Project Management Education Research Articles

Teaching Real-World Issues: Comparison of Written versus Annotated Still Image Case Study

A well-accepted method of bringing real-world issues to students is the use of case studies. This method was modified by bringing a manager to the classroom electronically using two picture phone systems. The project manager presented current issues from the project site with the help of still images. Students and the manager interacted using speakerphones. This article compares the effectiveness of the two methods, written case studies and information technology based case studies, for teaching project management issues. The effectiveness of both methods were evaluated based on the four constructs of useful, challenging, clear, and attractive. A survey instrument was administered at the end of each case study and the responses were analyzed. The information technology based method was found to be more useful, attractive and challenging than the written case studies. The students preferred the new method irrespective of their GPA or their work experience. Their written comments in addition to the statistical results suggest that this method exposed the students to important issues in project management.

Using computers to teach project management

Describes an empirical research study focusing on the use of a particular computer package to teach project management to UK‐based business students. This particular computer package is widely used in the business world but its accessibility and ease of understanding for business students has not been tested previously. Accordingly, an evaluation study was undertaken in 1994 among third‐year business studies undergraduates based at the University of Westminster, London. Describes the approaches both students and academic staff have to adopt to get the best out of the commercially produced computer‐based training package. The difficulties in ascertaining the role of computer‐based training packages in any knowledge gained by students are acknowledged. Data used were based on students′ diaries, questionnaires and group discussions.

Upgrading skills using the US Project Management Institute body of knowledge

In 1986, a vice-presidential group within AT&T, USA, began the development of a professional project-management group. The following criteria were used in developing this professional organization. Develop a relationship with a professional project-management association to maintain state-of-the-art methods and attain professional certification. Develop, document, and implement the following: comprehensive personnel-selection criteria, project-selection criteria, a project-manager career path, a project-manager education curriculum, a project-manager training curriculum, a project-management process, project-manager evaluation criteria, a project-review process, and a continuous improvement process for the project-management process. All of the above needed to be accomplished while the results of the projects of the area being implemented during the development period were significantly improved. The paper describes the development of the education criteria and the subsequent results of that development. The curriculum that was created has been delivered to thousands of AT&T project managers and still continues to be delivered to AT&T employees in the USA, Europe, Asia, and South America.

Model based maintenance for MANs

Project management deals with all phases of a project, from the initiation of the planning procedure to the physical completion of the entire effort. The process of teaching the quantitative approaches to project management (i.e. Critical-Path Method and Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a fairly straightforward task that has been performed for many years. However, teaching the principles of project management is a different task altogether. The project management process involves a sequence of planning, decision making, follow-up activities and reevaluation followed by a repeat of the sequence. That is, in order to truly examine and teach the process of project management (i.e. not just the tools), it is necessary to view the activities in a dynamic projectlike environment. With this idea in mind, the Interactive Project Management game (IPM) was developed. IPM was created with the intent of teaching project management principles in a simulated project environment using the computer. This paper describes IPM, its characteristics and its capabilities, and includes an IPM gaming session.

How to OfferTodaythe Ways of TeachingTomorrow'sCulture: the Need for Educational Project Management

Abstract The article looks at the tremendous advances which have been made in the field of industry and services by using a properly structured approach to information and communication technology, and considers how educationalists, faced as they are with a critical situation and with ever growing manpower problems, can profit from a properly studied and structured use of technology using educational project management.

Project-management education: current issues and future trends

Project-management education is presented in a framework of four attributes: content, structure, instruction form, and audience profile. In a socioeconomic environment undergoing important changes, emerging industry skills needs in project management shift to include ‘boundary-spanning’ and ‘integrative-management’ skills at the expense of ‘technical-management’ skills.

Software project management education —experiences of training full-time professionals

The experiences gained from planning and implementing two evolutionary steps in a systematic training programme for young software project managers from a group of companies are presented, and the impacts of the programme on the growth of the participating companies in terms of turnover and number of staff are discussed. The basic ideas of planning were adopted from research carried out into curriculum design for systems analysts and continuing education for software engineers. In our experience the core topics of the courses should be taken from traditional software project management together with courses in leadership and the fundamentalsof software business and marketing. The course modules should be very short together with personal exercises that are closely tied to the day-to-day work of the participants. Commitment of the company to the training scheme can be ensured by using a careful analysis of its software process maturity when selecting the exercises.

Civil Engineering Project Management Game: Teaching with Simulation

The increased cost and complexity of many construction projects have enhanced the importance of project management in the construction industry. Industry and government now seek managerial as well as technical capabilities in the engineers they employ. However, civil and construction engineering students often have few opportunities for exposure to the conceptual and practical issues involved with project management. This paper describes a game that was developed to simulate the management of a design and construction project, and discusses how the game was used to teach project management to civil engineering students at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.

Sofko: a special project manager education programme

There exists an educational gap between the software engineering education given by the Computer Science departments at universities and the requirements imposed by practical work in software projects. Even worse, this gap has presumably grown wider during recent years, as the body of knowledge that one has to master in software projects has grown. One solution to this problem is to arrange, in close cooperation between software industry and the universities, “non-scientific” training programmes that serve the needs of practical work in software projects. The Sofko programme, organized in cooperation with the universities and software industry in Tampere, is a special postgraduate education programme for project managers. This report describes its design process, course contents and some initial experiences.

Project management education at a Swiss technical university

The extent to which students at a Swiss technical university are educated in project management knowledge and abilities, is described. A breakdown is given of the programmes offered in Switzerland compared to other European technical universities, with emphasis on teaching and training methods and analysing practical situations.

Project management education in Sweden

A postgraduate programme in project management has been implemented at Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden and this paper addresses the structure, educational objectives and future plans surrounding the course. It is shown how a programme that is intended to foster a deeper understanding of the project management field has to be built on a firm theoretical foundation, with an essential ingredient being the utilization of professional experience.

Project management education and training in the USA

Education and training within the USA in the project management field is described. This is intended to: improve understanding and acceptance of project management principles and practices; develop specific planning and control skills, including the use of particular computer software packages; and improve the success rate for project planning and execution. Training and education has traditionally been directed toward project managers and the specialists in project planning and control whose jobs are to support the project manager and the project team. In recent years, more recognition has been given to the need for training functional contributors to the projects as well, and even senior managers who are the owners or sponsors of projects, and this paper describes the various avenues available for training.

Training of project managers: current practice and future developments in Denmark

An investigation into the training of project managers in Denmark is presented, from the early days of basic school education in the form of project work, through to university and postgraduate training and finally on to on-the-job specific training. Examples are given of typical training programmes encountered throughout a project manager's education and future developments are assessed.

Project man 2000

Project management education is considered against the real-world structure of project management and the projected needs of the 21st century. It is suggested that experience alone cannot create project managers, but that structured education of significant duration is required. The need for training is examined, and the time-scale of training is considered.

IPM: A computer Interactive Project Management teaching tool

Project management deals with all phases of a project, from the initiation of the planning procedure to the physical completion of the entire effort. The process of teaching the quantitative approaches to project management (i.e. Critical-Path Method and Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a fairly straightforward task that has been performed for many years. However, teaching the principles of project management is a different task altogether. The project management process involves a sequence of planning, decision making, follow-up activities and reevaluation followed by a repeat of the sequence. That is, in order to truly examine and teach the process of project management (i.e. not just the tools), it is necessary to view the activities in a dynamic projectlike environment. With this idea in mind, the Interactive Project Management game (IPM) was developed. IPM was created with the intent of teaching project management principles in a simulated project environment using the computer. This paper describes IPM, its characteristics and its capabilities, and includes an IPM gaming session.

Educating project managers for the construction industry in Australia

The results of research in Australia and overseas into the education of project managers for the construction industry are presented. An analysis is made of the results of this research. This analysis is compounded with other source data and conclusions drawn on the formal and informal education of project managers for the construction industry.

Project management education — levels of understanding and misunderstanding

A brief review is given of the teaching of project management to both undergradute and postgraduate students at university and college and also in a large number of short courses for industrial managers. The present weaknesses of project management teaching are commented upon and recommendations are made for its improvement. In particular, a list of common faults is set out, illustrating that the simple learning of techniques is only a small part of a true understanding of the complex subject of project management. Many people who complete courses do not achieve that understanding.

A spiral approach to Software Engineering Project Management Education

A spiral approach to Software Engineering Project Management Education

A spiral approach to Software Engineering Project Management Education

article A spiral approach to Software Engineering Project Management Education Share on Author: Joseph C. Spicer Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, Tyngsboro, MA Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, Tyngsboro, MAView Profile Authors Info & Claims ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering NotesVolume 8Issue 3July 1983 pp 30–38https://doi.org/10.1145/1010891.1010895Online:01 July 1983Publication History 4citation718DownloadsMetricsTotal Citations4Total Downloads718Last 12 Months3Last 6 weeks0 Get Citation AlertsNew Citation Alert added!This alert has been successfully added and will be sent to:You will be notified whenever a record that you have chosen has been cited.To manage your alert preferences, click on the button below.Manage my AlertsNew Citation Alert!Please log in to your account Save to BinderSave to BinderCreate a New BinderNameCancelCreateExport CitationPublisher SiteGet Access

The Principal: Reviving a Waning Educational Role

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size NotesDonald P. Mitchell and others, Leadership in Public Education (Washington, D. C: Academy for Educational Development, 1972).See Frank C. Mayer, “The Role of the State Elementary Principals Association as Seen by a Superintendent,” The National Elementary Principal, L (February 1971), p. 5. Mayer uses educational leadership, community leadership, curriculum development, teacher evaluation, and administration.James B. Conant, Education in the Junior High School Years (Princeton, New Jersey: Educational Testing Service, 1960), p. 37.Geraldine Bagby, “Help Wanted: Instructional Leadersip,” NASSP Bulletin, LVI (November 1972), p. 41.David E. Weischadle, “A Change in Direction,” Illinois Schools Journal, L (Fall 1970), pp. 220–228.Hans O. Anderson, “Facilitating Curricular Change: Some Thoughts for the Principal,” NASSP Bulletin, LVI (January 1972), p. 94.Fred Feither and Arthur Blumberg, “Changing the Organizational Character of a School,” The Elementary School Journal, LXXI (January 1971), p. 214.Donald C. Orlich, “A Change Agent Strategy: Preliminary Report,” The Elementary School Journal, LXXII (March 1972), p. 292.Elizabeth Malloy, “To Our Principal Partners,” The National Elementary School Principal, LI (April 1972), p. 63.Stephen Knezevich, Administration of Public Education, (New York: Harper & Row, 1969), pp. 464–465.Mitchell, Ibid., p. 16.For a more complete discussion of volunteer programs, see Evelyn Shelby, “Tipping the Balance: The School Volunteer,” Saturday Review /Education, I (January 13, 1973), pp. 36–40.Joseph H. Cronin, “School Boards and Principals—Before and After Negotiations,” Phi Delta Kappan, XLIX (November 1967), p. 124.Terrance E. Hatch, “The Principal’s Role in Collective Negotiations,” NASSP Bulletin, LV (December 1971), p. 38.See “Management By Objectives: New Tools for Schools,” Education USA, February 19, 1973, p. 133.See Desmond L. Cook, Educational Project Management (Columbus, Ohio: The Charles Merrill Co., 1971) for detailed review of such techniques. See also David E. Weischadle, “Project Management —A System for Administering Innovation,” Educational Technology, soon to be published.