One of the most difficult projects I have faced was a group project completed online with classmates from my Online University program. Having not met these group members it was difficult to know their strengths, weaknesses, trust their capabilities and we were in few different time zones. The most difficult aspect of the project was our varying schedules because of time zone conflicts. It made it extremely difficult to plan group meetings, check in with each other and review issues with one another. One eventually made the project successful was three of the six group members taking over and completing the project. This made the project less stressful ensured it would be completed with the quality of work expected from our University.
The processes that we included were developed by our project manager. We had strict deadlines and specific requirements organized for each group members. The project member helped to ensure everyone understood their tasks and deadlines. This process ensured we remained on track as we had issues with group members in the beginning not contributing to the group and completing their work. So, the project manager ensured we reworked the plan in order to ensure we would remain on track and still produce quality work.
It was difficult to really learn or prevent some of the issues that arose in this group project as it was with members that were online and that I did not know. What I did learn is that some group members really pulled through and were willing to go the extra mile to fix the issues from the other group members. It was a great feeling to be working with these people as they produced quality work and worked extremely hard to make up the difference from those that did not complete their work.
All about me.
- Liz v d Burg
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Hi All! I am a born and raised Canadian that is currently living a European life. I decided the best way to appreciate Canada was to escape it for awhile and see what other countries have to offer. I spent a year in Dublin and currently reside in Amsterdam. The plan is to live in Amsterdam for the next few years while I complete my Master's in Instructional Design and Technology. I look forward to blogging about my experiences as I begin to get closer to developing my Instructional Design skills and potentially gaining experience in this field. My goal is to complete my program and begin to develop and deliver training programs.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
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Response to Liz,
ReplyDeleteI believe the course you are referring to was the EIDT 6100 Instructional Design course where students worked in a group project and explored the ADDIE concept as applied in a real-world instructional setting. I agree it was frustrating to collaborate ideas and share strategies with students not F2F. I was fortunate that I had a wonderful team leader who had experience as a project manager at her previous employment. She led the team with a cohesiveness plan. Although it was a difficult task for all parties, I believe I will never forget that experience. I had a positive learning experience from that unit and will never forget the ADDIE module. I believe I worked twenty hours a week on that project.
As a group we were frustrated because of the diverse time zones and work schedules. We struggled to stay on task and complete assignments to meet our deadlines. A few members were strong and carried the team project, while the other half did not contribute much as a result of remaining in a cloud of confusion. Therefore as a group we shared personal phone numbers, personal emails, and shared work schedules. We were able to meet through a virtual classroom known as Elluminate and met every Sunday at 12noon for collaboration. This led our team toward a success in meeting of the minds and organizing a great project in the end. Overall, I became an expert in the ADDIE model and established great friendships during the course.
Regards, Darlene
Liz,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like every time you work in any kind of a group situation there are always people who pull their weight, some who go above and beyond what is expected, and others who completely slack off on any obligations. That is why communication is so key to success. Having one member of your group act as project manager was probably the perfect solution for ensuring that the project would be completed and collaboration would take place. Sometimes there just needs to be a clear leader who is willing to delegate in order to ensure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. "Only by clearly defining roles and having each team member commit to project activities and time frames can the team function properly and ensure that a total quality product is delivered as scheduled" (Murphy, 1994). In your case, you had a project deadline, and it had to be met. The PM set the pace for your project in order to submit it in a timely manner. That's the best way to ensure success.
Angela
Murphy, C. (1994). Utilizing project management techniques in the design of instructional materials. Performance & Instruction, 33(3), 9–11.