of historically black colleges and universities.  It offered college credits through these partner universities.   Because the school was designed as a full-day program on an 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule, students were scheduled to finish their high school diploma by the end of the junior year, leaving the senior year for earning college credits.   Classroom training happened in the morning and project work took place in the afternoon.  The school was also set up on a quarterly basis rather than a semester program so that students could focus on one subject at a time.  For instance, some of my students had Foundations of Writing and World Literature in one quarter.   Following classroom instruction in the morning, they would work on projects including the online magazine, personal business plan development, and the operation of a mall store.   Our student body was comprised of inner-city youth – many of whom did not have the prerequisite skills to succeed in a pre-college environment.  Instruction involved a lot of differentiation in the classroom, competing agendas, and distractions.   While the work was rewarding, the environment presented several challenges for school projects.  

With the online magazine, the initial scope involved topics germane to student entrepreneurship, the sponsor university, and business events.    As we began investigating and writing stories, faculty from other areas of the school suggested that we include stories on science fairs, sporting events, and community affairs.   All of these requests came before the site was active, and we needed to have it live by the end of the first quarter.  Moreover, we experienced lack of availability concerning some technical requirement, so the project was converted to a newsletter posted on the school website vs. being independent website.   The change in scope from an online magazine to a newsletter was easier to manage, so it saved some time, but the other changes involved more time and effort.   We did not oblige them all, but enthusiasm from the school’s founder moved us toward a broader, more inclusive scope.  I would say this was a change in vision.  We also experienced problems with changing priorities as a result of environmental factors and the addition of tighter time constraints with competing projects.   

Having greater insight on project management skills, I might have done the following to better control scope creep on the magazine project:

·         Requested that story ideas be submitted in writing

·         Acquired approval for major scope changes from the project sponsor (school founder & principal)

·         Updated the project planning documents (schedule, budget, and resource allocation) to establish a new baseline for measuring project success

·         Monitored student progress against the planning documents

·         Tracked risks factors like the environmental concerns described above

Armed with this kind of detail, I might have been able to negotiate for more resources and time.  

In all, several editions of the school magazine were produced and the project provided hands-on experience for students to practice investigative and writing skills.   The expansion of topics made the newsletter more appealing to the entire student body, and it was well received.  

References

 Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Lynch, M. M., & Roecker, J. (2007). Project managing e-learning: A handbook for successful design, delivery, and management. London: Routledge

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. 

Stolovich, H. (n.d.), Monitoring Projects [Video]. Laureate Education. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com.

Estimating Training Dollars & Cents

Instructional designers often function as project managers for teams of designers, graphic artist, subject matter experts, facilitators, and other stakeholders.  In leading the band, budgeting can be a high stakes activity; It's is a matter of walking through the project tasks and determining what resources are needed, when they are needed, and for what duration.   This process may sound easy, but oversights can be costly.  Armed with good information, project managers can translate hours, services, and materials into hard costs.  Following are a few internet resources to help with cost estimates:  

Don Clark’s website, Big Dog & Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition has a wealth of information on estimating training costs including development time.   The site also provides guidelines for instructor preparation time and a very useful cost spreadsheet that allows adjustments for the expertise level of the project’s instructional designer(s) and the complexity of the project’s multimedia components (Clark, 2010).  

Defelice & Kapp (2009) provides average development time statistics for various types of instruction.   Karl Kapp, one of the authors, is a well known expert in the instructional design field, but most interesting thing about this article is that it’s based on the collective experience of 47 practicing instructional designers.   The survey was done in 2003, and then again in 2009 to get a feel for the impact of new authoring software on development time.  Surprisingly, some of the more complex training designs take longer to produce with new software.  You can read the article for an explanation on why this is so, but the development time table included in the article is very helpful.  I can see using it as a reference on an ongoing basis.   

Chapman Alliance is a learning consulting company (Chapman, 2010).  They’ve compiled data collected from 249 organizations, representing 3,947 learning professionals in industries from manufacturing and telecommunications to insurance and higher education.  The research is presented in a PowerPoint presentation.  I found slide number 14 especially useful because it lists common tasks for instructional design projects including average percentages of total project time spent on each task.  For novice project managers in instructional design, this information can be helpful as a guideline.  It’s important to talk to your own team members, but it would be interesting to compare feedback against the Chapman survey results because it reflects feedback from a broad spectrum of learning specialists.  

Resources

Clark, D.R. (2010). Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/costs.html

Chapman, B. (2010). How Long Does it Take to Create Learning? [Research Study]. Published by Chapman Alliance LLC. http://www.chapmanalliance.com/

Defelice, R. & Kapp, K. (2009) Time to Develop One Hour of Training. ASTD. Retrieved from http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0809_kapp.htm

Communicating Effectively for Project Management

With project management, communication is about people skills, building relationships, getting commitments and managing them.   Communication is more than just words; it has to do with spirit, attitude, and often timing (Stolovich, n.d.).  When building relationships, it’s important to know your stakeholders as well as their preferences for communication (Allen & Hardin, 2008; Portny et al. 2008).  While it may not be feasible to cater to every stakeholder individually, it helps to know how the most important drivers and contributors respond to information delivered in various forms.   In the effort to get things done, it’s usually necessary to communicate both informally and formally.   Commitments that evolve from informal communication should always be put in writing (Portny et al, 2008; Stolovich, n.d.). 

The Laureate interactive learning media, “The Art of Effective Communication,” was an experiment in communication through various modalities.   I experienced the exact same message in the form of an e-mail, a voice mail, and video message, and I came away with some very different ideas about the urgency of the message.   In the real world, I think the face-to-face message would have been most effective because there would have been opportunity for both parties to check their understanding.   Communication is about sending and receiving information with the goal of understanding.  Unfortunately, understanding can be elusive in the midst of noise.  Messages are often lost or distorted as a result of the medium chosen to deliver them.  

The content of the message had to do with a co-worker requesting that a colleague give her an ETA on the completion of a report.  She explained through all three modalities that she needed the information in order to make her deadline, and used the exact same wording.      

E-mail

The e-mail request seemed to convey more urgency because it was in writing, and was sent to the colleague while s/he is possibly “in an all-day meeting.”  If I were in the position of the receiver and checking my e-mail on a break from the meeting, I would interpret the sender to be in a frantic state where she needs an update from me before the end of the day, or while I’m in the meeting.  In response, I might e-mail her back letting her know what the status of the report is.   If it were ready, I would send it to her.   

Voice Mail

The voice mail message with the same wording as the e-mailed conveyed less urgency.  Now that I could hear the sender’s voice, the issue seemed less important.  Her tone was relaxed and friendly. She spoke slowly, so I clearly understood that she needed and ETA on the report, but would prefer if I could send the report to her via e-mail.  If I had picked up this voice mail while on break from an all-day meeting, I would make sure I touched bases with the sender before the end of the day. 

Face-to-Face

With the face-to-face scenario, the sender came across as extremely casual.  I could now see her facial expressions and I could hear her tone.  While her words express a very important message, the fact that she was delivering it over a cubicle wall seemed to indicate a casual tone.   Moreover, she smiles while thanking her colleague for getting up to speed on the missing report.   How nice?  If I were on the receiving end of this communication, I would probably give my co-worker an update right away, and inquire with her about her deadline.  Depending on my work load, I would either try to get the report completed expeditiously, or I would negotiate for more time.

References

Allen, S., & Hardin, P. C. (2008). Developing instructional technology products using effective project management practices. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 19(2), 72–97.  

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Laureate Education (n.d.). The art of effective communication [Multimedia learning object]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/

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. 

Stolovich (n.d.), Communicating with Stakeholders [Video]. Laureate Education. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/

My Party Project Post Mortem

One of the best ways to learn and grow is by reflecting on past experiences.   Projects are no different in this regard, so I’ll reflect a bit on a personal project that was gratifying, but could have been pulled off with just a tad fewer glitches.   Some years ago, my daughter and son had graduations in the same year.  My daughter was completing high school while my son was finishing junior high.  Both had expressed an interest in having a party, but had also mentioned that they’d like some other types of recognition as well.   At the time, my son’s favorite line was,   “Of course, it doesn’t hurt if it’s green!”  

In deliberating over whether to give gifts alone or throw a huge party, I began to count the costs for invitations, food, decorations, new patio furniture, a tent, etc.  I began to visualize what the whole set-up would look like, where the food table would go in the backyard, who we might invite, who would handle the music, so on and so forth.  What I failed to do is commit to the project.  While shopping for new patio furniture and a tent with the idea of having guests eventually, I could not confirm whether we were having a party or not.   And believe me, the kids asked over and over again about our plans.   As the executive team member, sponsor, and driver for this project, I was unable to plan effectively.   I had not allocated resources in time or money, nor had I assembled a project team to work a plan.    I let my team know that we were indeed having a party about two weeks before graduation weekend, at which point they were very excited and began to pitch in wherever they could find a need.  The result was a huge shindig with over fifty guests.  We had great food, fun, and nice weather, but the event exhausted every ounce of energy I had.    Other complications included having to call for additional financial support from my ex-husband.  He was glad to help, but could have forked over the cash earlier if he had known about our plans.   I had also planned to coordinate games for the event, but I ran out of time.  

If I had approached this shindig from project manager’s perspective, I would have known that project management is about planning, organizing, and controlling (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008).   As cited in Lin (2006), Baumgartner (1963) defines project management as the actions involved in producing project deliverable items on time, within cost, with required reliability and performance.  A major part of project kick-off is understanding why the project is being undertaken, determining project outcomes and products, estimating resource requirement, and identifying stakeholders.  Stakeholders include anyone who is affected or interested in your project as a supporter or detractor.   Greer (2010) advises that all stakeholders need to be involved in a project early.  If they are not engaged early, the oversight can cause “re-work.”  As an example, I could have gone to the grocery store once instead of 3 times if I had known that my ex, a supporting stakeholder, could contribute resources.   A budget would have helped as well.  

Concerning planning, a project manager needs to have a good handle on all of the variables that affect a project’s success.  A five finger checklist of these variables includes time, resources, expertise, quality, and scope (Budrovich, n.d.).  Once a project is scoped, changes in either one of these areas necessitate modification in other areas.  If I had scoped the party project, I could have used something similar to a statement of work which is a written confirmation of what a project will produce and the terms and conditions under which the project team will perform the work (Portny et al., 2008).  In a professional organization, it’s generally used to gain project approval.  In this case, I could have used the agreement to let my children know what needed to be accomplished.  The formal agreement would have collectively moved us into a planning phase where our efforts would have been more focused.  Our project team could have allotted more time, resources (human, monetary, and otherwise) to make the event happen, and we could have mapped our plan with a schedule and responsibility matrix, and a communication plan.  In the end, I would have been much less exhausted, and the workload would have been more evenly distributed.    

References

Budrovich, V. (n.d.). Practitioner Voices: Barriers to Project Success [Video].                  Laureate Education. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Lin, H. (2006). Instructional project management: An emerging professional practice for design and training programs. Workforce Education Forum, 33(2). Retrieved from http://voc.ed.psu.edu/projects/publications/books/Fall2006/WEF_fall2006.1.html

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.

Hello All,

For the next eight weeks I'll be studying Project Management with a focus on Instructional Design.  I'll be posting some assignments to this blog site.   I enjoy healthy debate, so please feel free to comment at any time.  

The Future of Distance Education

From its roots in correspondence study to its growth and development in the open universities of Europe, distance education has evolved and is impacting American organizations in the most fundamental ways (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek, 2009).  Naysayers denigrate it as disruptive and inefficient, but repeatedly studies have shown that there is no significant difference in outcomes between distance education programs and those conducted on-the- ground (Siemens, 2010; Russell, 1999).   Still others incite fear by labeling online programs as diploma mills (Noble, 2002).  Of course, accreditation should be a factor in the decision to attend any program, whether traditional or online.   Moreover, when investigating, it’s important to note that regional accreditation is the most stringent (Siemens et al., 2009).   Look for university programs that have both regional and national accreditation.   

For universities,  distance education programs serve as a means to expand the student population so that it includes non-traditional students.  For corporations and government, it serves as a bridge for dispersed employee populations to learn collectively and with consistency across physical boundaries.   More importantly, corporations  are motivated by return on investment.  Distance learning is often less expensive to produce, record, and store for future use (Simonson et al., 2009).    

Between the years 2000 and 2008, the number of undergraduate students enrolled in distance education rose from  8% to 20% of the total student population.  In all 4.3 million students were enrolled in at least one online course (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).   This number does not include graduate students enrolled in online degree programs.  A national study of all degree granting universities found that as  of the 2006-2007 academic year,  the total number of students enrolled in distance education courses was 12.2 million(Basmat & Lewis, 2009).  As referenced earlier, the proliferation of distance education extends beyond academia to business and government.    Instructor-led classroom training is still the primary delivery method for corporate training, but virtual classrooms and computer-based methods account for roughly  40%  of training in businesses (Training Magazine, 2010).   

George Siemens (2010) attributes the growing acceptance of distance education to several factors:

·         An increase in online communication

·         Practical experience with new tools

·         Growing comfort with online discourse

·         The ability to communicate with diverse and global groups

·         Lack of geographic constraints

Further, Siemens projects that distance education is tending toward a  “triple helix” model of education where government, businesses, and educational institutions interact to provide support and equip students working in online environments (Siemens, 2010).   

There is no doubt that distance education is more widely accepted and pursued now than in the past.  Based on previous patterns – 12% growth in distance education enrollment at the undergraduate level in this decade alone – it’s safe to expect the same kind of growth going forward.   At this rate, one third of all college students would be enrolled in online courses by the year 2016.  I’m not suggesting that distance learning will replace traditional environments, but universities agree that their facilities cannot accommodate growing demand as the number of high school graduates seeking secondary education increases.  Further, there is a need for more continuing education in the adult population (Howell, Williams, & Lindsy, 2003).    As we become more familiar with online communication in our personal and work lives, learning on line will become less austere and more of a given in our pursuits to increase our knowledge base.

Negative perceptions of distance education are largely due to unfamiliarity with the learning format. Those who might consider a distance education program wonder how they will communicate with their peers and with the professors.   How does feedback happen?  Does face-to-face communication ever happen, and how would that be coordinated?  What about testing?  How does the institution know that the student is not cheating?  Rest assured, today’s course management systems provide for robust communication in both asynchronous (threaded) and synchronous (real-time) formats.   Discussions, small group projects, presentations, and reviews from both instructors and classmates are all possible with the appropriate use of technology.  Some of this technology includes discussion board forums, chat rooms, document sharing, mind mapping, wikis, blogs, etc.  Additionally, browser lock down programs and question databases support secured testing environments. 

As practitioners of education, it’s incumbent upon us to remain grounded in proven practice.  Whether online or face-to-face,  people attend to, process, store, and transfer information the same way they always have.   In short, technology cannot drive instructional design simply because it is available.  Equivalency theorists posit  that the use of electronic communication creates a virtual classroom that is similar to the traditional one, and that distance learning outcomes should be equivalent, not identical to its local counterparts (Simonson et al., 2009).   Recognizing the unique features of distance learning environment – separation of instructor, student, and peers in space and time – educators should seek to diminish the negative effects of distance while maintaining integrity in the course design.   For instance, instructional designers should always start with learning objectives.  Assessments and strategies derived from these objectives should be rooted in proven practice. As an example, Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy ( Churches, 2008)is an excellent guide for drafting learning objectives.  Technology supports instructional strategies and should be used to delivered content in a manner that actively engages the student (Simonson et al., 2009; Durrington et al., 2006; Dede, 2005).   Active engagement is especially important because passive learning is not an option in online or other distant learning environments.  In fact, activity is the heart of any good instructional design (Piskurich, n.d.).

 

The distance education initiative is advanced with a commitment to foster greater understanding of methods and means with the general public.  In daily conversation, this means correcting misconceptions as well as proactively sharing the benefits of distance learning.  Best practices evolve with greater experience, so what we consider optimal today may be obsolete tomorrow.  As such, we have an imperative to continuous improvement and ongoing contribution to a broader community of practice.  Hands-on applications in this regard might be as simple as participating in an online forum for distance education professionals.  More formal participation might involve undertaking and publishing research.  Whatever the contribution, we all have a responsibility to practice and proclaim with the goal of improving learning for all students involved in distance education. 

References

Basmat, P. & Lewis, L. (2009)   Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary

Institutions: 2006–07. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009044.pdf

Churches, A. (2008). Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. Retrieved October 7, 2011 from: http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/techtraining/homepage/BloomDigitalTaxonomy2001.pdf

Dede, C. (2005). Planning for neomillennial learning styles. Educause Quarterly, 28(2), 7–12.

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/

Howell, S., Williams, P., & Lindsy, N. (2003). Thirty-two trends affecting distance education: An informed foundation for strategic planning. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 6 (3) Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html

Noble, D. (2002). Digital diploma mills: The automation of higher education. New York, NY: Monthly Review Press

Piskurich, G. (n.d.). Planning and designing online courses. Retrieved October 5, 2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5693697&Survey=1&47=7555398&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Russell (1999). No significant difference phenomenon. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University.

Siemens, G. (2010). The future of distance education. Lecture presented for Laureate Education Inc. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5693697&Survey=1&47=7098459&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Training Magazine (2010).  Training Industry Report.  Retrieved from http://www.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/Training%20Magazine/2010%20Training%20Industry%20Report%20(Nov%2010).pdf2

U.S. Department of Education,National Center for Education Statistics. (2011).The Condition of Education 2011(NCES 2011-033), Indicator 43. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80