Teaching Project Management
This document consists of 4 parts:
1 Introduction to learning objects on project management resources
2 Resources on project management
3 Notes for tutors teaching project management
4 Assessing project work
1 Introduction to learning objects on project management
Project management is used increasingly in the information and library sector (ILS)
as an effective approach for: developing new initiatives to improve service delivery;
achieving goals within a framework of public sector management; managing
change within information related organizations.
These learning objects have been developed as an ILS commissioned project for
the Higher Education Agency. They provide concise introductions to project
management set within the context of the information and library sector. Their
purpose is not to replicate the wide range of literature and web resources on
project management, but to provide useful content and case studies suitable for
use with students on ILS professional educational courses. These resources can
also be used for staff training within ILS organizations and can be adapted by
trainers and educators to fit the user group.
The learning objects have been created by Barbara Chivers, an independent writer
and formerly a Senior Lecturer and MSc Tutor on ILS courses at Birmingham City
University previously UCE Birmingham. The case studies have been created from
information provided by ILS professionals, based on projects in a range of
organizations. These case studies can be used by tutors to stimulate ideas and
activities for discussion and learning.
These learning objects consist of 3 Word files:
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Teaching Project Management
This document provides an introduction and overview of the learning objects on
project management. It is aimed at educators and trainers and offers ideas for
teaching project management on ILS courses in higher education. A module
outline is provided, plus suggestions for how students could work on group
projects. There are also suggestions for assignments and assessing project work.
However, all of these ideas could be used and adapted for training events.
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Project Management Overview
This document provides a brief overview of project management. It does not offer
detailed descriptions of how to work on projects but provides a context for ILS
projects and signposts to more detailed resources. The reasons and benefits for
using project management are explored. Several staged approaches are outlined
to encourage students to consider a model most useful for their own experiences.
Finally, the essential skills for managing projects are discussed briefly. This
document could be used as the content for a short course or as an introductory
session on a longer teaching module.
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Case Studies for Project Management
These case studies have been created from real ILS project situations in public
and academic libraries. Professional librarians were provided with a template for
creating the project details which have been summarized within the template
headings for ease of comparison. All projects are unique and some fit the template
headings better than others. However, although they have been adapted to form a
narrative, the aim has been to retain the unique nature of each project. The
template is included at the end of the file.
Titles of these case studies are listed alphabetically below:
DVD Collection Project
Library Portal Project
Public Library Schools Visits Project
Reclassification Project
School Author Visit Project
Self Service Project
Visual Images Databases Project
Volunteers Project
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Resources on project management
Project management is frequently covered as a themed chapter in some
management textbooks. However there are also many books, journal articles and
websites devoted specifically to project management. A brief selection of these is
given below and tutors may wish to add their own preferred titles to this selection.
Allan, B. (2004) Project Management. Tools and techniques for today’s ILS
professional. London. Facet Publishing.
This book has been written for ILS professionals. It applies the principles of project
management to the ILS sector. The author uses her professional experience to
share insights and provide a range of examples. The project life cycle is covered in
detail and there is much useful information and advice on working with people on
projects.
Harrin, E. (2007) Project Management in the Real World: Shortcuts to success.
The British Computer Society (BCS).
The style of this book makes it an easy and informative read. It lists all the tasks and
processes needed for good project management. Examples, anecdotes and case
studies are used to explore and support themes, hints, rules and warnings. Icons are
used to identify these. Although most examples originate in the business and service
sectors, they demonstrate the principles and should encourage ILS students to think
about the wider context of project management and the transferable skills that need to
be developed.
Reardon, D. (2006) Doing Your Undergraduate Project. London. Sage
Publications.
As the title suggests, this book concentrates on working for an undergraduate
project or dissertation. It does however apply project management principles to this
task and ILM students may find it helpful for both improving their knowledge of
project management and for the guidance it offers for their own project work.
Pugh, Lyndon. (2007) Change Management in Information Services
Aldershot: Ashgate.
Although the focus of this book is on managing change, students may find the
sections on project management in change situations useful for providing an ILM
context. It will improve student understanding of the role of project management in
change situations.
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Websites
There are many web resources on project management and tutors may already
have identified their favourite sites. The 3 sites listed below have been selected for
inclusion here because they provide useful guidance and offer some free
resources.
Business balls (2008). Available from: http://www.businessballs.com [Accessed 21
January 2008].
This is a useful site that provides succinct outlines of different management
themes. The project management section outlines the stages of project
management with links to free resources from the Project Agency.
The Project Agency (2008). Available from: http://projectagency.com [Accessed 21
January 2008].
The project Agency offers training and support to improve project management
across a diverse range of organizations. The site offers some free resources on
project management which students will find useful to understand the size and
scale of project management.
The Project Management Institute (2008). Available from: http://www.pmi.org
[Accessed 21 January 2008].
This is an American site, useful for students to browse to gain an understanding of
the global nature of project management.
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Notes for Tutors teaching project management
Although the range and content of management modules will vary, it is expected
that all ILM courses will have some management modules that are studied by the
ILM students, either before or concurrently with studying project management.
If a module is developed on Project Management, this will provide a useful space
where students can draw on their knowledge from other management modules and
apply their learning to the context of project management. Knowledge of how
organizations work; their structures, cultures and systems; financial management;
leadership; working in teams and managing change; all have direct application to
project management. Having covered these themes in management modules, the
tutors can expect students to apply their conceptual understanding to the
situational context of project management. For example by understanding the
complexities of working in teams, they should be able to understand how teams
can best be used on project work. By understanding the issues surrounding
leadership, they should be able to identify the characteristics and style of a
successful project leader. By understanding change management, they will be
aware of the importance of consulting stakeholders in project management
situations.
The emphasis of a Project Management module could be on minimal teaching and
more experiential learning. The number of credits allocated to the module and the
number of weeks and hours over which the module will be delivered will influence
the type of project work that is expected from the students. The first two taught
sessions could be used to provide an overview and context for project
management plus briefing for group work. Assignments could be developed for
students to work in small project groups on hypothetical situations to solve
problems. Alternatively, they could be asked to plan real or imaginary events or
new services. Regular reports of their progress and reflective evaluation could be
required at key stages to ensure the students remain focused and seek tutor
guidance where necessary. It is useful to include several whole group sessions
where each project group delivers a presentation about the project task or
demonstrates the deliverable if this is an object or event that can be explained.
These final sessions are valuable for several reasons:
 They encourage accountability for progress throughout the module and give
visibility to the students’ work.
 They can serve as opportunities for practicing similar events in the
workplace.
 A target date for a final presentation replicates a delivery date in a real
project situation.
 Presentations offer opportunities for peer learning that is useful for all
students in the module group. It encourages reflection and analysis of all
individual and group contributions.
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Suggested module programme
The structure outlined below assumes a module delivery period of 15 weeks.
Students would be expected to work on the assignment in their own time outside of
the module allocation, however, it is recognised that for group work, shared
meeting time is difficult. Allocating time within the module helps to resolve this
problem and enables the tutor to monitor group progress. The number of sessions
allocated can be reduced if fewer weeks are available for the module delivery.
Similarly, the number of themes covered in taught sessions can be reduced by
using directed readings. However, part of the value of these taught sessions can
be to provide opportunities for ideas for the assignment. Also, part of each of these
taught sessions could be allocated to group work. This encourages attendance at
the sessions plus facilitates group meetings.
Week 1
Introduction to the Module
Overview of Project Management
Briefing for group work on the assignment
Week 2
The Project Life Cycle
Stages in Project Management
Week 3
Systems and processes of Project Management
Week 4
Financial management and control
Week 5
Human aspects of Project Management
Week 6
Group work
Week 7
Group work
Week 8
Progress tutorials
Week 9
Presentations
Week 10
Presentations
Week 11
Presentations
Week 12
Reflection and review of module learning
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Working in groups for project work
A project management module is an ideal opportunity for students to work in small
groups to develop their team working skills and replicate situations in
organizational and professional situations. However, tutors will need to consider
the best approach to use for allocating students into group work. Whilst a random
allocation may be thought to replicate real work situations, students feel the
pressures of working on several assignments concurrently so the group dynamics
are important. Poor group dynamics can demotivate students and reduce the
quality of their learning and final outcomes. Small groups where individual
contributions are visible are usually more effective than larger groups where limited
contributions can be hidden. Groups of 4 are usually most productive.
Several approaches to forming groups can be used by tutors:
1 Random allocation
Students are allocated randomly to groups by the tutor. This can be from a register
or use of other methods such as coloured cards to identify each group.
2 Tutor created groups
Students are allocated to groups by the tutor, who uses her knowledge of the
students’ different skills and personality types to ensure a fairly even spread across
all of the groups. The intention in this approach is to avoid problems, especially if
previous group work has caused some problems between individuals.
3. Student choice
Students are told to get into groups of a specific size such as between 3 and 4. The
tutor may be aware of some personality issues but leaves the students to resolve
these and make their own choices. The tutor may however need to reallocate some
individuals if size of the groups is unbalanced and cannot be resolved by the
students themselves. It is important to have equal sized groups, especially if the
work is assessed.
4. Leaders identified by tutor
The tutor identifies several students who are strong and able to lead a group. This
choice can mean that dominant personalities are separated across groups. Group
leaders then choose their group members. This choice could be made in an order
that ensures as much fairness as possible between the different groups.
Alternatively, when leaders have been identified the remaining students can
choose who they prefer to work with. The tutor may need to intervene if there is an
imbalance or a clash of personalities.
5. Group roles identified
The tutor identifies key roles for each project group. A profile of each role is
created and students are asked to bid for their preferred role. Groups are then
formed by either:
 The tutor selecting one student from each role
 Group leaders choosing the student for their role.
This ensures that different skills are used effectively across all groups and that
students have a clear understanding of the role they have chosen.
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Assessing project work
As discussed above, some of the value of a project management module is the
opportunity that it provides for students to work in groups to achieve a specific task.
Some form of assessment will be essential to meet university requirements and
these will influence the method of the assessment chosen.
Assessing group work usually provides tensions for students who may believe their
performance will be influenced positively or negatively by other students in their
group. This effect can be reduced by creating an assignment that requires group
work on a project task that earns a proportion of 30% or 40% of the final mark.
Individual students can then be required to write a report on the project that will
earn the remaining proportion of the final mark. This enables capable students to
achieve a good mark but prevents weaker students from earning total final marks
higher than their true capabilities. In some circumstances it may help weaker
students to pass the module by working with more capable students who raise their
performance level. However, the marks awarded to individual reports would help to
differentiate between ability levels. It is worthwhile noting that although this
approach could be criticized for rewarding weaker students, it does reflect many
real project management situations that help to improve the skills of individuals
through a combined group performance.
A choice of assignments is suggested below.
Group Project and individual report
Students are asked to plan a real or hypothetical event such as a conference or
exhibition. This will be challenging for most students so it may be helpful for tutors
to offer guidance on the ideas chosen. The group are assessed on the quality of
the real event, or on the quality of the ideas outlined in a group presentation.
Students are also required to write an individual report of the project work.
Real event (40% of total mark)
For a real event, the tutors would need to provide adequate support to the students
to ensure the event was successful. It would also be important that any
professionals or organizations from outside of the university saw it as a useful and
worthwhile event in which to participate. Perhaps accommodation and resources
from within the university could be allocated but students would be expected to
negotiate the use of these resources. They would also be expected to
communicate with the participants and develop the programme and publicity
materials. Meetings with the tutor could be scheduled at key stages for the
students to report on progress and seek advice and guidance.
The event would be assessed by the tutors and a group mark would be allocated.
Participants could also contribute to the assessment through an evaluation form
that required them to score a range of characteristics of the event. These could be
totalled and an aggregate score developed. However, if this approach is used, the
tutors should agree the final mark given.
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Hypothetical event (40% of total mark)
For a hypothetical event, real locations, organizations and individuals would need
to be identified plus costs developed so that justification for choices can be
explained in the presentation and written report. The topic would need to be
researched to identify suitable speakers or contributors to the event; however,
these people would not need to be contacted. A selection of real locations would
also need to be researched to identify costs, travel issues and accommodation.
The type of event and theme would need to be topical so that it extends the
students’ knowledge. A few suggestions for real or hypothetical events are listed
below:
A conference on a theme such as:
 Information literacy
 Impact of the web on specific library services
 E-content management
 Digital-age copyright issues.
An event such as:
An ‘Information Fair’ where voluntary sector organizations and public libraries are
invited to display their information products and services. This would be in a public
space such as a shopping centre where there would be sizeable numbers of the
general public visiting the centre. The purpose of the event would be for the
participating organizations to promote their existence and services to the
community.
Individual written report (60% of total mark)
Each student would be required to create a report on the project event that would
earn an individual mark. A report template of headings could be provided to enable
some comparison between students but within these sections students could be
expected to demonstrate their individual analytical and reflective skills. Template
headings could be chosen from the list below:
Introduction and overview of the project
Project aims / outcomes
Project roles and analysis if group effectiveness
Financial costs and how they were managed
Analysis and reflections on the planning and delivery of the project.
Conclusions
Marking schemes for these assignments would need to be developed within the
requirements set by the host academic organizations.
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Essays
This type of assignment may be useful for a module that has more formal teaching
than experiential learning. The nature of the essay question should require
synthesis and critical analysis of themes covered within the module curriculum.
Although this assignment lacks the practical experience offered by group work, it
will encourage students to read the literature and search for relevant examples. An
essay could also be used as the formal assessment in a module that also required
some non-assessed group work on a project task.
Suggested essay titles:
Identify and discuss the range of skills essential for an effective project manager to
lead a team and complete the project successfully. Use examples to support your
discussion.
What do you consider to be the current issues facing project managers within the
information sector? Critically discuss your chosen themes using examples to
support your discussion.
Critically discuss the increasing importance of project management for innovation
and change on the information sector.
As for the previous assignment suggestions, marking schemes would need to be
developed within the criteria used in the host organizations. However, a generic
evaluation matrix could be used that scores values between 0 – 20 for:
Relevance to the question
Coherence of the discussion
Quality and depth of analysis
Range of literature used
Originality and use of examples.
Conclusion
The ideas outlined in this document can be adapted for different user groups,
learning situations and organizational contexts. These ideas are all based on
experience and practice of project management teaching. A designated module or
training course on project management can offer students many opportunities for
personal and professional development through the need for creative thinking,
focused application, effective communication and team working skills. It is also
essential that reflection is included in all student discussion and activities. A
module or training course can provide ‘safe spaces’ for this learning to take place.
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