Evaluating the Teaching of Project Management Tools through a Series of Case Studies

Abstract

Project management (PM) tools are mandatory to properly manage software projects. The usage of these tools is an important competence for professionals in the computer area, and its teaching is addressed in superior computer courses. In this context, general usage tools are usually adopted, such as MS-Project, but the lack of educational features of in these tools has motivated the development of several educational PM tools. However, previous studies have shown that these tools still do not cover the whole PM process, as defined by PMBOK. As a result, this study aims at presenting an instructional unit to assist in the teaching of functionalities that support an extensive part of this process, covering the initiating and planning processes groups for all knowledge areas. It adopts an open-source and educational PM tool – dotProject+, and other instructional materials. The instructional unit was applied in several case studies in undergraduate computer courses. Its results demonstrated students were able to learn how to use the PM tool to carry out that part of PM process, and teachers state students learning was facilitated by the instructional materials adoption.