| Course Title: Fundamentals of Project Management | |
| Overview of Course Idea | An introductory short course focusing on the fundamentals of project management. This will primarily be focusing on the office/corporate space. |
| Learning Gap | The learning gap that this short course idea aims to address is the lack of formal project management skills and processes among office workers who are responsible for managing projects but do not have access to a dedicated Project Management function within their organization. |
| Target Audience | 1. Demographics: Age: Primarily 25-45 years old. This group is typically transitioning into or advancing in middle management roles. Education Level: Likely to have at least a bachelor’s degree in fields such as business, marketing, IT, or a related field. Career Stage: Early to mid-career professionals who have some experience in coordinating tasks but are not formally trained in project management. 2. Professional Background: Roles: Employees in roles such as team leads, coordinators, department managers, marketing specialists, product managers, and operational roles that require overseeing projects but lack formal PM structures. Industry: Could range across industries like tech, marketing, finance, healthcare, education, and any other sector where projects are managed internally but without a specialized PM department. Experience: Typically 3-10 years of professional experience, with a focus on managing smaller teams or departments. They may have been given ad-hoc project responsibilities but without structured training. 3. Prior Knowledge and Skills: Knowledge: Basic understanding of organizational workflows, task management, and team coordination. Some familiarity with tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or basic project tracking platforms (e.g., Trello, Asana), but no formal education in project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, etc.). Skills: General management skills such as communication, time management, and problem-solving, but may struggle with setting timelines, defining scopes, and managing stakeholder expectations. Technical Skills: Competent in digital communication tools, basic project collaboration platforms, and productivity software (email, chat, etc.). |
| Course Type | Based on the course overview and the target audience profile, a Step-by-Step Course is the best fit for this mini-course on “The Fundamentals of Project Management.” Here’s why: Learning Objectives: The goal of the course is to establish a foundational understanding of project management for office workers in environments that lack a dedicated project management function. These learners need a structured, sequential approach to grasp key PM concepts like defining project scope, setting timelines, managing stakeholders, and tracking progress. A step-by-step approach will guide them through these procedures systematically, ensuring clarity and confidence. Audience: The target learners are mostly early to mid-career professionals who likely have limited formal training in project management. They will benefit from a process-based structure that takes them through each aspect of project management in a logical, digestible manner. This helps them apply the concepts immediately to their work environments. Outcome Focus: A step-by-step course ensures learners leave with a clear process they can replicate in their day-to-day work, making the course highly practical and aligned with the learners’ need for actionable skills. |
| Course Modality | An Asynchronous Online modality is the best fit for delivering this step-by-step project management course. Here’s the reasoning: Learner Preferences: The audience consists of busy professionals juggling multiple responsibilities. They need flexibility to learn at their own pace without the constraints of a live schedule. Asynchronous courses allow learners to engage with the material on their own time. Resource Availability: This modality requires minimal real-time facilitation, so resources like an online learning platform and pre-recorded materials (videos, readings, templates) can be prepared in advance. This format also works well with common project management tools that learners can explore independently. Interaction Levels: While asynchronous, the course can include opportunities for interaction through discussion forums, quizzes, and peer feedback on case studies or project scenarios. These elements offer a collaborative feel without the pressure of real-time participation. Accessibility and Inclusivity: An asynchronous online course ensures accessibility for learners across different time zones and with varying schedules. As long as the course content is designed with accessibility in mind (e.g., closed captions, alt text for images), it can accommodate learners with diverse needs. Technical Requirements: Given that the target audience is already somewhat familiar with basic digital tools, the technical requirements for accessing an asynchronous online course (e.g., internet, video playback capabilities) are likely to be manageable for most participants. |
| Course Learning Outcomes | CLO 1: Define the key phases of a project lifecycle (Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing) and explain the significance of each phase in ensuring successful project outcomes. CLO 2: Develop a clear project scope and set measurable goals by applying techniques like SMART criteria, ensuring alignment with stakeholder expectations. CLO3: Create a project timeline using basic scheduling tools and techniques (e.g., Gantt charts or task lists), ensuring tasks are appropriately prioritized and resources allocated. CLO 4: Identify and engage key stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle by developing a communication plan that promotes transparency and maintains stakeholder involvement. CLO5: Monitor and track project progress using simple project management tools and methods, ensuring that milestones are met, risks are mitigated, and adjustments are made as necessary. CLO6: Apply foundational project management principles to a real-world scenario by developing a project plan that demonstrates the integration of scope, timeline, stakeholder communication, and risk management techniques. |
| Learning Objectives | LO: Describe the purpose and activities within each phase of the project lifecycle, including how each contributes to project success. Scaffolds to: CLO 1 LO: Apply the SMART criteria to create a detailed project scope that meets stakeholder expectations, ensuring alignment with project goals. Scaffolds to: CLO 2 LO: Develop a project schedule using Gantt charts or task lists to prioritize tasks and allocate resources, ensuring effective project execution. Scaffolds to: CLO 3 LO: Design a stakeholder communication plan that outlines methods and frequencies of engagement to ensure transparency and maintain stakeholder involvement throughout the project. Scaffolds to: CLO 4 LO: Assess project risks and propose mitigation strategies to ensure milestones are met and project goals are not compromised. Scaffolds to: CLO 5 LO: Track and report on project progress using tools like status reports and dashboards, making necessary adjustments to maintain alignment with the project plan. Scaffolds to: CLO 5 LO: Integrate scope, timeline, communication, and risk management into a comprehensive project plan, applying foundational project management principles to a case study. Scaffolds to: CLO 6 |
| Learning Activities & Assessment Strategies | Learning Activities: Case Study Exploration (Constructivist): Learners are provided with real-world project case studies. They work independently to identify each phase of the project lifecycle, reflecting on how each phase contributed to the overall success. Collaborative Learning Discussion (Andragogy): Learners engage in asynchronous discussion forums where they share insights from their personal or professional experiences regarding the project lifecycle. They compare how the phases are handled in different contexts. Assessment Strategies: Written Reflection: Learners submit a reflective analysis based on the case study, explaining each phase and its contribution to success. Assessment focuses on depth of understanding and connection to real-world examples. Peer Reviews: In the discussion forum, learners provide constructive feedback on each other’s contributions, assessing the accuracy and completeness of their explanations. LO: Describe the purpose and activities within each phase of the project lifecycle, including how each contributes to project success. Scaffolds to: CLO 1 Learning Activities: Interactive Workshop (Andragogy): Learners engage in a virtual workshop where they apply the SMART criteria to a given project scenario. They collaborate to define the project scope, ensuring measurable and achievable goals. Self-Paced Learning Module (Constructivist): Learners complete a module where they interact with various project scope examples, applying the SMART criteria to practice scenarios. Assessment Strategies: Group Project Submission: Learners submit their group project scope developed in the workshop. Assessment focuses on the correct application of SMART criteria and alignment with stakeholder needs. Self-Assessment: Learners complete a quiz where they evaluate project scopes based on the SMART criteria, reflecting on their decision-making process. LO: Apply the SMART criteria to create a detailed project scope that meets stakeholder expectations, ensuring alignment with project goals. Scaffolds to: CLO 2 Learning Activities: Hands-On Tool Practice (Constructivist): Learners use an online project management tool (e.g., Trello, MS Project) to create a Gantt chart based on a provided project scenario. They experiment with prioritizing tasks and allocating resources. Group Problem-Solving Session (Andragogy): In small groups, learners are presented with a complex project case where they must collaboratively develop a detailed task list and timeline, considering task dependencies and resource allocation. Assessment Strategies: Gantt Chart Submission: Learners submit their Gantt chart or task list. Assessment is based on task prioritization, correct use of dependencies, and resource allocation. Group Peer Feedback: Each group evaluates another group’s project schedule, focusing on task prioritization and resource use, offering suggestions for improvement. LO: Develop a project schedule using Gantt charts or task lists to prioritize tasks and allocate resources, ensuring effective project execution. Scaffolds to: CLO 3 Learning Activities: Role-Playing Simulation (Andragogy): Learners participate in a role-playing simulation where they act as project managers, designing and presenting a communication plan to stakeholders. This activity promotes practical application and peer collaboration. Online Stakeholder Map Development (Constructivist): Learners create an online stakeholder map using collaborative tools (e.g., Miro or Google Docs), where they outline the stakeholders’ roles and how they will engage them throughout the project. Assessment Strategies: Simulation Feedback: Learners are assessed based on their communication plan presentation and the rationale behind their stakeholder engagement strategy. Peer feedback is also incorporated. Stakeholder Plan Submission: Learners submit their communication plan, assessed for clarity, stakeholder alignment, and frequency of communication. LO: Design a stakeholder communication plan that outlines methods and frequencies of engagement to ensure transparency and maintain stakeholder involvement throughout the project. Scaffolds to: CLO 4 |
| SME & Resources | SME: Grant Mears Resources: PMI’s PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge): The PMBOK guide offers detailed frameworks and methodologies for project management, including the project lifecycle, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and communication strategies. It is a widely recognized standard and can provide authoritative content. Articles from ProjectManagement.com: The website is a rich resource for articles, tips, and case studies related to various aspects of project management, from risk management to stakeholder communication. PMI Case Studies Library: PMI offers a range of real-world case studies that cover a variety of industries. You could integrate these into the course for learners to analyze. |
| Instructional Design Model | The instructional design module that will be used is the ADDIE model. Why ADDIE is Best for this Mini-Course: Structured Process: ADDIE provides a clear, step-by-step framework that aligns well with the step-by-step course type of this mini-course. Flexibility: ADDIE allows for iterative improvements during both the development and evaluation phases, which is ideal for creating an asynchronous course where learner feedback can drive continuous enhancements. Comprehensive Evaluation: Given the need to measure the effectiveness of each CLO, ADDIE’s dual evaluation process (formative and summative) ensures that the course is meeting its goals and allows for continuous quality improvement. |
| Learning Theory | Constructivism: Constructivism emphasizes active engagement with content, and this course design reflects that by requiring students to draft stakeholder communications, create project plans, and develop risk management strategies. These activities encourage learners to actively apply what they’ve learned, enhancing retention and understanding. The course’s assessments are directly tied to practical tasks that a project manager would need to perform. By drafting real stakeholder communications and project plans, learners can see the immediate relevance of their studies to their work environment, which is a core principle of constructivism. This area overlaps with Andragogy in that respect. Andragogy: Adult learning theory focuses on problem-solving rather than content delivery. The course’s structure, with practical assessments such as drafting stakeholder communications and creating project plans, aligns well with this approach. Learners tackle real-world problems, which enhances the practical applicability of their new skills. The course design incorporates quizzes and formative assessments that require learners to apply their knowledge. This method helps learners integrate new information with their existing knowledge base, enhancing retention and understanding. |