Instructional Design (ID)using

Project Management (PM)

Presented by:

The Community College of Denver

Metro State College of DenverJeffrey Forrest, Ph.D.

Presentation ObjectivesYour role & responsibilities as a teacher using

Project Manager (PM)Elements for developing successful instructional

materials using PMManage your classroom activity/project for:

performanceperformance, costcost, timetime & socialsocial parameters

As a teacher-project manager, you apply industry driven processes for planning to develop lessons in the classroom

Introduction

This short course is a primer for introducing basic concepts related to PM, that teachers

may use to enhance the development of their class for educational materials.

The PM principles presented are “borrowed” from the same processes used in aerospace

engineering & science to developspace missions!

Project - DefinitionHow is your “lesson plan” a Project?

First, it is usually highly defined and offers specific information or activity

Second, when planning your class lessons or activity, you must always consider … costcost – what rate over what time, and cash flow needed?scheduleschedule – the major milestones: concept, start, phases, ending?performanceperformance – what specific benefits should your students receive

from the effort?socialsocial - socioeconomic considerations (ethics, culture, legal,

access, diversity, etc.)?

ID Project ManagementWhat are the top-level strategies for first

applying PM to Instructional Design (ID)? First, and regardless of the goal, PM addresses

the development of an instructional system that is designed to meet the needs of a specific educational program or project an educational program is ongoing (iterative), such as

a high school program an educational project is linear, such as a laboratory

class experiment

Project Management (PM) Phases Conceptualization – what are my visions, goals, and objectives Selling & marketing – do I need time and resources to “sell” my project to

management or students? Planning – what are all the major steps I will need to accomplish, and how are

they related? Organization – what resources do I need? When? How much money will these

resources cost? Staffing – What human resources do I need? Other teachers? Student assistants?

How do I schedule these individuals? Directing – How do I direct and manage human resources?

Producing – Do I have a solid plan along with all the resources I need to produce my ID project or program?

Controlling – I do I establish a system for controlling my resources and stakeholders to the project or program?

Evaluation – Do I have an evaluation plan? Is it established prior to beginning the project or program?

ID & PM Key Elements Conceptualization

Should I consult experts?Have I identified and considered all of the stakeholders to

my ID project?Do I coordinate stakeholders with outside or inside facilitators?

Selling & MarketingDo you have approval or support from top authority – this

is very important, and should be communicated to all stakeholders

Will I have to change user attitudes? Invent new institutional systems? Develop shared ownership? Involve facilitator help?

ID & PM Key ElementsPlanning

Before starting ID production create a master plan !!Support the master plan with strategies and tactics for

unexpected changes in time, cost, schedule for each task or resource relationship in your master plan

Write a sub-plan for addressing socioeconomic variablesOrganizing & Staffing

Next, organize your design team, clients (sponsor, management), user (students), and any non-users involved.Often, you ARE “the design team” and your client is the student!

Then, staff your ID project …

ID & PM Key Elements Start Planning to Produce ID material

Develop a needs & values assessment This becomes your “reference philosophy” for the project!

Determine “image” for the ID material - what kind of learning experience? Now, pause, and consider feasibility … are you starting a project too large or

demanding resources or skills beyond what can be obtained? Then, and this is the hard part, determine how all the learning elements &

resources in your project will be integrated – we call this instructional systems development (ISD)

Documentation – very important! Create a “paper trail” of everything you do in the project: especially all communication among stakeholders.

Then from your master plan, begin Controlling, Directing, Evaluationorganization + project + users + client + others

ID PM and You as a TeacherUsually, a teacher has formal training in IDUsually, a teacher directly develops the ID materialUsually a teacher is more an educational specialist

than a project manager

So, for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of your teaching, you must practice and reflect on the “management thinking” presented in this tutorial!

“Short-cut” to PM!

The next series of slides present basic processes of PM that are used in the aerospace industry,

and can easily be applied in the ID of classroom material.

Make note (print) the next slide, and use it as a reminder. (The explanations follow.)

My ID Project Phases to Remember!

need orconcept

SRR PDR DDR FDR

productionuserevaluation

next need or concept, project

My Need and Concept

This can be the hardest part!What is the specific problem my ID project is

addressing?What is my concept to address that problem?

What are my visions, goals, and objectives for my project?What strategies, tactics, and resources will I require to

complete the project?

My Systems Requirement Review (SRR) ID Systems Requirement Review (SRR) –

this is where I plan for ….Scheduling, Costing, & Performance estimates

Management tasks:information & decision support to ID team or

just to You!

My Preliminary Design Review (PDR)

Preliminary Design Review (PDR)Do I have approval of a draft of my concept and

plan?From your boss, peers, or sponsor?

Sometimes, this is just seeking approval of experts!

My Detailed Design Review (DDR)

Detailed Design Review (DDR)Did I conduct a test and gain approval of a working

model of my concept?This may be presenting a test-case to students or experts for

feedback or evaluation.Did your ID model work in terms of meeting the goals

and objectives from your master plan?

My Final Design Review (FDR)

Final Design Review (FDR)This is when You or your Management

approve the total sum of your ID project!Next …. You go into,

production, inventory, distribution, evaluation of your ID project, or … in “teacher terms” …

Produce course material for delivery, plan for enough material, and evaluate the class outcomes

My ID Project Phases to Remember!

need orconcept

SRR PDR DDR FDR

productionuserevaluation

next need or concept, project

Again … here are the key steps we just covered!

ID PM - #1 problem

ID M A N A G E R

As a teacher ID PM, you are in a complex environment requiring communication & collaboration – this environment can have many barriers to PM!

Students

Parents

Other teachers

ResourcesManagers

ID PM - Key Questions & “Traps” What type of “need” do we really havereally have?

Have you really defined (concise and clearly) the problem your project is addressing?

Is what we think that we need a demand which is “nice” to know, or is there a real “need” to know Depending on which … you may need to change the priorities of your

project planning.

Is what we think that we need real, or do we “just want to hear it” We are “in love” with our own ideas – this is one of the greatest

factors causing projects to fail.Make sure to seek expert review at each phase of your project!

ID PM ApproachesAs an ID PM teacher, you usually combine the

following epistemologies in your teaching Artistic

Seeking student experiences, expressions, values, opinions, etc.?

Empirical(artistic?) + demanding students to provide data, take tests, and

evaluate (often your task)

Analyticalvalidation for model development – WAS YOUR ID

EFFECITVE?This is the most overlooked consideration!

What is MY ID PM “Temperament?”

Do I prefer being, An Instructional Scientist?

develops instructional principles

An Instructional Technologist develops instructional

procedures

An Instructional Technician develops instructional product

platforms

Consider Your Traits – they can bias or help your ID PM

planning!

Blend all of these principles into your ID project – do not focus on a single area!

ID PM -- Science vs. TechnologyAn ID PM is often a Manager of Technology

ID technology - concerned with developing & using instructional technologyHow will that blend into your project?

ID science – concerned with developing, applying, and evaluating aspects of ID PM

As a teacher, you often blend all concerns above … do not fixate your project plan on one

aspect!

Instructional Systems Design vs. PMInstructional Systems Development (ISD) vs.

ID PM Keep in mind that creating the system of

strategies & tactics for your ID can be very iterative

But, as a PM, you must remember that any ID project is linear – it has a “life-cycle”This can create conflict and requires planning when

working on your ID

ID Manager & ISD vs. MediaAs an example, consider the development of

media used in your classroom:ISD teachers sometimes view media as a

changing and iterative facet to ISD“we enjoy the act of conducting routine improvement

processes!”However, ID PM teachers must view media

development as a non-changing resource, at some point in the projectOr, you will miss deadlines!

Basic Learning Theories

Managing the Integration of learning theories into the ID PM concept.

ID PM Learning Theories ChecklistA good ID PM teachers considers “quality” in

each step or phase of a project, consider:what should be taught & how?what kind of behavior change is desired?how will users relate the purpose of the learning

to the experience?how many “facets” will the users apply?

senses, attitudes, etc.

ID PM Learning Theories ChecklistQuality (con’t):

are the users ready to learn it?how will they get enough exercise/experience to

remember it?what kind of environment will provide the best

experience?what are the quality checks to insure that what is

taught is correct & appropriate?

ID PM Learning Theories ChecklistQuality (con’t):

how will you match user perceptions to each element introduced?

what level of learning is required?rote, understanding, application, correlation

what system will enhance retention & positive transfer?

ID PM Learning Theories ChecklistQuality (con’t):

How will you present the material for each element?

How will the communication process be tested?How will the user apply what has been taught?How will the user be examined?

ID PM Learning Theories & Schedule

Consider the impact of learning theories when designing and managing your project schedule: task, cost, resource, & time managementmanage time & cost to build for performanceTime to document for communication

document to protect yourself as a PM

Use a software package such as Microsoft Project (Web link) or Scitor Project Scheduler (among others)

ID PM Resource Management

Resource Determination & Scheduling

ID PM Resource ManagementYou, as a teacher using PM to create

educational material:“I want to create a videotape that I can use to teach a

class in biology... what should I have in it?... how long should it be?... when do I need it?... how much

will it cost?... how can I “sell” this to my management?”

You, after reflecting on these questions:

“Good Grief ... What do I do first?”

ID PM Resource ManagementRespond by asking:

why video?what specific benefits will your tape provide to

your students?what are the demographics and learning

characteristics of your students?how what are your goals and learning objectives

for your students?

ID PM Resource ManagementResource determination for your videotape

Ask yourself, consider, and determine:amount of materials to produceeach task needed to produce materialsschedule each task to produce materialsrelationships of task & resources

what needs to be finished to start the next task(s), or what tasks can start at the same time, etc.

schedule required financial resources needed for each task

ID PM Resource ManagementWhere do I get information to plan my

project, schedule, and costs?Use rules of thumb for estimating timetime & costs costs

for each task in your projectfor each task in your projectindustry sourcesschool specificyour own estimateopinionshistorical samples

ID PM Resource Management Here are some example “rules of thumb” from “Expert

derived” examples: (in commercial industry)

screenplay: 1pg. per finished minute corporate video: $1K - $2K per running minute edit: 1hr. per minute video crew: @ $1200 per day corporate scripts: $100 - $200 per minute

These types of examples, available for almost any project, must be used to schedule your resources and determine costs Hint: usually a simple search on the Web will reveal similar estimates

for almost any type of ID PM

ID PM Project Time Management

ID PM Project Time ManagementEstimating timetime

It is difficult to determine the amount of YOUR management time it will require to complete each phase of the ID Project.

ID PM Project Time Management Consider times needed for these top-level steps in creating

your ID (videotape example) Demand/Need/Marketing Analysis Project Scope Organize the Project Gather Information Develop Blueprint Create Draft Material Test Produce Master Materials Reproduce Distribute Evaluate

ID PM Project Time ManagementHow about adding resources to cut time?

be careful when and how you add other IDs, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), art directors, etc.

they are “artist” …. And can add time if you are not careful in setting deadlinesRequires strong communication skills

relationships - ego & knowledgeIn creative settings within ID PM … these can be the

biggest roadblocks to completing your project!

ID PM Project Time ManagementTime reduction strategies -- consider:

overlap tasksmodify working calendar/overtime (resources)reduce # of tasks or combinedecrease duration of tasksOr, change ID project concept

Be careful not to do this too late, or “in a rush”

ID PM Project Time ManagementWant to get real sophisticated in your ID

time management? Then look into …..Critical path methodology (CPM) (Web link)

shorten critical path by deleting or combining tasks on critical path

Program Evaluation & Review (PERT) (Web link)

similar to CPM, used less because each project is so different it is difficult to define statistics

ID Project Time ManagementFinal advice on time management ….

Use two schedulesone for distributionone for your planning showing slack time, lead times

etc.you probably do not want you boss to see this schedule ..

ID Cost Management

ID PM Cost ManagementHere are some basic strategies for controlling

costs in your ID project:change designchange production values

(“trade decisions” on what benefit you get from special features or benefits that add costs)

change resourcesother creative ways?

ID Cost Management Use software to schedule tasks and costs and to be used as an approval

form. Here is an example aviation video training tape ID project:

ID Task Name Fixed Cost Total Cost Baseline Variance Actual

1 AVIATION TRAINNING TAPE $0.00 $11,115.68 $0.00 $11,115.68 $0.00

2 ID Demand / Needs Analysis $0.00 $3,295.68 $0.00 $3,295.68 $0.00

3 client meeting "Denver" $0.00 $400.00 $0.00 $400.00 $0.00

4 client meeting "Atlanta" $0.00 $1,855.68 $0.00 $1,855.68 $0.00

5 conference & documentation $0.00 $1,040.00 $0.00 $1,040.00 $0.00

6

7 Systems Requirement Review $0.00 $720.00 $0.00 $720.00 $0.00

8 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

9 ID Proposal Planning $0.00 $6,060.00 $0.00 $6,060.00 $0.00

10 determine resources & scope $0.00 $720.00 $0.00 $720.00 $0.00

11 determine schedule & cost $0.00 $3,100.00 $0.00 $3,100.00 $0.00 ct Mgr..

9 16April

ID PM Organization

Structuring Tasks, Resources,

& Time

My ID Project Phases

need orconcept

SRR PDR DDR FDR

productionuserevaluation

next need or concept, project

Remember these steps? Let’s look at some issues in the following slides related to each phase.

ID PM Organization - PDROrganize for PDR

time sensitive since SRRhow have things changed?

New objectives, new policy, new costs?

How has the environment changed for creating your ID?

ID Organization - PDROrganize for PDR:

bring to approval meeting (remember that software for building a plan we talked about?):

cost, schedule, resource information & story boards or other supporting information - experts

get approval for:preliminary design, cost, time & resources allocated

ID PM Organization - TeamThe team members:

Sponsor – could be your supervisorSME’s – subject matter experts (that’s usually you) ID’s – instructional designers (that’s usually you, but you

may include other teachers)Production – who or what organization will produce your

videotape or other IDTrainers – are others going to use your ID? If so, invite a

few users to serve on your teamWe also recommend you include a few students as “clients”

Project Manager – that's you!

ID PM Organization - Team Warnings about team members:

Sponsor or boss “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil”

SMEOverkill – let’s keep adding information

Designer remove critical elements, because of the design constraints or “image”

desired Trainer

Other teachers provide “infinite advice” Production

Usually want high production values … all the time! Project manager

MUST balance the strengths and weaknesses of the team!

ID PM Organization - DocumentsRemember to Document:

proposals, contracts, specs, schedules, financial, status reports, approval forms, conversations, letters, memos, diary

ID PM Organization - MeetingsHold a “Kick-off” meeting with your ID

Teamdistribute itinerary well before meetingstructured as possibleyou will have one or two formal meetings &

many informaluse for clarification of roles, responsibilities,

specifications

ID PM Information Search

The research proposal.

ID PM Information SearchFinding Needed Information for your ID projectSeek managers or donor viewpoint:

info about, users, learning objectives, platformswhat info is missing vs. time & resources

available to find ituse marketing research if available

ID PM Information SearchGathering information:

observations, interviews, documentationexamples:

users, focus groups - interview & sampletasks, review documentation

As a teacher, you should know how to conduct a literature scan

product, market analysis - compare existing video tapes

ID PM Information SearchConsidering the impact of “interventions” on

your ID PM due to new informationone of the most difficult task of ID manager

what info is coming in?is it relating to what you need?is it causing unneeded secondary issuesdo you know where to stop

Beginning the ID Project

Managing the design plan.

ID PM PlansTypes of plans – these should be considered

in your concept planning:Curriculum

ongoing plan

Syllabusyour project

Lesson plantask element

learning objectives, lesson content, completion standards

ID PM Plan - SyllabusManagement concerns

does the project integrate with the curriculum?what are the performance objectives for each

syllabus phase?what are the teaching strategies for each phase?what is the content of each phase?what is the time schedule for each phase?what resources are the resources needed?

ID PM Plans - Lesson Lesson plans should consider:

Lesson objectiveelements of knowledgescheduleequipment instruction actionsuser actionscompletion standards

ID PM Plans - ManagementYOUR top management tasks:

keep ID staff within cost, performance & schedule

Quality assurance supervisionObtain regular feedback from SME’s & ID’s

Sponsor/boss approval

ID Testing, Production, Distribution & Evaluation

ID TestingTest draft:

Test components or drafts of your ID for risk reduction

how?use statistics, qualificationsget a good sample of populationtest in actual environment if possibleuse full scale draft or model

ID PM TestingPhases & methods:

Concept: analyzePDR: test componentsDDR: test the model/draftFDR: on site test (in class)Life cycle: continuous evaluation (curriculum)

ID PM ProductionThis is the creation of the master copy of you

ID materialInstructional integrity vs. production values

Sending your ID materials out for production can be a “risky stage” – even if in-house!DelaysCost overrunsFlawsNot packaged or formatted correctlyAnd others!

ID PM ProductionDuring production, here are YOUR PM tasks:

brief producers in writing & verbal – seek feedback

coordinate production schedulerequire samples of master materialgo on site if possibleobtain sponsor approval

ID PM ProductionDuring production, here are YOUR PM tasks

(con’t):raw materials: inspect, inventoryassembly: inspect, test, inventorymodifications: inspect, test, inventoryfinished product: inspect, test, reproducereproductions: inspect, random testend user: packaging, shipping

ID PM Reproduction & DistributionMaster copy reproduction & distribution –

some considerations for you as the PMconsult with reproduction firmschedulereview samplesstorage & distributionsponsor approval for distribution

ID TestingTest your ID materials for:

environmental compatibilityreliabilitymaintainabilitysupportabilitypersonnel software compatibilitymeeting objectives as related to end user!

ID Evaluation & TestGet an outside evaluation consultant

try to hire that consultant yourself!get sponsor approval for evaluation strategywatch out for analysis traps

evaluate what needs to be evaluatedvery sensitive area, relationship problems

ID PM Design Reviews ChecklistConducted from both

organizational & worker perspective

why this program? identify source of

problemdetermine possible

solutions

communicate results performance problem?

training or educational

environment problem?procedural or

educational

ID Design Review ChecklistEducational?

then compare what is known to what should be known

Training? then compare actual

performance to what the performance should be

Statement of the Problem:

“Determine what we need to teach for increased learning.”

or“Determine the specific areas of each individual student’s technique or knowledge-base that needs improvement.”

ID Design Review ChecklistReport analysis:

features and benefits instruction not needed results, proposed

solutions, rationale, trade - off studies

Determine standards & conditions

Write performance statementprocedural transfer

TestSelect, order contentDevelop lessonsDetermine platform

ID PM Management SummarySummary:

understand the role & responsibilities of the ID Project Manager

integrate basic learning theories into IDidentify the task elements for successful ID

managementconstruct an ID project for:

performance, cost, time, & social parameters

understand ID basic and subcontractor relationships

Instructional Design (ID)using

Project Management (PM)

Presented by:

The Community College of Denver

Metro State College of Denver

Thank you!