Analyzing Scope Creep

Scope Creep by our books definition is “the natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members, to try to improve the projects output as the project progresses.” (Portny, et al., 2008) I’m supposed to use an example of my personal or professional life to show how scope creep can affect the outcome of my objective. Somehow the only thing that I can really think of right now is on a personal level.

Every year we plan a week long family trip where we rent a house and bring all the items we are going to need, clothing and food, for that week. We never really start packing until the night before we need to leave. I do create a list of things to take and plan a schedule for us to follow, and in the morning we begin loading the car, with a set time to leave. We set the time based on how long it is going to take us to get to our destination, keeping in mind how long it is going to take us to load the car and leave. Of course, as we are loading the car one of the kids is always running back into the house because they forgot something or to use the bathroom. The adults are also guilty of this creep. As a result, we always end up leaving between 30-60 minutes later than intended, thus delaying our arrival and sitting in traffic.

Like many projects we all begin, we always have a schedule that needs to be followed. There are deadlines in everything we do in life. The biggest enemy to our deadlines is scope creep. “The best approach is to set up a well-controlled, formal process whereby changes can be introduced and accomplished with as little distress as possible.” (Portny, et al., 2008) “Scope creep can originate from several sources and is a leading cause of project failure when handled poorly.” (Doll, 2001)

In 7 Steps to Avoid Scope Creep, Shelley Doll offers steps to take that will help prevent delays in a project. I’ve listed them below:
Use the following guidelines to set yourself up to successfully control the scope of your project:(Doll, 2001)

1. Be sure you thoroughly understand the project vision. Meet with the project drivers and deliver an overview of the project as a whole for their review and comments.
2. Understand your priorities and the priorities of the project drivers. Make an ordered list for your review throughout the project duration. Items should include budget, deadline, feature delivery, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. You’ll use this list to justify your scheduling decisions once the project has commenced.
3. Define your deliverables and have them approved by the project drivers. Deliverables should be general descriptions of functionality to be completed during the project.
4. Break the approved deliverables into actual work requirements. The requirements should be as detailed as necessary and can be completed using a simple spreadsheet. The larger your project, the more detail you should include. If your project spans more than a month or two, don’t forget to include time for software upgrades during development and always include time for ample documentation.
5. Break the project down into major and minor milestones and complete a generous project schedule to be approved by the project drivers. Minor milestones should not span more than a month. Whatever your method for determining task duration, leave room for error. When working with an unknown staff, I generally schedule 140 to 160 percent of the duration as expected to be delivered. If your schedule is tight, reevaluate your deliverables. Coming in under budget and ahead of schedule leaves room for additional enhancements.
6. Once a schedule has been created, assign resources and determine your critical path using a PERT Chart or Work Breakdown Structure. Microsoft Project will create this for you. Your critical path will change over the course of your project, so it’s important to evaluate it before development begins. Follow this map to determine which deliverables must be completed on time. In very large projects, I try not to define my phase specifics too early, but even a general plan will give you the backbone you need for successful delivery.
7. Expect that there will be scope creep. Implement Change Order forms early and educate the project drivers on your processes. A Change Order form will allow you to perform a cost-benefit analysis before scheduling (yes, I said scheduling) changes requested by the project drivers.



I want to close by posting a list I found over the internet that suggest 4 simple steps that will help in avoiding and deterring scope creep. 4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep by Thursday Bram (Bram, 2010)

1. Glad to help-here’s a new estimate
2. I can’t meet the deadline
a. “One of the biggest problems with scope creep is that it can wreak havoc on a schedule, sometimes to the point that you simply can’t finish the project by the deadline. And if you’ve got projects stacked up, even a small change in the deadline can cause you problems with your own schedule. In such cases, you have to offer the client some alternatives. Those can include changing the time table significantly, as well as bringing in a sub-contractor. Some clients simply are on a tight deadline. It may be up to you to be the bad guy and tell them that extending the project’s parameters just isn’t an option due to the timing. While this is a problem that can be solved with more money, it’s typically very expensive — getting a sub-contractor up to speed or agreeing to work more hours for a rush fee can inflate a price tag quickly — and it may not be something you’re willing to do. There are only so many hours in a day, after all, and you may have other commitments that must come first.” (Bram, 2010)
3. Yes, but
a. “Sometimes, making both the price and time work is a matter of changing out other factors.” (Bram, 2010)
4. No
a. “It’s important to try to keep all communications about scope creep as calm as possible. While it’s easy to get frustrated at a client for piling request after request on top of an existing project, not all clients really realize that’s what they’re doing. But sometimes clients want more than what the project originally called for, without having to pay more. If that point comes around, the only option you may have is to put your foot down and say no. It may not be the best option for maintaining a long-term relationship with the client in question — but losing a client who doesn’t consider your time worth paying for is probably not the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.” (Bram, 2010)

References
Bram, T. (2010, February 9). 4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep. Retrieved from Freelance Switch: http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/4-ways-to-kill-scope-creep/
Doll, S. (2001, March 13). Seven steps for avoiding scope creep. Retrieved from TechRepublic CIO50: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/seven-steps-for-avoiding-scope-creep/1045555
Portny, S., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project management planning, scheduling and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: JOhn Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

Budgeting and estimating a job is not the easiest task for anyone, much less someone who is new at it. The internet offers many resources to help a new estimators prepare the required spreadsheet and costs for a job. As an instructional designer there are many resources available to us. In my research I found three sites that really caught my interest.
The first site I reviewed was “How to Manage a Project Budget”- http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-manage-a-project-budget.html . What caught my interest on this site was the explanation of what managing a project means and it provided tips for doing so.

1. Proper resource allocation
a. Coordinate employee responsibilities
b. What supplies will be needed
2. Using budget management software
a. Record every expense
b. “enables budget planning to be merged into other functions of the project”
3. Proof of expenses incurred
a. Keep hard copies of all expenses
4. Reviewing budget periodically
a. Track the work being done and resources being used
5. Good communication of budget risks
a. Keep everyone informed of any budget changes (Rampur, 2011)

The second site I looked at was “Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design”- http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/costs.html . I like this site because like my first choice it provides an explanation for understanding the importance of a budget. It also provides a guideline for training cost, and development hours. As a new designer I found this to be very helpful. We don’t often know how much to charge and this resource provided a good reference for this information. This site also provided a ratio for development time when creating a variety of eLearning projects and instructor lead training, explanation of cost for creating multimedia instruction (200-500 man hours for each hour of IMI) (Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design, 1995), interactive courseware development costs for multimedia and computer based training (CBT). I also like the case study the site provides to help you understand how estimating affects a real world situation.

The final site I visited was “Estimating Instructional Development (ID) Time” -http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=279. This reference is a site maintain by Michael Greer. Prior to this course I did not know who Michael Greer was. I have found the information he provides to be very helpful. He shares his insight and what he has learned in the industry. In this particular article he points out 5 topics he feels are important to keep in mind when preparing estimates:

1. Rule of thumb such as 10:1 or 30:1 (development time vs. training time) vary tremendously, depending on who is espousing them.
2. What matters most when estimating the development time is the instructional development project management model you will be using.
3. Non-writing time typically consumes most of the project time!
4. The rules of thumb seldom account for the fact that the deliverables we are developing for a one-hour training session may differ enormously from one course to another.
5. If you carefully examine your organization’s unique ID project management model and then collect your organization’s historical data related to time spend executing various steps of this model, you will be able to create some fairly accurate custom project estimation worksheets. (Greer, 2009)

The bottom line in any estimating project is to do your homework and be vigil in going back and rechecking the numbers as the project progresses. There are many factors that can change and effect a budget so it is important to make a habit of revisiting your budget throughout the life of your project.


References
Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design. (1995, 7 13). Retrieved from Big Dog & Little Dog Performance Juxtaposition: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/costs.html
Greer, M. (2009, 9 7). Estimating Instructional Development (ID) Time. Retrieved from Michael Greer's PM Resources: http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=279
Rampur, S. (2011, 6 3). How to manage a project budget. Retrieved from Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-manage-a-project-budget.html

Communicating Effectively

I have always been a strong advocate for face-2-face communication as being the most effective form of sharing information and getting your idea across. After reviewing the three formats (email, voicemail and face-2-face) of communication for the same information it only reinforced my views on communication.

With a face-2-face transfer you not only hear what is being requested but you get a visual of what is being asked. The individual that is asking has the opportunity to add body language and voice inflection to emphasize the importance of the request. Face-2-face communication allows for:

1. The intended audience to ask questions to clarify the content, meaning, and implication of the request
2. Enable project managers to verify that their audiences received and interpreted their message in the way intended
3. Enable project managers to pick up nonverbal signals that suggest an audience’s reaction to the message
4. Support interactive discussion and brainstorming about the message (Potny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2007, p. 358)

To reinforce what was asked face-2-face, I do believe a written follow up or even a short meeting, is important. It stresses the importance of your request and expectations.

With an email correspondence the tendency is to read the subject line and if it not a topic that needs to be addressed at that moment we tend to not read it and put it off for later. This particular email was pretty straight forward but it had not strength behind the message. It seemed as though the Jane was not emphasizing how important timing really was to her.

The same goes for voicemails. Jane failed to give Mark a specific deadline. In doing so she devalues the importance of Mark completing the report in a timely fashion. If you see who the voicemail is coming from and we are preoccupied we also tend to put the voicemail off for a later time. All too often forgetting to go back to the email or voicemail.

“Project managers are responsible for a variety of communication activities during the life of a project. Whatever form communications take, however, project managers should plan and prepare so their messages are received and correctly interpreted by project audiences.” (Potny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2007, p. 367)


Reference
Potny, S. E., Mantel, S. j., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2007). Project Management planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Learning from a Project "Post-mortem"

The project that I am thinking about for this assignment was, not an instructional design related project but rather, a project that I worked on with a previous employer of mine in the interior design field. The challenge with this particular project was scheduling. When we took on this job we knew meeting the deadline was going to be difficult. As the project progressed, the reality of hitting the deadline date was becoming a far reach. The issue that arose was not that we were going to be late but that my boss never let me communicate this with our client. As the date approached the lie of making the deadline date just continued. We did miss the date and the delivery did not take place until two weeks passed the original promised date.

This project was a failure. Not only was the client unhappy but the brunt of the clients frustration laid on my shoulders, because I was the client liaison. It was my job to try and keep the client updated and happy. I couldn’t do this. My boss never allowed me to stay in constant communication with the client. Had I been able to provide regular updates I do believe we would have had a much happier client. “When project information is determined accurately and completely and shared effectively, project manager’s dramatically increase their chances of project success. When pieces of this information are vague, missing, or not shared effectively, the chances of success are reduced.” (Portny, et al., 2008) And that is what happened with this project.

If an open door of communication would have been maintained then the client would have been able to make adjusted on their schedule to accommodate for the delays on our side. My part of the project management process in this job was to control and address problems as the occurred. Upper management made controlling the outcome of this project very difficult and as a result we lost the client.
This project failed to meet the expected performance and goals .

References:
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project Management Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Danvers, MA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

EDUC-6145

Hello and welcome class EDUC-6145 to my blog site. Please feel free to review past post that I have exchanged with prior classes. I look forward to the next few weeks.

Definitions of Instructional Design

Adapted from "Training and Instructional Design",
Applied Research Laboratory, Penn State University

http://www.umich.edu/~ed626/define.html

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Instructional Design as a Process:

Instructional Design is the systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. It is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. It includes development of instructional materials and activities; and tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner activities.



Instructional Design as a Discipline:

Instructional Design is that branch of knowledge concerned with research and theory about instructional strategies and the process for developing and implementing those strategies.



Instructional Design as a Science:

Instructional design is the science of creating detailed specifications for the development, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance of situations that facilitate the learning of both large and small units of subject matter at all levels of complexity.



Instructional Design as Reality:

Instructional design can start at any point in the design process. Often a glimmer of an idea is developed to give the core of an instruction situation. By the time the entire process is done the designer looks back and she or he checks to see that all parts of the "science" have been taken into account. Then the entire process is written up as if it occurred in a systematic fashion.



Instructional System:

An instructional system is an arrangement of resources and procedures to promote learning. Instructional design is the systematic process of developing instructional systems and instructional development is the process of implementing the system or plan.



Instructional Technology:

Instructional technology is the systemic and systematic application of strategies and techniques derived from behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist theories to the solution of instructional problems.



Instructional technology is the systematic application of theory and other organized knowledge to the task of instructional design and development.



Instructional Technology = Instructional Design + Instructional Development



Instructional Development:

The process of implementing the design plans.

Instructional Design in Elearning

By: George Siemens


September 30, 2002

Introduction

Elearning is the marriage of technology and education, and most often, the instructional designer's greatest role is that of "bridging" concepts between the two worlds. This vital role ensures that a subject matter expert's (SME) concepts are properly developed by graphic designers and programmers. Unfortunately, the role of instructional design (ID) in elearning is often misunderstood - due to the perceived complexity of the process and to poor understanding of the pedagogical requirements of elearning. To a large degree, ID is the process whereby learning, not technology, is kept at the center of elearning development.

The need for instructional design is being noticed in elearning - both in corporate training departments and education institutions. It is one of the fastest growing fields (Find Jobs): "Instructional design is one of the largest categories of e-learning jobs, and search engines produce better results with this specific keyword than the general term e-learning. There also are historical data for the job category of instructional design."

This article explores ID in terms of: definitions, models, and usage. Like many models, ID is simply naming a process that many instructors and course developers already utilize. Often, when instructors first encounter an ID model (like ADDIE), the response is..."Oh, I do that already".

What is Instructional Design?

Many definitions exist for instructional design - all of them are an expression of underlying philosophies and view points of what is involved in the learning process. Distinguishing the underlying philosophy of learning (in terms of: How does learning occur? What factors influence learning? What is the role of memory? How does transfer occur? What types of learning are best explained by the theory? Learning Theory) can help instructors and designers select the design model most congruent with their education philosophies.

The following is a listing of ID definitions:
■Instructional Design is the systematic process of translating general principles of learning and instruction into plans for instructional materials and learning. What is Instructional Design
■Instructional design is a systematic approach to planning and producing effective instructional materials. It is similar to lesson planning, but more elaborate and more detailed.
■Instructional Design is the systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. It is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. It includes development of instructional materials and activities; and tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner activities. Definitions of ID
■In general, ID theory needs to move in the direction of flexibility and learner-empowerment if it is to allow ID to keep up with technological and institutional changes...."Like the chiropractor who realigns your spine, we might become healthier from a realignment of our theories. If we admit to and attempt to accommodate some of the uncertainty, indeterminism, and unpredictability that pervade our complex world, we will develop stronger theories and practices that will have more powerful (if not predictable) effects on human learning." What is ID Theory?
■Instructional design is the process by which instruction, computer-based or not, is created. Instructional design provides a framework for the creative process of design, and ensures the learners' needs are met. ID and Development
■Instructional design ("ID", also known as instructional systems design or "ISD") is a tested and proven methodology for developing instruction. It first gained popularity in World War II, where the Instructional design approach fared so well that it was quickly co-opted into corporate training. In the fifty years that followed, ID has become the standard for producing excellent training in both the military and corporate realms, as well as textbook authoring and development of computer-based learning material What is ID?
■Instructional design is a systematic approach to course development that ensures that specific learning goals are accomplished. It is an iterative process that requires ongoing evaluation and feedback. Instructional Design
■Instructional Design is the art and science of creating an instructional environment and materials that will bring the learner from the state of not being able to accomplish certain tasks to the state of being able to accomplish those tasks. Instructional Design is based on theoretical and practical research in the areas of cognition, educational psychology, and problem solving. What is ID
Instructional Design Models
Instructional design, very loosely defined, is a system or process of organizing learning resources to ensure learners achieve established learning outcomes. As such, it is essentially a framework for learning. From a designers perspective, various models can be followed in the instructional design process. It is important to note that, at best, a model is a representation of actual occurrences and, as such, should be utilized only to the extent that it is manageable for the particular situation or task. Put another way, perhaps one model is more effective for designing a math course, and another model is more effective for designing soft skill courses (like managing people, customer service, etc.).

Instructional Design Models offers an excellent visuals depicting various models.

Here is an overview of some different models for instructional design:

■ADDIE - refers to Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate. This is possibly the best known design model, and is frequently used in academic circles.
■Algo-Heuristic - "The theory suggests that all cognitive activities can be analyzed into operations of an algorithmic, semi-algorithmic, heuristic, or semi-heuristic nature. Once discovered, these operations and their systems can serve as the basis for instructional strategies and methods. The theory specifies that students ought to be taught not only knowledge but the algorithms and heuristics of experts as well."
■Dick and Carey Model - "The Dick and Carey model prescribes a methodology for designing instruction based on a reductionist model of breaking instruction down into smaller components. Instruction is specifically targeted on the skills and knowledge to be taught and supplies the appropriate conditions for the learning of these outcomes."
■Robert Gagné's ID Model - "Gagné's approach to instructional design is considered a seminal model that has influenced many other design approaches and particularly the Dick & Carey systems approach. Gagné proposed that events of learning and categories of learning outcomes together provide a framework for an account of learning conditions. "
■Minimalism " The Minimalist theory of J.M. Carroll is a framework for the design of instruction, especially training materials for computer users. The theory suggests that (1) all learning tasks should be meaningful and self-contained activities, (2) learners should be given realistic projects as quickly as possible, (3) instruction should permit self-directed reasoning and improvising by increasing the number of active learning activities, (4) training materials and activities should provide for error recognition and recovery and, (5) there should be a close linkage between the training and actual system."
■Kemp, Morrison, and Ross Nine step instructional design model.
■Rapid Prototyping - "Generally, rapid prototyping models involve learners and/or subject matter experts (SMEs) interacting with prototypes and instructional designers in a continuous review/revision cycle. Developing a prototype is practically the first step, while front-end analysis is generally reduced or convereted into an on-going, interactive process between subject-matter, objectives, and materials " Thiagi - Rapid ID
■Epathic Instructional Design - 5-step process: Observe, capture data, reflect and analyze, brainstorm for solutions, develop prototypes
Why Use Instructional Design?
With a foundation of what instructional design is, and various models for implementation, we will now focus on the WHY of ID in elearning. Many classroom activities don't leave a "trail" that can be viewed by others (at least not directly - successes of graduates of a program can be evaluated and the relevance of courses assessed). Online learning is far more transparent. Classroom discussion is generally not archived (though certain lectures can be taped and shown to students)...whereas every aspect of elearning is transparent and can be used as a resources for subsequent courses.

Content, discussions, interactions, etc. can all be evaluated and reviewed by persons other than the instructor. As such, quality can be assessed more objectively in elearning. ID is a quality process. It seeks to ensure that critical concepts are explored through content presentation and learning activities.

Beyond quality and transparency issues, the greatest value ID offers is to students of online programs. The greatest objective of ID is to serve the learning needs and success of students through effective presentation of content and fostering of interaction.

Additional benefits instructional design offers elearning:

■"Distance learning courses are likely to fail if they are delivered as if they were traditional courses." (Smith, 1996)
■"Pedagogy must drive the choice of instructional technology, not the other way around." (Chizmar & Walbert, 1999)
■"Compared with a human instructor, technology is less adaptive. Once a plan of integration is implemented, it is less likely to change it according to student's reactions. This is why instructional design plays an important role in bridging pedagogy and technology. Subject contents have to be well organized and strategies for teaching via a chosen medium have to be well-thought-out. Instructional design can help educators making the best use of technology; therefore guarantee a successful integration." ID Approach for Integrating Pedagogy and Technology
■Provides consistency between various courses developed by various instructors/designers. The general look and process of content exploration is standardized.
■In a classroom, an instructor can adjust "on the fly"...if, during the design process, a concept was not communicated clearly, a classroom instructor can clarify. Online, this type of adjustment is usually not possible. The design process must anticipate and meet potential concerns/amibiguities...or put another way ID tries to do online what the instructor does in a classroom.
■ID focuses on the most effective way to present content
■ID begins with the learner and the learner experience
■Quality of course is ensured through ID - covers all the phases of good development
■ID gives structure to the student's process of working through course material
■Appropriate use of technology: "With e-learning and blended learning proving to be no more effective than traditional classroom methods, why are so few training professionals recognising this simple fact: Technology, no matter how advanced, cannot compensate for its misapplication. Here's why instructional design is - and always has been - the key to unlocking the true potential of available learning technologies." Leading edge training technologies
■Accelerate development. A current concern in elearning is development time. ID can speed up development time.
■Creates a transparent process - easier to track and utilize the experiences of development teams (a knowledge management issue)
■"Too much of the structure of educational technology is built upon the sand of relativism, rather than the rock of science. When winds of new paradigms blow and the sands of old paradigms shift; then the structure of educational technology slides toward the sea of pseudo-science and mythology. We stand firm against the shifting sands of new paradigms and "realities." We have drawn a line in the sand. We boldly reclaim the technology of instructional design that is built upon the rock of instructional science." Reclaiming ID

Conclusion
The growth and success of elearning is closely linked to the design of quality learning, enabled through the use of technology. Instructional designers play the pivotal role of bringing together these disparate fields - for the benefit of students, instructors, and organizations. Many of the concerns of online learning drop out rates, learner resistance, and poor learner performance can be addressed through a structured design process. The resulting benefits - reduced design costs, consistent look and feel, transparency, quality control, standardization - make organizational investment in ID a simple decision.