Project Management Course Research Articles

Examining the impact of flipping the classroom on student performance in an undergraduate course in project management

This paper examines the impact of adopting a flipped classroom model on the academic performance of students in an introductory undergraduate course in project management. The study was conducted over a three-semester period during which the course was transformed from a traditional lecture-oriented format to semi-flipped and flipped modes of instruction in search of a more fruitful learning environment for students with diverse academic backgrounds and program needs. A combination of performance- and perception-based data were collected for analytical purposes. Multiple assessment tools were included in the study to measure students' performance with respect to various layers of intended learning outcomes. The results showed that students in semi-flipped and flipped classrooms on average outperformed their peers in all the assessment categories considered. There were no statistically significant differences in performance between the semi-flipped and flipped classrooms. Furthermore, the study revealed that the majority of students viewed the flipped classroom favourably and noted that it offered advantages over a traditional lecture-oriented format.

Exploration and Practice of Blended Learning Reform of Project Management Course Based on “Rain Classroom”

As the primary professional course of undergraduate business administration, Project Management has the characteristics of solid comprehensiveness of theories and broad application of knowledge. Suppose only a traditional offline onsite teaching method is adopted. In that case, students often find the content abstract and challenging to understand, making the classroom atmosphere dull. It is also hard to mobilize students' learning initiative and sense of participation. Based on the teaching practice of the Project Management Course in recent 20 years, this paper explores the online and offline Blended learning mode via deepening teaching method reform. It is to make full use of internet teaching platforms and high-quality online resources to realize the synergies of online and offline teaching. It enhances the primary battlefield role of onsite teaching in imparting knowledge while enabling students to exploit online teaching resources to complete autonomous learning before class, case analysis in class, and expansion and improvement after class. In addition, the Blended learning mode enlivens the classroom atmosphere. It improves students' ability to apply knowledge and critical thinking to solve practical problems of Project Management through the interactions between teachers and students and interactions among students.

PARTICIPATORY BUDGET AS A TOOL OF TERRITORIAL UNIT ENGAGEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING IN PUBIC ADMINISTRATION: PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ACTION

Research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) proves that democratic societies are richer than others; moreover, democratization leads to the economic development of countries as a whole, even if not all areas are engaged in the reforms. This study contrasts paternalism as the parental behavior of any hierarchical system that violates the freedoms and personal autonomy of individuals (groups); and participatory governance, which aims to involve individuals in the decision-making system at various levels. First introduced in 1989 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the participatory budget (hereinafter PB) has since been adopted in many regions, both in the European Union and worldwide, with communities in Ukraine starting to implement PB in 2015. Sumy territorial unit joined this process in 2017. Only three years' results (except for 2020 through COVID-19) are not enough to analyze certain patterns; however, this study identified some positive changes and barriers to the development of PB, which may be the starting point for further research in this area. This study identified the main trends - reducing the submission and funding of projects in 2021 after a one-year break (due to the pandemic situation), increasing the number of women authors (up to 63%), the invariability of the categories for which projects are submitted. Thus, the leaders in the field are projects dedicated to the healthy lifestyle and city beautification, followed by projects in culture and tourism, and education. To date, 21 projects have been implemented in Sumy within the framework of the PB. At the same time, the problems of further development of participatory budgeting remain unresolved, such as the complexity of the procedure for submitting, defending and implementing the project, low quality of support of authors during the project implementation and others. The introduction of educational courses in project management at the expense of the budget will not solve all problems, but will increase the level of public involvement in PB in the future, which is especially important in terms of population decline in general.

Examining the impact of flipping the classroom on student performance in an undergraduate course in project management

Examining the impact of flipping the classroom on student performance in an undergraduate course in project management

Simulation-Based Training: From a Traditional Course to Remote Learning - the COVID-19 Effect

The University of Bergamo switched from regular classes to online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic during March 2020, without leaving to the students the chance to meet their teachers in the traditional setting even once. As such, this context represents a unique opportunity to compare the traditional courses, held in the years before, with remote learning. In this paper, we focus on the lessons learned from switching a project management course that combines traditional lectures with Simulation-Based Training (SBT) to an online course with the same structure, same curriculum and the same teaching team. Lessons learned are based on the opportunity to compare the two methods of teaching and their learning outcomes. Based on the analysis, conclusions about the future of this course and similar courses are presented.

The Teaching and Practical Exploration of the Introduction of BIM Technology into Construction Project Management Courses

With the continuous acceleration of the urbanization process, the construction industry has achieved rapid development, and the demand for construction talents is also increasing. "Construction project management" is one of the core courses of the architectural profession. The quality and level of the course teaching are directly related to the effect of the cultivation of talents. This paper focuses on the issues related to the teaching reform of construction project management courses based on BIM technology.

Does Project-Based Learning (PBL) Promote Student Learning? A Performance Evaluation

The purpose of the study on which this paper is based was to conduct a performance evaluation of student learning for an introductory course in project management in a higher educational institution in Norway. This was done by utilizing performance measurement philosophy to evaluate perceived student learning after a project-based assignment was applied as an instructional tool. The evaluation was conducted at the end of the semester to determine whether it facilitated learning effectiveness by providing an authentic learning experience. Relevant learning criteria were identified from existing literature and were measured by means of a questionnaire survey. Ten measurement scales were established using a 5-point Likert scale. The survey was then rolled out for the same subject for two consecutive semesters for just over 100 project management students. The results indicated that the incorporation of project-based assignments has a positive impact on student learning, motivation, and performance both in the short and long term. The study finally revealed that the incorporation of project-based assignments enables the creation of real-life experiences, which further stimulates the creation and development of real-life competencies.

Improving project management curriculum by aligning course learning outcomes with Bloom’s taxonomy framework

Purpose This study aims to investigate how to improve the project management (PM) curriculum by evaluating the nature and alignment of learning outcomes in the PM course syllabi with Bloom’s Taxonomy framework. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology for this study is an integrative approach that uses document analysis and content analysis. The data set was selected based on a purposeful sampling method and came from PM course syllabi for classes that were taught during the 2016–2018 academic years. Findings Results revealed that most of the reviewed PM course syllabi contained learning outcomes although they were written and assessed at the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and knowledge dimensions. The study calls for the academy and industry to partner in improving the PM curriculum to lower the PM talent deficit and increase project success rates. Research limitations/implications The absence of PM learning outcomes or the presence of poorly written PM learning outcomes in a course implies that the academy should provide professional development programs to help professors learn how to formulate and write specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely learning outcomes. The professors should also ensure that the learning outcomes use a type of cognitive taxonomy that is aligned with the appropriate assessments to measure, monitor and guarantee assurance of learning. Practical implications Academy and industry partners can work collaboratively to provide students with opportunities that expose them to real-world experiential projects, internships and job opportunities while concurrently giving them hands-on practical applications of learned PM knowledge and skills. The society will be well served when the academy is able to produce well-qualified PM personnel capable of successfully carrying out PM activities and lowering the project’s failure rates. Social implications The society will be well served when the academy is able to produce well-qualified PM personnel capable of successfully carrying out PM activities and lowering the project’s failure rates. Originality/value To the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first study to specifically investigate the presence and nature of PM learning outcomes in course syllabi. By evaluating the alignment between PM learning outcomes and Bloom’s Taxonomy action verbs and cognitive processes, the study provides some exemplars of well-written and measurable learning outcomes that professors can use to inform their PM curriculum through course design or redesign.

The informed use of pre-work activities in collaborative asynchronous online discussions: The exploration of idea exchange, content focus, and deep learning

Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) can fail to benefit student learning in online classes if they are not designed to promote higher-order thinking. AODs can be designed as collaborative learning events that prompt students to go beyond the reproduction of basic content. The purpose of this study was to describe student participation, interaction, and levels of learning in AODs following pre-work activities. The pre-work in this study was conceptualized as socio-cognitive scaffolding. It engaged students in common activities where everyone experienced the same content preparation prior to the AOD. During the AOD students were prompted to share, discuss, and validate their understanding of the content. The study was conducted with 49 students in a graduate-level project management course. Results revealed that students were engaged in discussions of content-related material and showed evidence of deep learning during the AODs. Specifically, students analyzed, evaluated, and synthesized information during the collaboration. Results suggested that pre-work activities can be a promising strategy in the design of AODs.

Replication Data for: Comparing Teamwork & Collaboration Competencies between a Technology in Art Education course and an Engineering Project Management Course

Replication Data for: Comparing Teamwork & Collaboration Competencies between a Technology in Art Education course and an Engineering Project Management Course

Enhancing the Student Perception on Software Project Management in Computer Science

Contribution: This article presents a research for enhancing the computer science students' perception on the software project management subject. The main objective of this article is double. The first one is to redesign the current course by including new teaching and new learning methods that encourage students to learn the project management competences and skills. The second one is to analyze the satisfaction of the students regarding the new software project management course. The design of the new course has been based on the improvement proposals from the students, which were collected throughout a grounded theory (GT) study during two academic years. Background: Students must be motivated with both the technical and other transversal competencies provided by the different subjects in the computer science curricula. It is not easy to teach a management subject because students do not clearly find the relationship with their studies. However, it is widely accepted that computer science students need to be trained in project management to be able to work at full capacity in the industry. There is not much literature on how to increase the motivation of students in management subjects. Research Question: Which are the causes and consequences of a low level of interest for software project management in computer science studies? Methodology: Two different experiments were carried out. The first one consisted of determining, during two academic years, the main reasons why computer science students do not get to comprehend the need for such this subject in the curricula. From the GT results, a set of innovative actions were introduced in order to redesign the subject. In the second experiment, during the following two academic years, the satisfaction of the students regarding the changes introduced in the course was analyzed. Findings: The first finding was obtained from the GT study conducted. Four causes influencing students to do not give enough importance to software project management, two consequences derived from these causes and three contingencies to potentially mitigate the consequences were identified. The second finding was the corroboration that the new course design contributes to student motivation and engagement. Through the evaluation of the new course, students can better understand project management techniques and their application to projects. Data collected show that students are aware of the importance of these skills and competencies for their background and professional profile.

Case-teaching Problem of Project Management: Study for Undergraduate Business Major at Research-oriented Universities

The knowledge and competency of Project Management (PM) have become one of major common capability of employees while facing the huge change of competitive environment, that lets the curriculum and major of PM gain high attention from universities. Case teaching in PM courses is an important and highly applicable teaching method. Undergraduates program for business major at research-oriented universities start up to open the courses involving more and more PM. While, case teaching of PM has its unique challenges due to discrepancies of different training purpose and learners characteristics. Based on PM feature, case-teaching theory, instructional design theory and learner characteristics, this article studies and summarizes the following idea, case teaching theory and strategic feature of case teaching associated with PM curriculum for undergraduates of business school at research-oriented universities, including case features, value orientation and coordination process of case teaching etc.

Measuring Student Learning Outcomes in Introductory Project Management Course in Graduate Schools

Measuring Student Learning Outcomes in Introductory Project Management Course in Graduate Schools

Is Training a Precondition for Enhancing Innovation Capacity? Current Perception of Employment Agencies’ Civil Servants in Romania

The civil servants’ training process plays a key role in developing the public employees’ skills and broadening their vision. The present paper seeks to examine the perception of Em­ployment Agencies’ civil servants regarding the effectiveness of training programs, measured through their impact on the number of projects initiated and implemented under Sectorial Oper­ational Programme for Human Resources Devel­opment 2007-2013. The role of training programs in enhancing civil servants’ innovation capacity is also investigated. The methodology consists in an analysis of 253 projects financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) during 2009-2015 and an empirical research using a representative sample of 337 civil servants who attended EU funded training courses in project management. The conclusions of this paper indicated a direct relation between the number of projects developing training cours­es in ‘project management’ and the number of projects initiated and implemented annually by the territorial Agencies for Employment. More­over, a positive correlation between the training programs and the innovation capacity of civil servants from County Agencies for Employment was also identified.

Pelatihan Jurnalistik Dan Public Relations Bagi Siswa Syafana Islamic High School, Tangerang Selatan Oleh Program Studi Ilmu Komunikasi, Swiss German University

Dengan menjamurnya media sosial dan maraknya beredar berita palsu (hoax) di masyarakat, penting diadakan upaya untuk membekali generasi muda dengan pembekalan literasi media dan komunikasi. Oleh karena itu, pada tanggal 23 April 2019, Program Studi Ilmu Komunikasi, Swiss German University mengadakan loka karya bertema “Spread Your Wings And Prepare Yourself to Compete in the Globalised World” di Syafana Islamic High School, BSD, Tangerang Selatan. Kegiatan ini merupakan bagian dari mata kuliah Project Management and Leadership. Selain pembekalan literasi media, loka karya ini juga memberi pembekalan ilmu Public Relations, kepribadian, dan proses melamar pekerjaan kepada siswa-siswi Syafana. Di samping presentasi oleh dosen dan alumni, peserta juga melakukan praktek teknik wawancara jurnalistik dan wawancara pekerjaan.
 Kegiatan ini tidak hanya berdampak positif bagi peserta, tetapi juga bagi mahasiswa yang mengkoordiinasi program ini karena saat melakukan kegiatan pelayanan kepada masyarakat, mahasiswa juga mengembangkan keterampilan seperti: Kepemimpinan; Penyelesaian masalah; Kerja kelompok; Manajemen waktu; dan, Komunikasi, yang sangat berguna di dunia nyata.

Status and scope of project management in the hospitality industry

Status and scope of project management in the hospitality industry

Development of online learning design

Development research aims to produce online learning designs to enhance the active role of students in utilizing e-learning to support the learning process in project management courses. The research method used in the development of online learning design is the ADDIE Research model starting with conducting analysis and design to define the needs of students in online learning based on learning outcomes in courses, then developing with LMS Moodle, and implemented in IT Project Management courses. Learning design that has been developed in e-learning to support the learning process of IT project management is then validated by several experts, namely software development experts, and learning experts so as to produce a blended learning model. The results showed that online learning design needs were very high to support student activity in using e-learning and received positive responses from students in the use of e-learning to support face-to-face learning in the classroom.

Needs analisys pedagogy project management of technology and vocational educational with the approach of project base learning in higher education

This research aims to analyze the needs of the pendagogi on the project management courses in building engineering education State University of Padang. This needs analysis look deeply the importance of project management courses in building engineering education from the aspect of the curriculum, pedagogy and learning materials based on current conditions, standard processes and priorities in learning. This type of descriptive study with survey method. With the spread of data gathering techniques questionnaires and interviews. Sample student research educator and lecturer of building engineering. Data analysis techniques was kuantitaf and interviews. Based on the results of the analysis it can be concluded that (1) there is a gap between the needs of the students and professors against the learning model of project management related methods, approaches, learning materials, assessment and evaluation of student learning (2) requires the development of a learning model that supports and meningkatakan knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Higher-Order Learning Outcomes in an Undergraduate IT Project Management Course

Achieving higher order learning outcomes may be normal in developed country higher-education institutions, but it may not so for most of those in developing countries with resource poverty which manifests in high student-teacher ratios for instance. Lecturers in developing countries tend to use less student-centered teaching methods which hamper the achievement of higher order learning outcomes. Unfortunately, this issue has been ignored in the general information systems education literature. This article therefore explores the relationship between teaching methods and the achievement of higher order learning outcomes by presenting and evaluating evidence of changes a lecturer made in delivering an undergraduate IT Project Management course over two academic years in a developing country context. Two lessons emerge. First, lecturers in developing country contexts should focus on turning out graduates with higher order thinking skills. Second, such educators should consider using contextually relevant teaching methods that lead to higher learning outcomes.

Implementation of Cooperative Learning Model on E-Assignment Responsiveness at Higher Education

Nowadays, there are still many universities that have not maximized the use of information technology in the learning process. The learning process still uses conventional methods, especially in terms of student assignments. The purpose of this study was to develop cooperative learning models in information systems project management courses. The method used in this study was the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). This is one model that becomes a guideline in developing effective, dynamic learning and supporting learning itself. The results of this study are practical and effective web-based cooperative learning models for students in universities.