Whew, the showcase dress rehearsal is over, now we can breathe! Right? Wrong, now we enter full speed mode as we head towards the finish line! Just looking back, I would like to think that the dress rehearsal was a success. We did pretty well on our presentation and was also able to get great feedback on what we can do to improve it. I am just happy that we were able to complete what we had planned to complete in time for the dress rehearsal, and I believe that since we did this we are now in a better position as we approach the final stages of development and try to head into evaluations.
As for what we as a team have been working on this past week, we are just picking up where we left off last week at the rehearsal and trying to get all the videos, animations and HTML pages completed for the remaining four sections. Suhwa has also begun developing templates for the two gallery sections. Until this week, we had nothing for these sections, so I am happy that we are finally addressing them.
Personally this week, I worked on completing an activity and developing the HTML pages for 1 of the four lessons we have left to do. I also worked on our screen redesign, our current screen design for the lesson HTML pages, required the user to scroll up and down and collectively as a team we decided that this approach was not the most user-friendly. Therefore, for the past two weeks I have been working on that and I was finally able to get that done.
We are hoping to have at least all the lesson HTML pages completed this week and have the first completed draft of the entire project very soon with all the reaming sections (video and photo gallery) completed. Hopefully, we will have no serious issues moving forward and will be able to complete the project in time for the showcase, which is now just two weeks away!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
15/5 #12
As the showcase looms in the shadows and is now less than 24 hours away. I reflect on the past week and almost shiver. Everything that possibly could have went wrong did. Our ability to think quickly and on our feet was definitely tested as we had to make reassignments and basically redesign our initial plan of action to prepare for the showcase dress rehearsal.
The root of the problem centered around one of our most critical elements: access to the server. For some reason, no one on my team, besides, myself was able to gain access to the remote server. Therefore, everyone’s role moving forward in preparation for the dress rehearsal had to be changed. I now had to be responsible for creating all the HTML pages, which means importing content and embedding all the animations and videos that we needed for the lessons we planned to complete. It may not seem like a lot of work, but trust me, it was, especially embedding the videos. This was a challenge for 2 reasons:
On top of all the problems we encountered this week, we also had to take time to try and plan for our 8-min presentation. Seeing the events of the week, I decided to stray away for the typical showcase format, where the PM leads out the entire presentation. This time, everyone in the team will participate and will present a different aspect of the project. This format was essentially helpful, as I have just been too busy with other project activities, it would have been almost impossible for me to create and prepare for the entire presentation myself. Also, if tomorrow’s presentation goes well, we may just use the same format for the actual showcase in a few weeks,, and who knows begin a revolution for future 6210 teams, where the PM is not the only one in charge of the presentation.
In the upcoming weeks after the rehearsal, we plan to:
The root of the problem centered around one of our most critical elements: access to the server. For some reason, no one on my team, besides, myself was able to gain access to the remote server. Therefore, everyone’s role moving forward in preparation for the dress rehearsal had to be changed. I now had to be responsible for creating all the HTML pages, which means importing content and embedding all the animations and videos that we needed for the lessons we planned to complete. It may not seem like a lot of work, but trust me, it was, especially embedding the videos. This was a challenge for 2 reasons:
- I had never done it before in Dreamweaver so I was forced to go in and do some research on how to do it
- I do not have the software required to view the video file type we use for this project, therefore, I had no way of checking to see if any of the videos were correctly embedded.
On top of all the problems we encountered this week, we also had to take time to try and plan for our 8-min presentation. Seeing the events of the week, I decided to stray away for the typical showcase format, where the PM leads out the entire presentation. This time, everyone in the team will participate and will present a different aspect of the project. This format was essentially helpful, as I have just been too busy with other project activities, it would have been almost impossible for me to create and prepare for the entire presentation myself. Also, if tomorrow’s presentation goes well, we may just use the same format for the actual showcase in a few weeks,, and who knows begin a revolution for future 6210 teams, where the PM is not the only one in charge of the presentation.
In the upcoming weeks after the rehearsal, we plan to:
- Figure out how to allow everyone else on the team access to the remote server
- Complete the remaining 4 (or 3) sections
- Make revisions (based on feedback) to lessons 1-3
- Begin and finalize the photo and video galleries
- Create transcripts for all the remaining videos
- Conduct evaluations
- Complete remaining documentation
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
15_5 #11
This week proved to be a very busy week for team Global Solutions. We have been working laboriously trying to prepare for the showcase dress rehearsal next week. As a team we were able to:
In spite of all the other activities we have had to focus on such as the comps exams and projects for other classes, we are not as far ahead as I would like our team to be. However, we have all decided to forge ahead at full speed and have at least 3 of the seven lessons completed in time for the rehearsal. This will be a little hard to do as half of our team will be away for the conference in Orlando, however, I still believe we can do it. The plan moving forward is for Ali and I to work on the creation of the HTML pages in Dreamweaver; and Suhwa and Sunny are in charge of the editing of the videos.
The upcoming weeks, will be mayhem for us, as it seems as though there is so much to do and not enough time. We still have tons of editing to do, transcripts to create and on top of that we have to figure out how we will be able to access the videos (as no one on our team is familiar with the use of a streaming server). Also, there are 3 other main sections to our project, which we have not begun to design, these sections are the videos, photos and more information links that is available from our main interface.
Hopefully, once everyone gets back from conferences that we will be able to dedicate the time and resources needed to this project, so that we can have the best possible product completed in time for the final showcase!
- Complete the presentation of the content
- Continue animation production
- Begin video editing
In spite of all the other activities we have had to focus on such as the comps exams and projects for other classes, we are not as far ahead as I would like our team to be. However, we have all decided to forge ahead at full speed and have at least 3 of the seven lessons completed in time for the rehearsal. This will be a little hard to do as half of our team will be away for the conference in Orlando, however, I still believe we can do it. The plan moving forward is for Ali and I to work on the creation of the HTML pages in Dreamweaver; and Suhwa and Sunny are in charge of the editing of the videos.
The upcoming weeks, will be mayhem for us, as it seems as though there is so much to do and not enough time. We still have tons of editing to do, transcripts to create and on top of that we have to figure out how we will be able to access the videos (as no one on our team is familiar with the use of a streaming server). Also, there are 3 other main sections to our project, which we have not begun to design, these sections are the videos, photos and more information links that is available from our main interface.
Hopefully, once everyone gets back from conferences that we will be able to dedicate the time and resources needed to this project, so that we can have the best possible product completed in time for the final showcase!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
15/5 #10
This week was a SUPER busy week for Global Solutions. Everyone has been working individually on their own assignments. Suhwa and I have been working to create the various animations and interactions, Ali has been working on putting the content together so that we can see exactly what text will be on each page, and Sunny and Suhwa have been working to edit existing videos and create storyboards for new videos. Since we are each working on different aspects it was a bit difficult to see the project as a cohesive, however, I have found that sharing with each other what as we develop helps us all to see the project as a whole. I am so excited that our group is able to produce great quality work independently and also that we are able to come together as needed and work as a team. For example, Sunny and I met with Dr. Powell and some alumni of the program to record some new videos. Tour expectations were greatly exceeded and we were able to get some great footage in addition to what we had initially intended to record.
Personally this week, along with the usual PM duties I have been working relentlessly on creating the some of the animations that we need for the project and the css style sheet for all the template HTML pages that we will need. This has been quite a tedious task, as I am also trying to prepare for the comprehensive exams; however, thanks to EDIT 7550, I kind of have a better handle on managing my time and resources. With that said, I am pleased to announce that we finally assigned some work to our consultants!!! We have Darin creating some really simple animations for us and Lisa doing a little research. It feels great to have the extra help and I just hope that in the next week or so, we will be able to put the rest of our consultants to work!
In the next week we plan to:
1. Wrap-up animation development
2. Finish content layout
3. Continue video editing
4. Begin creating transcripts for some of the completed videos
5. Input completed animations and videos in HTML pages
6. Upload HTML pages to russia.uga server
7. Upload completed videos to UGA streaming server
8. Get ready for dress rehearsal
As the showcase dress rehearsal lurks in the near future, Global solutions will be working around the clock to get as much of the product completed by that time, so that we will have sufficient time after the showcase to make revisions and also to conduct evaluations. However, as usual I have great confidence in our team and client and I can say without a doubt that we will be able to create a GREAT product.
Personally this week, along with the usual PM duties I have been working relentlessly on creating the some of the animations that we need for the project and the css style sheet for all the template HTML pages that we will need. This has been quite a tedious task, as I am also trying to prepare for the comprehensive exams; however, thanks to EDIT 7550, I kind of have a better handle on managing my time and resources. With that said, I am pleased to announce that we finally assigned some work to our consultants!!! We have Darin creating some really simple animations for us and Lisa doing a little research. It feels great to have the extra help and I just hope that in the next week or so, we will be able to put the rest of our consultants to work!
In the next week we plan to:
1. Wrap-up animation development
2. Finish content layout
3. Continue video editing
4. Begin creating transcripts for some of the completed videos
5. Input completed animations and videos in HTML pages
6. Upload HTML pages to russia.uga server
7. Upload completed videos to UGA streaming server
8. Get ready for dress rehearsal
As the showcase dress rehearsal lurks in the near future, Global solutions will be working around the clock to get as much of the product completed by that time, so that we will have sufficient time after the showcase to make revisions and also to conduct evaluations. However, as usual I have great confidence in our team and client and I can say without a doubt that we will be able to create a GREAT product.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
15/5 #9
Finally, we are now fully immersed in the development stage. A few weeks ago this stage seemed so far out of reach. This week, the team has been working diligently to complete the flow and storyboard documents for the entire program we plan to develop. We have also begun the storyboarding, editing and development of the animations and videos that will be available in the site. Suhwa, I and Sunny are working on those and Ali has been working on arranging the content, splitting it up into the actual pages. The only thing we are waiting on now is the actual server space on which we will house the site. We have heard back from the client and will discuss this further in Thursday’s meeting.
As to what I did this week, apart from working on the animation development, I am also trying to get the videos sorted out, go through what we were given by the client and selecting those I think we will use in the main part of the program.
In the next week, we hope to continue working in the development phase completing the following tasks:
As to what I did this week, apart from working on the animation development, I am also trying to get the videos sorted out, go through what we were given by the client and selecting those I think we will use in the main part of the program.
In the next week, we hope to continue working in the development phase completing the following tasks:
- Continue animation development
- Finalize content flow
- Begin development on the actual server
- Begin creation of new videos
- Utilize consultants
For the first time, I think our team is a little bit concerned, as the reality of how much work we actually have to do set in. However, there is still that aura of confidence in ourselves that once we work together that we will get the work done.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
15/5 # 8
Somehow I manage to keep forgetting to do these on Wednesday nights:-( I am really going to need to pay closer attention to that. Now on to the project, this week was a busy one for us, and we anticipate being busy for the weeks that followed. We are steadily entering the development phase of the project, where the REAL work begins. This past week, members of our team reviewed the initial flow we have developed a few weeks back. By the end of this process we intend to have a complete flow and storyboard for the entire program. This means we will have a layout of each screen, the content and the resources needed. We believe that this will help us in the future to stay organized and to also look at the project as a whole. We are hoping this will help to allow there to be a level of consistency throughout the entire program. We also identified the specific aspects that each member will be working on moving forward. We plan to have only one individual working on a main aspect with a secondary contact. We decided this would be best, instead of splitting up the program into different sections and having one member complete a whole section. We believe that the method we have chosen will reduce redundancy and therefore, help us to work in a more efficient way.
Personally this week, it was my job to get the flow we had verbally discussed some few weeks back down on paper for the rest of the team members to review and edit. I also completed the flash introduction page, and the HTML template page for the lesson screens.
For the next week, we plan to have completed the flow and storyboard of the site. We also, plan to begin the actual development of the HTML pages, videos and animations. We have already contacted the client to secure server space for us that will be able to host a program that is so heavily focused on video.
As we dive deeper and deeper into the project, I hope that the spirit of great team work will continue and that we will continue to work cohesively as a team and produce the best possible product that we can.
Personally this week, it was my job to get the flow we had verbally discussed some few weeks back down on paper for the rest of the team members to review and edit. I also completed the flash introduction page, and the HTML template page for the lesson screens.
For the next week, we plan to have completed the flow and storyboard of the site. We also, plan to begin the actual development of the HTML pages, videos and animations. We have already contacted the client to secure server space for us that will be able to host a program that is so heavily focused on video.
As we dive deeper and deeper into the project, I hope that the spirit of great team work will continue and that we will continue to work cohesively as a team and produce the best possible product that we can.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
15/5 # 7
Time just seems to be going by so quickly, the good thing is though, that Global Solutions as a team has yet to feel overwhelmed. Hopefully, this feeling (or lack thereof) will last throughout the entire project.
This past week the team was able to accomplish and finalize a great deal of documentation. We met together on Sunday and then again on Monday night to finalize the documents that are due on the 9th. These documents include:
1. Learner Profile
2. Hardware/Software Specification
3. Treatment Rationale
4. Screen Design
5. Evaluation Plan
Once again this week, it was refreshing to see how well the team worked together and how efficiently we are able to get things done. Another important milestone that we met this week was that we were able to share the screen design with the client and she loved it. She also mentioned another group that would be interested in using the program we develop. So this was a great motivational element for the team.
Personally, my tasks for this week included completing the screen design and putting together all the elements for each document together and ensuring that they are correctly formatted. I also, put together the .ppt for this week's STUDIO presentation. Of course I did the usual PM tasks, such as hold meetings, update the client with the week’s activities, document control etc.
In the upcoming week, Global Solutions plans to:
1. Finalize the flow of each section
2. Begin working on a flow chart
3. Begin working on the prototype
4. Put together a list of all the videos/animations that must be created
‘Near’ Future Activities:
* Begin the first stages of HTML development
This past week the team was able to accomplish and finalize a great deal of documentation. We met together on Sunday and then again on Monday night to finalize the documents that are due on the 9th. These documents include:
1. Learner Profile
2. Hardware/Software Specification
3. Treatment Rationale
4. Screen Design
5. Evaluation Plan
Once again this week, it was refreshing to see how well the team worked together and how efficiently we are able to get things done. Another important milestone that we met this week was that we were able to share the screen design with the client and she loved it. She also mentioned another group that would be interested in using the program we develop. So this was a great motivational element for the team.
Personally, my tasks for this week included completing the screen design and putting together all the elements for each document together and ensuring that they are correctly formatted. I also, put together the .ppt for this week's STUDIO presentation. Of course I did the usual PM tasks, such as hold meetings, update the client with the week’s activities, document control etc.
In the upcoming week, Global Solutions plans to:
1. Finalize the flow of each section
2. Begin working on a flow chart
3. Begin working on the prototype
4. Put together a list of all the videos/animations that must be created
‘Near’ Future Activities:
* Begin the first stages of HTML development
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
15/5 # 6
Another week, another 15/5 and as usual, our team has been working very well together. Last week’s meeting went very well, and we managed to develop an initial draft of each of the different sections that we plan to include in the project. We developed an initial flow and the various resources (video, graphics, and animation) that we will need to complete each section. We also, discussed in further detail the documents that we had split up among each other that is due on the 9th. So basically this week we each worked individually on our assigned sections.
Personally, this week I continued work on the screen Design. I am currently trying to do the flash animation for the main entry page of the program.
For the upcoming week, we plan to finalize the Evaluation Plan and the other documents in time to meet the October 9th deadline. The team has already been working on all the documents except for the Evaluation Plan, which we plan to discuss in tomorrow night’s online meeting. Also, in the next week, we hope to have developed a more definite storyboard for the project, so that we can begin working on the prototype in preparation for the Oct 23 deadline.
My hopes going forward, as we get closer and closer to the most crucial part of the Instructional Design phase, which is development, is that we can keep the great team dynamic that we have built and established over the past weeks.
Personally, this week I continued work on the screen Design. I am currently trying to do the flash animation for the main entry page of the program.
For the upcoming week, we plan to finalize the Evaluation Plan and the other documents in time to meet the October 9th deadline. The team has already been working on all the documents except for the Evaluation Plan, which we plan to discuss in tomorrow night’s online meeting. Also, in the next week, we hope to have developed a more definite storyboard for the project, so that we can begin working on the prototype in preparation for the Oct 23 deadline.
My hopes going forward, as we get closer and closer to the most crucial part of the Instructional Design phase, which is development, is that we can keep the great team dynamic that we have built and established over the past weeks.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
15/5 # 5
Wow, sorry this is late:-( But for reason it slipped my mind yesterday and I didn’t remember until 1:00 a.m. as I was getting ready to go to sleep. It’s been a very busy week for me, as yesterday was my last day at my internship. I had about four projects to wrap up for this internship, which I was just given two weeks ago, so I have been laboriously working on getting those completed. I am just happy it is finally over and now I can focus solely on my schoolwork.
In regards to the project, we finally received the complete content from Dr. Powell on Sunday evening. In reference to this, we decided to cancel our usual Sunday meeting and review the content individually so that we can each become more familiar with it on our own and develop concrete ideas on how to move forward. We plan to meet tonight to share what we have found and collaborate to begin working on how the content will flow and what resources we will need. Also, last Thursday we decided to begin working on the upcoming documents that are due on Oct. 9 (User profile, treatment rationale, Hardware/Software and Screen Design). Each document was assigned to one person on the team, and we plan to work on these and discuss them in Sunday’s meeting. For the evaluation plan, which is also due that day, I did not assign this to any one person, as I believe we should discuss it as a team first, so my plans for this is to begin discussing it in tonight’s meeting. However, as I plan for tonight’s meeting, I don’t think there will be time enough time, as we will be trying to hash out other issues with the content, so I am thinking I will just leave it for our Sunday night meeting.
As for what I did this week, I continued working on the screen design from last week and was able to develop the first draft of our potential main interface. Personally, I am not sure if I like it, but considering that I have been staring at it on my computer screen for what seems like forever and day; I believe my feelings are not very rationale right now. I sent the design to the rest of the team and they seemed to like it a lot, so maybe I just need to take a break from it to see its true beauty:-) This week I also worked on reviewing the content and completing the project timeline documentation.
I hope we can get a lot accomplished in tonight’s meeting so that we can begin forging ahead and actually have tasks that we can assign to our 6200 consultants, before it is too late!
For the upcoming week we plan to:
In regards to the project, we finally received the complete content from Dr. Powell on Sunday evening. In reference to this, we decided to cancel our usual Sunday meeting and review the content individually so that we can each become more familiar with it on our own and develop concrete ideas on how to move forward. We plan to meet tonight to share what we have found and collaborate to begin working on how the content will flow and what resources we will need. Also, last Thursday we decided to begin working on the upcoming documents that are due on Oct. 9 (User profile, treatment rationale, Hardware/Software and Screen Design). Each document was assigned to one person on the team, and we plan to work on these and discuss them in Sunday’s meeting. For the evaluation plan, which is also due that day, I did not assign this to any one person, as I believe we should discuss it as a team first, so my plans for this is to begin discussing it in tonight’s meeting. However, as I plan for tonight’s meeting, I don’t think there will be time enough time, as we will be trying to hash out other issues with the content, so I am thinking I will just leave it for our Sunday night meeting.
As for what I did this week, I continued working on the screen design from last week and was able to develop the first draft of our potential main interface. Personally, I am not sure if I like it, but considering that I have been staring at it on my computer screen for what seems like forever and day; I believe my feelings are not very rationale right now. I sent the design to the rest of the team and they seemed to like it a lot, so maybe I just need to take a break from it to see its true beauty:-) This week I also worked on reviewing the content and completing the project timeline documentation.
I hope we can get a lot accomplished in tonight’s meeting so that we can begin forging ahead and actually have tasks that we can assign to our 6200 consultants, before it is too late!
For the upcoming week we plan to:
- Continue content review
- Develop concrete ideas for the flow of each section of the project
- Continue working on main page screen design
- Begin working on HTML content page design
- Continue working on the User Profile, Treatment Rationale and Hardware/Software documentation.
- Begin initial discussions for Evaluation Plan
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
15/5 # 4
This week was not as stressful as last week. As I stated in last week’s 15/5 our Thursday night meetings are always very efficient and we always get so much covered. We were just about done with the Tasks Analysis then, but due to some confusion had to revisit them and make some necessary revisions (add performance objectives). However, we were able to meet on Sunday and get all of the documentation completed and to the client for review on Monday afternoon.
As for what the team did this week, there really isn’t much we could do without having the full text content in front of us. All we have had to go off of is an outline of the different topics and sub-topics that will be covered in the program. We have had our fingers crossed for a while now in hopes that we will receive something soon. I’ve sent many reminders (without trying to come off as a dictator/pest) to Dr. Powell about having the content to us no later than tomorrow’s class. It is a bit nerve wrecking because we have not heard from her since last week. However, she always seems to come through for us and with more than we need, so there is always some reconciliation that can be found in that fact.
The plan for tomorrow’s meeting was to review the content and determine exactly how we are going to present it to the client (determine the exact flow). However, in the event that we do not receive the content, I do have a backup plan for tomorrow’s meeting, I plan to have us go through all the video content and, based on the outline, determine the videos we will be incorporating into the system. This way we will not be wasting precious time. As for the plan to move forward with the project, I would have to send one final reminder to Dr. Powell that we would have to absolutely receive all the text content in time for our usual Sunday night meeting. So though we may seem a bit unorganized, I assure you that we do have a plan!
What I personally did this week, I have been longing to do from the beginning of the semester. We have had an initial idea of the design that we wanted for a while now. But this week I actually begun the process of trying to get concrete elements in place to begin the screen design, which I must say is my favorite part of system design! To develop our unique screen design, I went searching for other sites that have similar designs to the one we envision and other sites that were just plain cool. I have now narrowed my findings to about 10 sites, and what I plan to do is look at how others have designed these sites and then take elements from each of them, incorporate them with the ideas of the team and form our own unique design! This makes me very excited and I just cannot wait to see what we will come up with. The challenge, I believe we may face, is creating a design that provides the visual appeal of a flash site in Dreamweaver. However, I am confident that we will be able to find a common ground between functionality and design that both the team and client will love.
That’s all for now! The tasks we plan to accomplish in the upcoming weeks are:
1. Develop time line
2. Retrieve the full text content
3. Complete analysis of text content
4. Complete analysis of video content
5. Develop storyboard of the flow of content/site
6. Assign tasks to 6200 consultants
7. Begin initial phase of screen design
As for what the team did this week, there really isn’t much we could do without having the full text content in front of us. All we have had to go off of is an outline of the different topics and sub-topics that will be covered in the program. We have had our fingers crossed for a while now in hopes that we will receive something soon. I’ve sent many reminders (without trying to come off as a dictator/pest) to Dr. Powell about having the content to us no later than tomorrow’s class. It is a bit nerve wrecking because we have not heard from her since last week. However, she always seems to come through for us and with more than we need, so there is always some reconciliation that can be found in that fact.
The plan for tomorrow’s meeting was to review the content and determine exactly how we are going to present it to the client (determine the exact flow). However, in the event that we do not receive the content, I do have a backup plan for tomorrow’s meeting, I plan to have us go through all the video content and, based on the outline, determine the videos we will be incorporating into the system. This way we will not be wasting precious time. As for the plan to move forward with the project, I would have to send one final reminder to Dr. Powell that we would have to absolutely receive all the text content in time for our usual Sunday night meeting. So though we may seem a bit unorganized, I assure you that we do have a plan!
What I personally did this week, I have been longing to do from the beginning of the semester. We have had an initial idea of the design that we wanted for a while now. But this week I actually begun the process of trying to get concrete elements in place to begin the screen design, which I must say is my favorite part of system design! To develop our unique screen design, I went searching for other sites that have similar designs to the one we envision and other sites that were just plain cool. I have now narrowed my findings to about 10 sites, and what I plan to do is look at how others have designed these sites and then take elements from each of them, incorporate them with the ideas of the team and form our own unique design! This makes me very excited and I just cannot wait to see what we will come up with. The challenge, I believe we may face, is creating a design that provides the visual appeal of a flash site in Dreamweaver. However, I am confident that we will be able to find a common ground between functionality and design that both the team and client will love.
That’s all for now! The tasks we plan to accomplish in the upcoming weeks are:
1. Develop time line
2. Retrieve the full text content
3. Complete analysis of text content
4. Complete analysis of video content
5. Develop storyboard of the flow of content/site
6. Assign tasks to 6200 consultants
7. Begin initial phase of screen design
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
15/5 # 3
This past week turned out to be a great week for Team Global Solutions. It all started last Thursday, when our client Dr. Gwynn Powell, visited one of our meetings and as usual provided more assistance than we needed at the time. Her drive and charisma motivated the team so much, that we almost forgot about the tight stretch of a week that lied ahead of us and the nightmare of the Needs Assessment that lied ahead. Yes, my choice of words is clearly just for dramatics, but the point is, we had a busy week ahead of us. Thursday night’s meeting motivated us and as a result we were able to achieve a lot this week: We met twice this week: On Sunday night and Tuesday night. On Sunday we were able to accomplish two important goals:
- Defined the scope of the content
- Finalize plan for completing the Needs Assessment Document by 9/11/08
On Monday night we were able to put our plans into full swing and met with one of Dr. Powell’s classes to administer the survey. Also, due to tremendous teamwork we were able to get the results tallied and analyzed by our next meeting on Tuesday night. Tuesday night was the final meeting we had in preparation for the Needs Assessment document. We all left the meeting feeling quite good about what we accomplished as we were able to finalize all the areas needed to complete the document, and in less time than we thought we would. Come to think of it, most of our meetings do not run for more than an hour to an hour and a half, but we always seem to cover so much. This efficiency may be attributed to a teammates that come prepared and that contribute all they can when it is needed and as Project Manager I must say it makes me very happy:-)
In the next week we plan to:
- Receive FULL content from the client
- Complete review and thorough analysis of the content
- Complete the Task Analysis
- Begin formulating concrete design ideas for the project
As we move forward, we as a team are working very well together and I can’t wait to see the progress that will occur as the program we plan to develop begins to take shape.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
15/5 #2
At this stage, we as a team are still just attempting to stay as much ahead of the game as we can. Regretfully we were not able to meet all the goals we had set for ourselves last week. However, we were able to get a lot discussed during our second meeting and as a result completed the following tasks:
- Finalized 6200 consultants
- Reminded client that the entire content must be received for initial analysis
- Developed a plan/timeline for completing Needs Assessment documentation
We had hoped to receive most of the content early after we returned from Labor Day; however, this turned out to not be a feasible task. Consequently, we have discussed this with the client and plan to receive the content in its entirety tomorrow. Once we receive this we will be ready to forge ahead at full speed. We have altered our original schedule to reflect this change and the entire team has already expressed their willingness to follow this new timeline. As a project manager, I am confident that we will accomplish all that we plan to in the next week.
Things to do in the next week:
- Analyze entire content and determine instructional goals.
- Perform needs assessment and begin Needs Assessment documentation
- Begin formulating ideas for the design approach.
The remainder of this week and the upcoming week is a critical week for Team Global Solutions, as we will be analyzing and defining elements that will be critical to the success of this project as we move forward.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
15/5 # 1
This week was an important week for Team Global Solutions and we managed to complete the following core tasks:
- Finalized team members and roles
- Chose a team name: This process turned out to be a lot easier than anticipated. We decided on the name Global Solutions because our team is made up of students that represent 5 different countries. Hence, we believe that we are able to approach Instructional Design from a “global” perspective.
- Chose a project: For half the members on our team, choosing a project was not a difficult task, as we have had the opportunity to work with one of the clients before: Gywnn Powell, who proved to be a superior client. However, the project description on the STUDIO site was also a great help in helping the team make its final decision. Just in general, the main aim of this project is to provide students that are interested in the Russian Summer Camp Program, with the necessary skills to have a successful learning experience abroad.
- Met with the client: Our first meeting with the client was held on 08/26. This meeting was a very successful one, as the client went beyond our expectations and provided answers to many of our questions before we even had the opportunity to ask them. As a result of this meeting, Global Solutions now has a deeper understanding of the task at hand and how to move forward.
- Created Project Management Site: We have decided to use a blog as the central project management site. This blog can be found at: http://6210project.blogspot.com/
- Determined 6200 consultant roles: Having met with the client, we now have a better understanding of the project and the resources that we will need to be successful. Therefore, we have begun the process of describing job descriptions for the areas we will require the most additional resources.
In the upcoming week it is important that our team complete certain tasks that will be imperative to the successful completion of this project. These tasks include:
- Hold first team meeting: Our first collective meeting as a team will be held on 08/27 @ 8:00 p.m. In this meeting we plan to establish protocols that will be of dire importance to the success of the project as we move forward. We intend to finalize communication, meeting and document revision protocols.
- Continue further review of the content and develop a concrete understanding of the project and the goals that we intend to achieve at the end of the semester.
- Develop a plan for initial learner and content analysis.
- Develop a timeline and begin assigning tasks to different personnel.
- Hire” the necessary 6200 consultants.
As a team, we are working very well together and are trying to focus on building a stable platform upon which we will find success during the entire semester. At this point, there are no anticipated red flags and Global Solutions is just eager to forge forward.
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