Introduction to project management/Design blueprint

Metadata

 * Level: 5 / 1st year of Bachelor Degree Level
 * Discipline(s): Management
 * Notional learning hours: 150 hours (48 Directed Learning hours, 12 Authentic Workplace or Practical Learning, 90 Self Directed Learning hours)
 * Credits: 15 credits of a 15-credit course towards a 360 credit credential at Otago Polytechnic and 15 credits towards 120 credits credential at the University of the Highlands and Islands.
 * Credential(s): The following articulation pathways are available:
 * NZ Diploma In Business (Level 5, Leadership and Management)
 * Certificate of Higher Education (Business)

Intended target audience
This course is designed for people wanting to gain knowledge of project management theory and apply it to a team project.

The intended target audience for this course includes, but is not limited to:
 * Business Owners
 * Creative Services Personnel
 * Educators
 * Engineers
 * Health Care Professionals
 * Paralegal
 * Software Developers
 * Science Technicians

Prerequisite knowledge

 * 1) Anyone is free to participate in this course. An internet connection and basic web browsing skills are recommended with the ability to create a blog and microblog account (instructions and self-study tutorials provided.)
 * 2) You are requested to keep a personal learning journal as reflection has been shown to increase learning markedly.
 * 3) Learners aiming to submit assessments for formal academic credit will need to meet the normal admission requirements of the conferring institution (e.g. language proficiency and school leaving certificates).

Course aims
This course should also provide learners with learning hours that count towards PMI acceditation prerequisites and the Professional Development Units (PDUs)
 * This course is designed for anyone wanting to gain knowledge of project management theory and apply it to a team project
 * It will enable you to:
 * 1) Analyse relevant theories of project management.
 * 2) Identify factors likely to optimise team engagement.
 * 3) Reflect on your role in developing positive team engagement.
 * 4) Apply theoretical knowledge to manage a team project.

PMP Handbook (Page 8)

Development and delivery approach
Introduction to Project Management will be assembled as four micro-courses of approximately 40 notional learning hours each:


 * The role of the project manager (IPM101)
 * Initiating a project (IPM102)
 * Planning a project (IPM103)
 * Executing and closing a project (IPM104)

The course will use a wrap-around model largely based on a prescribed textbook: Watt, A. 2014 Project Management, Vancouver: BCcampus and contributions from the SMEs.

The course promotes a reflective learning approach. It will comprise a series of learning pathways designed to achieve the stated learning outcomes incorporating learning challenges for each pathway where learners demonstrate their learning and understanding through maintaining a learning journal. Where possible learners will be encouraged to share the outputs of their reflections publicly, subject to the challenges associated with disclosure of confidential corporate information.

Integrated activities for peer-learning interaction (microblogs, blog posts and discussion forum posts) are embedded in the course design. Where appropriate, interactive case studies will be used to facilitate learner-content interactions and simulated dialogue with course developers. The course will also include learning challenges for deepening knowledge and understanding of sustainable practices.

The course presumes average computer literacy using standard office applications, web-navigation and the ability to register accounts for open web services. Digital and social media literacy skills relevant to online communication are important.

Minimum requirements for project management tools
There are no technical requirements to use PM software but the student can be exposed to some options that may work in their context.

Delivery options
The course will be designed to accommodate the following delivery options:


 * 1) Independent self-study
 * 2) Cohort-based OERu open online course (Learning interactions over 10 working days with independent self-directed learning to prepare assessments.)
 * 3) Open boundary format where OERu open online course is offered in parallel will full service online course at Otago Polytechnic.
 * 4) Distributed mOOC where cohort-based open courses are offered simultaneously from multiple organisations (consider OERF, Saylor Foundation and Otago Polytechnic demonstrator in the Fall of the Northern Hemisphere  - tbd.)
 * 5) The 4 micro courses can be completed in any order to allow students to take a needs based approach to planning their study. There will be information available to help them make this choice. This has implications for assessment design so that no final assessments are required post the badging for the individual courses in order to apply for academic credit.

Assessment strategy
Learners can participate out of self interest and select the activities they would like to complete. Some of these activities may be designated as part of the assignments for formal academic credit. Learners seeking formal credit must submit the required assignments for assessment:


 * Project Plan
 * Project Report

IPM101
Demonstrate understanding of the Project Management Frameworks and Success Factors

IPM102
Completion of a project charter for a specific project

IPM103
Submission of a project plan for a specific project

IPM104
Review and reflection of a specific project

Student-content interactions
Each micro-course will:
 * Incorporate a short video as an introduction to the course and provide a "meet the teachers" opportunity
 * Provide learners with a series of learning pathways designed for independent study. Each learning pathway to have a 2-3 minute video signpost.
 * Incorporate one or more learning challenges in each learning pathway.
 * Include learning challenges that function as building blocks for the final course assessment.

Student-student interactions
Students will be able to interact via a number of technologies which will be harvested using an aggregated timeline for the interactions:
 * WENotes is used as a technology to aggregate learner interactions including selected but designated "open forums" in the LMS where learners are advised that posting to an open forum that their posts will be published openly. (In addition to the open forums there are the normal "closed" forums where lecturers provide tutorial support for full-fee students.) OERu learners do not receive online tutorial support.
 * Discussion forum posts
 * Personal blog posts and comments
 * Personal learning journal
 * General OERu FAQs on forums.oeru.org - a community-based question and answer forum.
 * Course specific forums on forums.oeru.org
 * Resource bank on bookmarks.oeru.org

Student-support interactions

 * Students will be encouraged to use a peer-support question and answer forum for addressing support questions.
 * Self-study help tutorials will be provided for the technologies used in the course.