The idea of Seven Things

Seven's a nice small number, so saying only seven things forces the speaker to edit carefully. I like it. That is, I like being on the receiving end of properly focussed communications, but need to learn more about sending them.

Stalking through Julie's Twitter, for likely co-twitterers, brought me to Matt Lingards' link (hello Matt!) to 7 things about twitter, on Educause. And there's more!

So here goes. As an added challenge, I'm going to squeeze down, twitter-stylee yeah?, Educuse's seven-things on two sweet sides of PDF office-friendly format into seven tart sentences.

Seven Things about project planning applications

This is not strictly an e-learning tool, but this is one of my ducks, mmkay?

1. A Project Planning application is a software application that is designed to define, plan and track inter-related tasks and resources in a Project (meaning finite work with a defined set of outcomes).
2. Project Managers and allied professionals use PM software (the classic misnomer : software can't manage!) to prepare schedules and budgets for their projects, but you'll also find engineers, developers, general managers and team members in contact with the applications and/or using the artefacts that arise.
3. These applications generally operate by modelling a project as a series of inter-linked tasks, each with an estimated duration and utilisation of resources; the connectedness, timing and other aspects the project are calculated according to the entered data and shown on charts and tables, such as a Gantt chart, network diagram or resource graph.
4. These tools are important because more work (development activities and funded research) is organised and controlled in the paradigm of a project (perferably a well-managed one), and project management occurs on the syllabus of many programmes, including most science and engineering disciplines.
5. A fool with a tool : planning software encourages a microscopic view of task management (one can become obsessed with perfected the schedule) that can sometimes obscure or de-emphasise systemic or relationship issues in a working environment (i.e. it's often better to go round and talk to people, and play around with some sticky notes).
   
6. In two directions: applications getting more embedded in corporate workflows (task reminders straight to Outlook) and intranet applications (e.g. timesheets direct to a MS-Project database); on the other hand, a newer breed of lighter, web-aware, collaboration-focussed applications that seem to be focussed on a different constituency entirely (of which a good example is Basecamp).
7. The former sort of application is part of the expected armoury of a qualified engineer or scientist, whereas the latter type would seem to favour educationalists themselves in working together to produce new courses and tools.
   

For reference, the pattern is:

1. what is it?
2. who's doing it?
   
3. how does it work?
4. why is it significant?
   
5. what are the downsides?
   
6. where it is going?
7. what are the implications for teaching and learning?
   

Problem Based Learning

To the UCL Teaching and Learning Network meeting to hear four speakers discuss experiences of problem based learning. Nothing particularly e-/electronic about this one, quite a lot of eeeeh/curiosity. I went expecting some big theoretical stick to hit me, but it didn't. I'm evidently already doing a good wodge of PBL, and already know a bit about it, and could probably hold forth on Peer Assessment methods in particular more than is strictly necessary (please do contact me if you want to talk about Peer Assessment). UCL readers can explore more in the TLN Moodle, ask Phil Riding for the key if you haven't got one.

I'm struggling to define exactly what PBL is, and I suspect there's not going to be a clean universal definition, but here goes:

• students explore a topic through a problem or case study
• outputs are similar to real-world artefacts (proposals, plans etc)
• there's an emphasis on application
• the curriculum (list of knowledge to be gained) is tacit
• knowledge scope depends on where the students go, as well as the scenario design
  
• learning outcomes include transferable skills
  

There's quite a lot of Problem-based learning going on close to me, for example:

• MSc Systems Engineering Management case study exercises (Formative only, Groups)
• Project Management Project Plan Assignment (Summative, Groups)
• Project Management Case Study exam question (Summative : exam conditions, Individual)
  
• Dissertations (Summative, Individual)
• MSc Space Sci/Tech Group project (Formative!, Groups)

There's also a moderate amount of Peer Assessment going on in the group projects talked about at UCL. A typical assessment structure goes:

1. Group work artefact: 60%
2. Individual piece/presentation/viva : 30%
3. Peer assessment: 10%

I reckon the Peer assessment element is really useful tool to reinforce productive group behaviour, and the fact that it gives a mark that can differentiate students is a bonus. I used to think it was the other way round.