E-learning Project Plan. Information and communication technology (ICT)

E-learning Project Plan

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Project Statement

Information and communication technology (ICT) provides broad opportunities in education especially schooling. It unravels the prior unknown avenues of teaching and study, reinforces the link of schools across the world and generates new opportunities in communications. In a short period of time, internet and computer technology have radicalized education, the methods of doing business and people’s lives. This has shaped and will continue to mold the school system in years to come. The Ministry of Education’s vision for posterity in Australia entails applying internet features as an information utility for schooling (Winston 2000). E-learning constitutes use of educational materials to purposefully impart and communicate between parents, teachers, students, school administrators, employers and all those associated with education (Abudi 2011). This vision entails that fundamental teaching practices build up into what may be termed as distributed education, with students undertaking studies in distributed learning schools.

Expansion of the Ministry’s policy on ICT involves efforts to reinforce the premises for utility of technology in schools (Morgen 2003). Currently, the educational gateway austagatt.is is being opened to comprise information on the focus points within ICT and education in which the education Ministry will be engaged on for the next two years. The guideline for this work is based on the premise that Australia continues to lead in providing benefits for students in the knowledge society of posterity and the use of new technology to schools in the form of e-learning.

A) Business case development

Project scope

The e-learning project scope describes its objectives, benefits, key performance indicators, strategies and rationale.

Objectives

1) To complement classroom training: The attention will be on changed practices on teaching of individual subjects with ongoing education subjects that consider the requirements of a range of professional areas.

2) To provide as an introduction to prospective clients: The link between ICT studies and the education fraternity emphasizes on the diversity in the supply of new studies and its expected increase in universities and secondary schools.

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Educational gateway austagatt.is

Curriculum gateway guide

Recording of Metadata

Information utilities

Benefits

1. It offers a significant degree of flexibility for the trainees

2. It provides “just time in time” opportunity for learning

3. Trainees at their own pace can complete activities

4. Activities and resources can be accessed at anytime from anywhere

5. This is an opportunity that delivers activities simultaneously to an unlimited number of trainees

Rationale

E-learning project support will be based on the use of a variety of equipment in schooling, such as electronic books, portable computers, and mobile telephones.

Alterations to school buildings will guide experiments so as to reduce the need for new construction and support distributed education (Craig 2009). Universities, secondary schools, and continuing education institutions will be connected on a high-speed network.

Secondary schools and universities will have wireless networks installed. Access to the internet will be provided to all the classrooms in primary schools. There will be need to satisfy the expectations and requirements of the 2-way street e-learning courseware development project (Kleiman 2011). The client roles will be to provide clear objectives, and manage the project processes and internal stakeholders.

Purpose

The aim of the provider of e-learning is in listening to the customer, satisfying their desires, and worth addition to outcomes along the way and the project practice. Development of the course in e-learning is a multimedia, multi-discourse process. It relies on the value of outcomes coming prior like any other process (Manfred & Vries 2003). From the beginning to the end, provider of e-learning ought to obtain client sign-off, given the clear milestones. This ensures that all is correct prior to proceeding to the next part of the process. The client has a role in completing a comprehensive check prior to signing-off the milestone.

Strategies

Changed teaching practices will govern teacher education based on individual subjects with continuing education courses that considers the requirements of various professional disciplines (Stevens 2002).

Teleprocessing and distributed learning will be reinforced so that students can undertake diverse studies irrespective of their residents (Harrison & Dennis 2004).

Development and research in the areas of teleprocessing will be amplified

There should be increase in the supply of fully developed correspondence studies leading to university degrees.

Assumptions

The project receives funds from external sponsors to involve a collaborative and joint effort of partnering schools and the Australian Educational Services Division.

Funding will be consistent with the objectives and will be available till the end of the project (Gomez-Mejia 2008).

Constraints

Some of the stakeholders may take on passive roles

Current funding is only secured for 8 months.

The scope of the e-learning project may find it hard to obtain agreement from all members of Australian Educational Community.

Communication with staff in North Western Australia may be difficult owing to cultural preferences, technology, and timeframes.

The time human and financial costs are not precisely estimated during e-learning implementation

The organization may not be able to access or source organization-specific, educationally designed and engaging content

Resistance to change from those comfortable and familiar with traditional teaching and learning approaches

Specific deliverables

Number of Templates, Lesson Modules, and HTML Pages needed: The pages will be classified into categories that are based on their degree of complexity such as media content, graphics, and database queries

Media Content: There will be estimate of typical media elements such as interactive sequences, text, graphics, video, audio among others

Product Testing Scripts: This will establish the types of tests such as database queries, navigation, user volume, and external links

Navigation Rules: navigation is based on learner performance and also by clicking through lessons (HTML)

Milestones

1. Design brief: Details discussed to reflect details of the kick-off meeting and the RFQ inclusions. It outlines the design approach of lessons, graphic style, the assessment approach, animations, and interactivity (Frigenti & Comninos 2002). It also highlights on narration and video, authoring tool, navigation inclusions, and comprehension of the client’s standard operating environment (SOE). Presence of template mock-ups in the form of GUI graphic user interfaces. They are visual treatments reflecting on the corporate feel /look with the mindset of learners’ experience. The sign-off of GUI should be obtained from Group Communications. Design brief is signing-off.

2. Test course: provider of e-learning to develops a minor course test that reflects the assessment type, all navigation patterns agreed, and interactivity. Check functionality works and Testing of the LMS course. Assessment tracks Test and course completes. Signing-off.

3. Storyboard: Client and e-learning provider to agree on learner course content. E-learning provider to design engagement and learning experience. Scanning the first draft in person. Create several iterations of the storyboard. Production through multimedia. Review project variations.

4. Narration script: Signing off verbatim narrations prior to video or studio production. The script should be concise, compelling and culturally reflective.

5. Alpha course: A user acceptance test (UAT) is run internally. Course technical feature and content checked. Check for minor issues to be archived as a change request. Reviewing the alpha course (Young-Hoon 2005). Sending back to the provider of e-learning for review of quality assurance. Running and tracking alpha test in the LMS. Signing off the adjust request. Return to the provider of e-learning.

6. Beta course: Use change request data to check all actioned items. Re-check the LMS tracking. Making decisions of issues arising. The provider to publish the items. Document items in a change request. Reiterate the beta testing process (DeMars 2006).

Figure 1: e-learning project milestones

Project partners and stakeholders

Australian Flexible learning community

Australian Education Service Division

Research corporate VLE

Australia – Program Director Language Support

Australia – Learning Design Specialist

Project timeframe

The estimated duration of the project is 18 months (July 2013-November 2014)

The sponsor may delay the project timeframes through project endorsement and in selection of regions to be analyzed. An e-learning report to the Australian Educational Services Division is scheduled for September 2014.

Project costing

No Item Cost (AUD $)

1 Project staff remuneration 35,000

3 Administrative costs 12,000

4 Equipment and materials 65,000

5 Travel and reports 11,000

Total project budget 123,000

Note: This includes $367 for on-cost variance / salary from AUD$38,200).

Extra funding of $6,000 will be availed by AESD to meet travel expenses for a regional expert involved in evaluation exercise in selected states within Australia to local participation and enhanced communication.

Resource contribution from stakeholders: Staff time of AESD committee and Australian Flexible Learning Community.

Assistance where required from A-DLS staff.

Estimated error margin: +/- 3%

Cost implications post-project: These costs will not be counted as part of e-learning project.

B) Project Management

Project management tools

Product context diagram

Project context diagram

Priority matrix

Risk management assessment

Progress communication plan

Risk management

Overall project risk

The overall risk to the e-learning project is low-moderate.

Worksheet: risk prioritization and scoring

Risk Likelihood(Low, Medium, High) Impact (Low, Medium, High) Control Risk index(1-5)

1-Very High

5-very low

Delay in funds disbursement High High Consult with the sponsor on the project readiness 1

Low response from target communities Medium High Involve local communities at all stages 3

Delay in listing user requirements Low High Consult with all departments to ensure their needs are documented 5

E-learning project team roles

Responsibility Name Roles

Project Sponsor AESD and Australian Flexible Learning community providing funding for the project

Aiding in decisions pertaining risk activities and project scope

Project Manager Jack MacArthur Prioritizes available resources and assigns work

Keeps all stakeholders informed on the status of the project

Project Team Monroe, Steve, Cornwall, Henry, Stacy, Jackie, Welby, Freeman, Suzzane, Drake, Williams, Stone Individuals who perform the activities required to complete the project

Report all activities to the Project Manager

Educational clients Samson, Simpson, Arrati, Esposito To manage area that will benefit from the e-Learning product

Provides the schools and universities for the project team

Schools and universities Don Bosco, Brian Cook, Esther Muffins Help determine the learning goals

Advises as pertaining the appropriateness of the learning goals

Being participative and available

E-learning statement of work

Restate project Instructional Design

Context E-Learning Product Diagram

Establishes the system interaction and entities

IT Infrastructure Requirements

Performance Criteria

Web Browser Compatibility Requirements

Bookmarking, Scoring and Tracking Requirements

LMS Requirements

Project schedule

Item July –Sep 2013 Oct-Dec 2013 Jan-Mar 2014 Apr-June 2014 Jul-Sep 2014 Oct-Nov 2014

Design brief

a) Kick-off meeting

b) The GUI sign-off c) Signing-off the Design brief.

Listing project requirements Hiring and recruitment of the project team

Sourcing project requirements Test course 

a) provider of e-learning to develop a small course test

b) Check functionality works and Testing of the course in the LMS.

c) Assessment tracks Test and course completes.

d) Signing-off.

Storyboard 

a) Client and e-learning provider to agree on learner course content.

b) E-learning provider to design engagement and learning experience. c) Scanning the first draft in person

d) Create several iterations of the storyboard.

e) Production through multimedia.

f) Review project variations.

Narration script

a) Signing off verbatim narrations prior to video or studio production.

b) Checking the script if concise, compelling and culturally reflective.

Alpha course

a) user acceptance test (UAT) run internally

b) Technical features of the course and content are checked.

c) Check for minor issues to be archived as a change request. d) Reviewing the alpha course. Return to the provider of e-learning for review of quality assurance.

e) Running and tracking alpha test in the LMS.

f) Signing off the modify request.

g) Return to the provider of e-learning.

Beta course

a) Use change request data to check all actioned items.

b) Re-check the LMS tracking.

c) Making decisions of issues arising.

d) The provider to publish the items.

e) Document items in a change request.

f) Reiterate the beta testing process.

System go live Reviewing and evaluation of the e-learning project

The Project review will be done after every two months to provide documentation and closure to the e-Learning at the point of project delivery.

The best techniques for managing the e-Learning project will be advanced by organization knowledge (Cleland & Gareis 2006).

Project Team building will be done through a survey of the project team so as to establish opinion of issues from the team regarding the project to be reported

Re-evaluation of deliverables will be compared against the wish list identified during planning to the e-Learning product

Best Practices on e-Learning projects will be paramount as it will add to the bank of organizations knowledge.

The project will develop and maintain a Risk Database Records so as to mitigate e- Learning project’s identified risks (Kotter & Cohen 2002).

Contents of learning management systems (LMS)

LMS Function Responsibility Requirements

Server as a repository Monroe, Henry, Jackie For all e-Learning content, a centralized location should be established

Update procedures and distribution Implementation

Creating, sharing and reusing Steve, Cornwall, Welby Procedures on Check–in check-out

Common elements sharing such as style sheets, Templates

Provide security Suzzane Control distribution and updating of materials to process

Learning objects for reuse definition Drake Store content components modular

Ensures ease of updating and consistency

Generate metadata information Williams Document and tag all elements of e-learning

Provide files with ease of retrieval

Automate distribution and assembly Stone, Jackie Customization and creation of e-learning systems simplified as different versions

Updated e-learning schedules maintained Stone e-learning systems with limited shelf life have centralized calendar for expiration dates

Complies with the standards Jack Macarthur Established standards are applied with a simplified migration to other LCMSs systems (Lock 2007).

Overall project management considerations

Roles and responsibilities: The project manager will approve changes to specifications, products readiness, and contents of the status reports

Risk management: Risks requiring preventative action will be determined while developing steps to be taken should the risks occur

Relative priorities of triple constraints: the delivery cycles managed depending on the needs, cost constraints, and resource availability.

Number of delivery cycles: 6 to 8 months of delivery date from e-learning project launch 1 or 2 interim review cycles

Quality management

The quality benchmarks, standards and guidelines include;

Timely reporting of e-learning reports and information

Proper composition of the team with express teamwork

Excellent communication practices

Communication management

What Medium Audience Time/duration

Minutes of kick off meeting e-mail Project team, sponsor First week of project start up

Project advisory team meetings Visual presentation Beneficiaries Quarterly

Project progress reports e-mail, fax Sponsor, beneficiaries Monthly

E-learning Information management

Document name/type Electronic location Location of hard copy

e-learning project plan Archives/e-learning/ Australia Flexibility e-learning/Project admin/e-learning project plan File, Education director

e-learning project reports Archives/e-learning/ Australia Flexibility e-learning/Project admin/e-learning project plan File, Education director

Cost management

The procurement and costs will be managed by the project manager with the regard to baseline lines. The ongoing reports will provide schedule, cost and quality reports at a regular basis (every month). The team will ensure that time given to the project is restricted so that it does not accumulate indirect costs associated with extended time (Bjarne 2007). If the duration of the project is extended, it may mean crashing the project by increasing more workforce into the team. This will have a short term effect of increasing workmanship compensation costs but will eventually lower the direct and indirect costs in the long run. The quality of the e-learning project will not be compromised as long as the project manager understands the estimated duration and its permitted allowance (Dinsmore 2005). The project will be subject to evaluation into which the sponsor will be keen to check the spending and satisfaction of the team members (Uneja, Himanshu & Prachi 2011). The project manager will be tasked with greater roles of ensuring that leadership, direction, staffing, coordination and administration of the project is served.

Reference list

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