SUPPORTING PROJECT
MANAGEMENT FOR PUPILS
Eleanor Loughlin
The Supervisor’s Role
“Guidance can and should be given but care should be
taken not to remove the autonomy of the student. Give
time (between meetings as well as in them) for students
to think ideas through and make their own decisions
and offer direction through description of alternative
approaches used in the topic area or by open
questions so that students make their own informed
choices”
EPQ Teacher Resource Bank:
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-7993-W-TRB-INT04SEPQ.PDF
The Supervisor’s Role
“Discussing with the student the agreed timetable for
the research project … reviewing and revising it as
necessary
Giving guidance on matters including: the choice of
research topic; the planning of the research
programme; appropriate literature and sources;
Requesting written work as appropriate to the project,
returning it with constructive criticism within an agreed
timeframe.”
Durham University’s guidance for PhD Supervisors
The Project Triangle
Time
Resources
EPQ
Product Scope
Project Scope
Scope
Getting Started
“If you do not know
where you are
going, every road
will get you
nowhere.”
Henry Kissinger
Record of Initial Planning
First ideas for topic/title
First ideas for research and development of
your project
1. Clear identification of the topic,
2. Clear evidence of appropriate and agreed aims
and objectives,
3. Detailed project plan,
4. Plan for monitoring against the agreed objectives.
Title
Is it at the right level?

A research question or a testable hypothesis


open question – could be answered in different ways
scope for:




analysis
investigation and field study
argument
An assignment, commission, or design brief



what is the purpose?
who is it for?
different possible development routes
Be prepared to refine or revise the title
EPQ Student Blog Posting
“So over the half term, ive had a good think. When trying
to research about bullying linked with chronic kidney
failure, there is nothing really out there. So ive had a
changed in heart. What about “how has the
representation of women in pop videos changed in the
last fifty-years?”. I think i would be very interested in this
because it is totally different to what i am studying now.
However this question needs to be refined and thought
more about. There will be a lot more research on this
when compared to bullying linked with chronic kidney
failure.”
http://jennifermarch.wordpress.com/
Project Plan
Parkinson’s Law
work expands to fill the
time available for its
completion
Project Plan
Open-ended tasks
take longer
Gantt Charts
•
•
A simple graphical presentation of tasks
and times
A bar chart with start and finish dates on
a timeline
•
Easy to produce
•
Easy to explain
Start
Background Reading
Design Questionnaire
Review Questionnaire
Distribute
Data Inputting
Final Analyses
Write Up
Basic Gantt Chart
TIME
Hand In Date
http://ganttcharthead.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/extendedproject-gantt-chart.html
http://elliotepq.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/planninggantt-chart.html
Regular Meetings & Records
“A basic record of supervision should be kept (dates and main
topics of meetings) and particular notes made of elements that
may not be recorded by the student in their own production log
but that may contribute to your final assessment (for example,
the development of a new idea that changes the direction of
the project). Such supervision will aid the student (and is also
usually very enjoyable!) but is also, of course, extremely
important in the professional quality control of the assessment
— your assessment is based upon real knowledge of the
student’s development through the project process — and also
as a major preventer/detector of possible malpractice or
plagiarism.”
EPQ Teacher Resource Bank:
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-7993-W-TRB-INT04SEPQ.PDF
Term 1
Term 2
Term 1
Project “Slippage”
Term 2
Why do we often underestimate how
long a project will take?
1.
2.
3.
Not taking other commitments into
account,
Not allowing time for ‘blind alleys’
and ‘false starts’,
Not allowing time for changes in
direction and focus,
Why do we often underestimate how
long a project will take?
4.
Not allowing time for skills development
“For me to successfully create and produce an
entertaining documentary, I need to research what
skills are required and what techniques can be used
to accomplish a successful factual presentation. I need
to consider what innermost target is and how I achieve
it.” http://ganttcharthead.blogspot.co.uk/2010_11_01_archive.html
5.
Not allowing time for dips in motivation
Don’t leave the ‘end product’ to the
end
Producing drafts and sections helps:
 pupils hone their skills
 you and pupils
identify strengths and weaknesses
Identify areas for skills development
 you revise your support and advice in
light of fuller understanding of what
the student is capable of
Writing

Keeping a blog or reflective diary – recording and
evaluating what they are doing and generating
material for the mid and end of project reviews.
Q: How do you eat
an elephant?
A: Bit by bit
Project Management Resources
Businessballs - http://www.businessballs.com/
Mind Tools - http://www.mindtools.com/
Gantt Chart templates –
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/templates/gantt-project-plannerTC102887601.aspx
http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/excel-gantt-chart.html
https://drive.google.com/templates?q=gantt&start=21&sort=hottest&
view=public&ddrp=1#
QUESTIONS?
eleanor.loughlin@durham.ac.uk