CONFIDENTIALITY STATUS
Unrestricted Access Confidential Restricted Access
Framework for online, flexible and blended learning in Science and Engineering
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Version: / v.5Date: / 15/04/2010
Document History
Date / Version / Section / Author / Comments08/03/2010 / 0.4 / MFW / For discussion and comment by T&L Committee
15/04/2010 / 0.5 / MFW / For approval by T&L Committee
Authorisation
Authority / Name / Signature / DateAuthor / Mike Williams
Project Manager / Mike Williams
Director (or Equivalent) / Prof Shelley Yeo
Project Sponsor / Prof Robyn Quin, DVC Education
Document Management
An electronic copy of this document has been filed on the S&E T&L website
Related Documents
Reference / TitleThis document should be completed for complex projects (i.e. projects that exceed $50,000 or 500 person hours, or where there exists significant risk to the University’s business).
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 5
1.1 About this Document 5
1.2 Background 5
1.3 Project Sponsor 5
1.4 Project Manager 5
1.5 Key Stakeholders 5
2 Project Scope 6
2.1 Strategic Link 6
2.2 Project Benefits 6
2.3 Project Deliverables 6
2.4 Project Methodology 7
2.4.1 Project Approach (to be revised after Phase 1 of Project) 8
2.4.2 Initial milestones and timeline (currently being expanded) 8
2.4.3 February 2010 Audit 9
2.5 March 2010 Survey of staff on their use of Blackboard 10
2.6 Out of Scope 10
2.7 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 10
2.8 Constraints 10
2.9 Assumptions 10
3 Project Time Schedule 10
3.1 Schedule 10
4 Project Costs 10
4.1 Budget summary 10
5 Quality Management 11
5.1 Quality Management Process 11
6 Project Accountabilities 11
6.1 Project Organisational Chart 11
6.2 Responsibility Assignment Matrix 11
6.3 Project Sponsor 11
6.4 Project Manager 11
6.5 Project Team Members 12
6.6 Quality Verifiers 13
7 Communications Plan 13
7.1 Plan 13
8 Risk Management Plan 13
8.1 Risk Assessment 13
9 Project Control 13
9.1 Progress Reporting 13
9.2 Change Management 13
10 APPENDIX A PAGE1 – Task, Schedule & Gantt Chart 14
11 APPENDIX A PAGE 2 – Task, Schedule & Gantt Chart 15
12 APPENDIX B – Project Organisational Chart 16
13 APPENDIX C – DRAFT Quality Management Plan for Phase 1 only 17
14 APPENDIX E – Responsibility Assignment Matrix 18
15 APPENDIX F – Communication Plan 19
16 APPENDIX G – Risk Management Plan 21
16.1 Legend for the Risk Management Plan 25
17 APPENDIX G – Responses from Survey on the use of Blackboard 26
1 Introduction
1.1 About this Document
This document provides a plan for the management of the Framework for online, flexible and blended learning in Science and Engineering project.
1.2 Background
This project was a consequence of the following problem or opportunity:
The Faculty of Science and Engineering is embarking on a project that will define a strategy and focus for blended learning for 2010 through 2011. The aim is to ensure consistent, quality online learning spaces accessible to local, national and international students.
This will be achieved by developing every unit in Science and Engineering to meet a defined minimum standard within an agreed framework for blended online learning while, at the same time, enabling innovators to extend students’ learning opportunities.
The Faculty is responding to a number of imperatives that will have an impact upon the delivery of its learning programs:
· most undergraduate courses in the Faculty have undergone comprehensive C2010 course review and revised curriculum will be in place by 2010;
· the Faculty is implementing a range of strategies to reduce student attrition, particularly the first-year student cohort;
· the Faculty is developing its web presence with a view to developing a strong brand market identity, and this needs to be reflected in the Faculty’s learning materials;
· a risk mitigation strategy (AUQA recommendation) will require all units to have an online presence;
· some areas within the Faculty already make strong use of web-enabled learning opportunities and these need to be delivered within the same framework.
These imperatives provide an appropriate incentive for the Faculty to review more closely its blended learning strategy and make adjustments to ensure its long-term effectiveness and sustainability.
.
1.3 Project Sponsor
The Project Sponsor for this project is Prof Robyn Quin, DVC Education
1.4 Project Manager
The Project Manager for this project is Michael Williams (MSc. Project Management, Curtin)
1.5 Key Stakeholders
The key stakeholders of this project include:
· Faculty of Science and Engineering Teaching and Learning Committee, through its online learning development sub-committee.
· Flexible Learning sub-committee
· Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Online Learning Developer
· Blackboard Advisor
· School of Regional, Remote and eLearning
· Faculty of Science and Engineering Academics
2 Project Scope
2.1 Strategic Link
This project specifically contributes towards to the following strategic objective(s):
The purpose of this Project aligns with the Flexible Learning Policy:
The University is committed to providing a student-centred learning environment that is acknowledged for high-quality teaching that enhances their overall learning experience.
The University encourages Teaching Areas to provide Flexible Learning opportunities and develop learner-centred delivery methodologies that will meet the needs of a diverse student population who may be restricted by situation, location, learning style, background, prior experience and/or culture.
This major project is aligned with Objective 5 of the Flexible Learning Operational Plan
· New communication technologies enrich learning and provide students with access to a wide range of contemporary learning resources and opportunities
2.2 Project Benefits
The expected benefits and impacts of the project deliverables are:
· A transition strategy and activity timeline that will ensure that all online units are at a minimum standard in a managed and quality assured process.
· An assessment of the current and future needs for accommodating innovative online solutions to complement/replace traditional physical teaching spaces e.g. laboratories.
· A more general professional development strategy that will include:
o Collaborative development of learning opportunities for students which encourage them to explore, experiment and reflect;
o Defining minimum benchmarks for all online units to provide rich learning experiences;
· Assisting staff with appropriate access to professional development in design, development, delivery and facilitation of flexible curricula.
· A consistent brand and image that will be used on all the Faculty’s learning materials and resources (specifically, a standard template that will be embedded when a unit is created in Blackboard).
2.3 Project Deliverables
The project’s key deliverables are:
· All units will have a minimum LMS presence (to level 1 or higher) by end of semester 2 2011
· Units will have the capacity to be delivered online, wherever and whenever possible, in ways that foster and support different web-enabled learning opportunities (inc. different LMS if required).
· Staff within the Faculty will have supportive networks and enhanced abilities to develop their own learning materials.
· Performance outcomes for the Project will be measured using a case study approach i.e. before/after scenarios, staff and student satisfaction, unit efficiency measures (e.g. student/staff ratios), retention, course satisfaction, and improvements in learning outcomes (e.g. through eVALUate, CASS and other measures).
· A consistent brand and image (as much as practical) for the Faculty LMS units established and available as a LMS template.
· All appropriate learning materials across the Faculty will be readily accessible to students in an online learning environment with a style, brand and method of engagement that is consistent across the Faculty.
2.4 Project Methodology
Currently the Faculty has few fully online units – some in Chemical Engineering and a few in post graduate programs. There are some units delivered in two modes, both face-to-face and online; the extent to which the online presence is any more than content delivery is unknown. Many units have little or no online presence.
The faculty has developed a three-level* approach to categorising online units and has planned targets for the next two years (*this has since been expanded to five levels to capture units that have little or no online presence).
Level / Descriptor0 / Unit not on Blackboard
0+ / Unit on Blackboard, but contains either very little, irrelevant or no data
1 / Unit on Blackboard and uses any of: Link to Unit Outline; Lecture notes; Discussion Boards; passive iLectures (as appropriate for the particular unit)
2 / Meets Level 1 and uses additional Blackboard tools (eg Drop Boxes, Electronic Marking, Calendar, Group Pages, External Links)
3 / Meets Level 1 and facilitates metacognitive, collaborative and problem based learning strategies that enhance, extend or replace face-to-face experiences.
Level 1 is considered a minimal standard for all units in the Faculty. At this level many of the administrative tasks can be streamlined. Level 2 improves the communications between students, tutors and lecturers. This can be achieved by using discussion groups for specific topics within a unit; setting up group pages for collaborative work; emailing groups within the unit; and/or adding FAQs. Level 3 focuses on pedagogy rather than technology; the online facilities function as mindtools in addition to productivity tools, as defined by Jonassen (1996). The focus is on developing pedagogy; attainment of Level 3 does not require Level 2:
2.4.1 Project Approach (to be revised after Phase 1 of Project)
· Present the current “state of play” to Schools/Departments
· Discuss, in general terms, what is required to move to Level 1 and 2.
· Point out benefits of moving to Levels 1/2 (consistent online appearance of units across the faculty; quick links to various materials in one convenient location; assignment tracking; improved communications between student:student and teacher:student)
· Outline help available to academic staff (group training via LMS Support; 1:1 training via the Online Educational Developer; 24/7 online help manual)
· Outline development of a “common unit” that will contain links to information relevant to all students (plagiarism, assessment etc.)
· Gain commitment from Heads of Schools and Heads of Departments to working with this project to ensure cooperation from their academic staff.
· Getting commitment will require convincing academic staff that there is real benefit for them (and their students) in improving their delivery of course materials via flexible and blended methods. This will be vital to the whole project when considered against comments and responses received from the survey on Blackboard use 9Refer to Appendix 17). Overall there was a very negative feeling towards Blackboard as the official LMS.
· Discuss moving to Level 3 – more about changing pedagogy than using more “bells & whistles”. Use examples (e.g. Pier Cam used by Glenn Whisson to capture/analyse real-time data from Exmouth jetty), Potential tasks (activity-reflection portfolio linked to the iPortfolio). Emphasis that this will most probably be developed on a 1:1 basis – what works well for 1 unit may have little use in others, and planning would be at least 1 semester in advance. Ask those interested to approach the Online Educational Developer individually. Identify those academics/ units that have been recongised as being ready to move to Level 3.
· Relate the Levels to Jonassen’s concepts of productivity tools and mindtools. Levels 1 & 2 = productivity tools (“doing things better”). Level 3 = mindtools (“doing better things”)
2.4.2 Initial milestones and timeline (currently being expanded)
By the end of 2011:
· 1000 units will be at Level 1 or higher
· 500 units will use at least four Level 2 components
· 1 unit per course will be at Level 3 (approx 100 units)
2.4.3 February 2010 Audit
The current breakdown of units at different Levels is shown in the next 3 tables. Note that there is a lag phase between changing the ownership of units, and this change being updated in Student 1. These tables reflect the position at 11th February 2010 and will be updated periodically.
Units at each levelFaculty / 0 / (%) / 0+ / (%) / 1 / (%) / 2 / (%) / 3 / (%)
Science & Engineering / 1022 / (61) / 35 / (2) / 604 / (36) / 16 / (1) / 0 / (0)
Units at each level
School / 0 / (%) / 0+ / (%) / 1 / (%) / 2 / (%) / 3 / (%)
Chemical & Petroleum Engineering / 146 / (73) / 8 / (4) / 45 / (23) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Civil & Mechanical Engineering / 23 / (23) / 2 / (2) / 73 / (74) / 1 / (1) / 0 / (0)
Electrical Engineering & Computing / 119 / (69) / 11 / (6) / 40 / (23) / 2 / (1) / 0 / (0)
Engineering Operations / 10 / (29) / 0 / (0) / 22 / (65) / 2 / (6) / 0 / (0)
Science / 394 / (61) / 7 / (1) / 246 / (38) / 4 / (1) / 0 / (0)
Western Australian School of Mines / 330 / (63) / 7 / (1) / 178 / (34) / 7 / (1) / 0 / (0)
Units at each level
Department / 0 / (%) / 0+ / (%) / 1 / (%) / 2 / (%) / 3 / (%)
Chemical Engineering / 40 / (53) / 5 / (7) / 30 / (40) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Petroleum Engineering / 106 / (85) / 3 / (2) / 15 / (12) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Civil Engineering / 14 / (31) / 0 / (0) / 31 / (69) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Mechanical Engineering / 9 / (17) / 2 / (4) / 42 / (78) / 1 / (2) / 0 / (0)
Computing / 48 / (76) / 2 / (3) / 11 / (17) / 2 / (3) / 0 / (0)
Electrical and Computer Engineering / 71 / (65) / 9 / (8) / 29 / (27) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Engineering Foundation Year / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0) / 15 / (88) / 2 / (12) / 0 / (0)
Engineering Operations / 10 / (59) / 0 / (0) / 7 / (41) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Chemistry / 63 / (65) / 1 / (1) / 31 / (32) / 2 / (2) / 0 / (0)
Environment & Agriculture / 160 / (65) / 3 / (1) / 82 / (33) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Imaging & Applied Physics / 74 / (54) / 1 / (1) / 60 / (44) / 1 / (1) / 0 / (0)
Mathematics & Statistics / 60 / (49) / 2 / (2) / 59 / (48) / 1 / (1) / 0 / (0)
School of Science / 12 / (71) / 0 / (0) / 5 / (29) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Science and Mathematics Education Centre / 25 / (74) / 0 / (0) / 9 / (26) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Applied Geology / 127 / (69) / 3 / (2) / 54 / (29) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Exploration Geophysics / 58 / (59) / 2 / (2) / 38 / (39) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Minerals Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy / 31 / (72) / 0 / (0) / 12 / (28) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Mining Engineering / 57 / (69) / 2 / (2) / 24 / (29) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
Spatial Sciences / 39 / (44) / 0 / (0) / 42 / (48) / 7 / (8) / 0 / (0)
Western Australian School of Mines / 10 / (56) / 0 / (0) / 8 / (44) / 0 / (0) / 0 / (0)
[Doing things better] [Doing better things]