Integrating Project Management With Instructional Design: Using Trello To Effectively Manage Your Course Design - Part 2

Workshop Session 2

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

This session invites you to come and learn about project management methods and how they apply to efficient and effective course design. We will investigate the practical side of course design, getting organized, and staying on track through tight timelines and shoestring budgets. We will look specifically at 1) negotiating with administration, 2) avoiding scope creep, 3) managing the design team, 4) creating a project plan, and 5) Using Trello and the Kanban method. 

 

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Heidi Watson-Held, Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus

Heidi Held, D.Ed., is an Instructional Designer here in eLDIG in the Smeal College of Business s at The Pennsylvania State University. She completed her D.Ed. in Administration and Leadership - Higher Education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012. She received her M.Ed. in Adult Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2004. Heidi also teaches part-time for Purdue University. Heidi enjoys designing courses, creating video shorts, and working on assessments. Heidi's research interests include (1) benchmarking needs of adult students obtaining a Bachelor's degree; (2) student civic engagement; and, (3) understanding the use and effect of prior learning assessment. Heidi has worked for the Pennsylvania State University for over 14 years in program design, development, and delivery in a variety of capacities. When Heidi is not working at Smeal, she is painting, taking care of her family, or writing both fiction and non-fiction.

Extended Abstract

Relevance to the Community

Have you ever been asked to create a new course either for face to face delivery or to be delivered totally online?  Did you wonder how you would get this development done in addition to your other responsibilities?  In this session, we will discuss common project management methods and how they apply to course design in any setting. We will investigate the practical side of course design and help you learn methods that will allow for efficient and effective use of your valuable time.

Level of Participation

Participants will be grouped for small group discussion in complementary disciplinary areas. Using these groupings we will use a solution room technique to engage and connect attendees to by providing peer-supported advice on the most pressing project management challenges. An initial case will be used to touch off conversation.  Will also include additional planned audience contribution activities designed to enable all participants to learn from each other, for example, polling, think-pair-share, and Google docs for shared written contribution.

 

Session Goals

 This session will focus on getting organized and staying on track through tight timelines and shoestring budgets. We will look specifically at negotiating with administration for the task. We will look at how to avoiding scope creep while designing.  We will discuss how to manage the design team if there is one or how to keep things on track if it is just you. Most importantly we will discuss methods of creating a project plans for any scale of project. You will come away with real skills to apply back to your work.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) published the first edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) in 1996, the first edition of The Standard for Portfolio Management (also published by PMI) only appeared in 2006. These standards and guidelines are developed through a voluntary consensus standards process (PMI, 2013).

This session will:

  • Review common project management methods and how they apply to course design in any setting, including using Trello and the Kanban method

  • Chose methods to getting organized and stay on track through tight timelines and shoestring budgets

  • Implement project management plans