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FWD Training
Message Design Course
Final Report

Client
Rob Branch, Ed.D. University of Georgia, Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology
July 22, 2010

FWD Training 630 Aderhold Athens, GA 30602 Phone: 706-352-9459 E-Mail: teedee@uga.edu

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Table of Contents

Message Design Course Final Report

Project Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Project Description ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Compose Curriculum Map ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Construct Course Syllabus .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Design Final Examination .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Create Websites ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Prepare Name Change Proposal ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Revised Work Breakdown Schedule ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Recommendations ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Client .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Curriculum Map .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Course Syllabus ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Final Examination.................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Course Website ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Rename Proposal ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Project Manager ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Related Projects ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Project Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Project Closure ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Appendix A. Original Client Request ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Appendix B. Project Team Profile ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Appendix C. Curriculum Map ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Appendix D. Course Syllabus ................................................................................................................................................... 12 Appendix E. Client Endorsements........................................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix F. Revised Work Breakdown Schedule ............................................................................................................... 23 Appendix G. Project Evaluation Survey Tool ........................................................................................................................ 25 Appendix H. Client Endorsement of the Final Report ......................................................................................................... 30

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July 22, 2010

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Project Summary
Project Description

Message Design Course Final Report

On June 21, 2010, FWD Training received a request for course development from Dr. Rob Branch with the University of Georgia (See Appendix A for the original project charter). The client indicated that he would like to take an existing course titled, Instructional Message Design and re-evaluate the course for a broader application. This would require, redesigning the course curriculum map, redrafting a course syllabus, designing a final examination, building a course website, and composing a course rename proposal. As a result of this request, the following summary was drafted: Project Name: Message Design Course Development Project Client: Rob Branch, Ed.D., University of Georgia Department of Educational Psychology & Instructional Technology, rbranch@uga.edu Project Stakeholders: Dr. Lloyd Rieber and Dr. Mike Orey (LDT Leadership, Faculty in the EPIT Department, College of Education Graduate Stduents Project Manager: Tonia Dousay, teedee@uga.edu Project Team: Flint Buchanan, Won Park, & Denise Wilson See Appendix B for a summary of the project team profile.

Executive Summary
Based upon the project request, five goals or deliverables were identified. A summary of these goals follows and copies of each endorsement/confirmation may be found in Appendix D. Compose Curriculum Map The project team was instructed to use samples as developed in EDIT6170 as a guide for structure and type of content. The top of the document should clearly state the course purpose statement. An organizational chart should be used to list 5-6 tasks and at least six pre-requisites per goal. A dashed divider line should distinguish the prerequisite tasks from the course tasks. This project goal was managed by Tonia Dousay. See Appendix C for an illustration of the new Curriculum Map. The client approved the new curriculum map on July 17, 2010. Construct Course Syllabus The project team was instructed to use the EDIT6170 course syllabus as a guide for structure and type of content. The new syllabus should be shorter than the current syllabus, taking into consideration that individual assignment explanations will not be part of the new document. This project goal was managed by Won Park. See Appendix D for a sample of the new Course Syllabus. The client approved the new course syllabus on July 19, 2010. Design Final Examination The project team was instructed to construct a final examination that can be completely administered [asynchronously] online. This project goal was managed by Won Park. The client eliminated the final examination goal of this project on July 15, 2010.

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Create Websites

Message Design Course Final Report

The project team was instructed that the eLearning Commons (eLC) website would be used for the internal course website. All previous course structure needed to be re-created and all existing content needed to be uploaded. An external content option was also specified and the project team recommends using the public display feature of the eLC when it becomes functional in late 2010. This project goal was managed by Denise Wilson. The client approved the course website on July 21, 2010. Prepare Name Change Proposal The project team was instructed to help the client identify a new course name and compose a proposal (150500 words) that would be submitted to the department faculty for approval at a later date. This project goal was managed by Flint Buchanan. The client approved a new course name and the subsequent rename proposal on July 20, 2010.

Revised Work Breakdown Schedule

Based upon the completion of this project, FWD Training has updated the previous work breakdown schedule to reflect deliverable revisions and actual completion dates. The chart illustrating this breakdown can be found in Appendix E.

Recommendations
Client
Curriculum Map The new curriculum map requires an update in the overall course content. 1. Goal 1 has very little existing content. The first four tasks of the goal are intended to be conducted through synchronous classroom lecture and discussion. 2. Goal 2 has quite a bit of existing content that may be reused. Specifically, defining visual literacy may need to be addressed when developing new content. Where Task 2.5 states message design categories, the design team means Instructional Visuals as identified in the course syllabus. Additionally, where task 2.6 instructs the learner to construct an alternative ADA-compliant message, it is implied that they should transform a non-compliant message into a compliant one. Furthermore, this task is intended to serve a dual role and may be used in Task 5.4 3. Goal 3 has some existing content as these theories were addressed in the previous iteration of the course. However, the design team feels that the content is a bit lacking in guidance to students, leaving room for error that may negatively impact learner performance. It should also be noted that Task 3.5 is intended to serve a dual role and may be used in Task 5.4. 4. Goal 4 may draw upon both existing content and that presented in any of the previous goals. The intent here is to begin to transition the learner away from reliance upon the instructor. Task 3.5 should be considered to be the critique tasks from the previous iteration of the course and may be a graded assignment. 5. Goal 5 does not need any new content developed. All previous resources are acceptable. However, it is the recommendation of the design team that the previous requirements of a Message Design Portfolio

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July 22, 2010

Message Design Course Final Report

(Task 5.4) be compacted to reduce the overall number of artifacts required for the task. This task could also be a graded assignment.

6. Goal 6 will need content developed, but draws upon the clients own existing resources, namely the job aid entitled, Components of a Research Proposal. This goal should encompass all content presented in the previous goals and culminate in Task 6.5, a research proposal. Course Syllabus This course syllabus has been designed with the client in mind. There are only a few recommendations for related development or document changes. 1. The Date column has been left blank due to the inability to accurately predict when during the proposed semester the course will be delivered. The client will need to fill in these details once they become available. 2. Since the syllabus no longer includes detailed instructions to complete each requirement, the client will need to draft individual documents similar to those found in the EDIT7550 course. 3. Due to the elimination of the Final Examination goal, the client will need to evaluate how and when to deliver an examination and adjust the assignment point totals accordingly. 4. The Research Proposal assignment will require further evaluation in terms of expectations and deliverables from the learners. Limiting the proposal to no more than 1500 words will assist in keeping the assignment manageable for both learners and the instructor. Furthermore, encouraging learners to take advantage of previous course assignments may increase the likelihood of content application. Final Examination See recommendation 3 under Course Syllabus. Course Website As elements of the Course Syllabus are modified, the website need to be updated. Furthermore, the following general recommendations apply: 1. At this time, the Group Wimba Classrooms have been hidden on the Course Content page. Once the course has begun and the groups have been assigned, it would be appropriate to un-hide this link. 2. FWD Training originally copied all course content into the new shell, including details for previous assignments. During the assimilation of new content and details, finalized assignments were first created as stand-alone assignments and later deleted from the assignments page with the intent of using the ability to assign a grade to a discussion post. However, the previous actions prevented the latter from taking place. As such, all of the assignments (new and old) should appear in the course Grade Book. Since FWD Training does not have access to the actual Grade Book, they are unable to reconcile differences and finalize the Grade Book. This will need to be done before opening the class to students. 3. Any future course content developed in conjunction with those items identified in the Curriculum Map recommendations will need to be uploaded to their respective sections on the website. 4. The bulk of the material considered for the External Content component of this website was created by Dr. Kristi Leonard while at the University of Georgia. Given her recent departure from the university, FWD Training recommends that the source files for her tutorial be obtained and re-hosted for continued use in the course.

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July 22, 2010

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Rename Proposal

Message Design Course Final Report

The client will need to submit the rename proposal to the EPIT faculty for approval.

Project Manager
Based upon the completion of this project, FWD Training recommends the following: 1. Use of a document sharing application, such as Dropbox, is essential to providing shared access to documents for development and editing. 2. Allowing the freedom to set communication protocols by project team ensures acceptance and encourages participation. 3. Encourage team formation based upon experience and expertise. This team was successful in large part due to the expertise of each team member related to the subject matter.

Related Projects
The following recommendations should be considered for similar projects: 1. Identify project goals early 2. Assign a project member to manage each goal/deliverable 3. Encourage collaboration on tasks where applicable 4. Make use of existing content or resources when possible 5. Schedule weekly (or regular) meetings with the client to review goals, deliverables, and expectations 6. Require endorsement of each deliverable as it is completed

Project Evaluation
FWD Training uses the Balanced Scorecard approach to project management evaluation. Table 1 illustrates the four perspectives considered during this evaluation. Each perspective encompasses objectives and measures that were used to survey the project team for project effectiveness. The tool used to survey the project team appears Appendix F. Based upon comments from and the endorsement of the client, all Client objectives were met. As a result of competitive resourcing, using volunteer team members, and readily available resources, the total cost to the client was $0. Therefore, the Financial objectives were met. Communication protocols were adopted. However, best practices were not always followed. A number of communications overlapped one another. Additionally, the project manager failed to call the client within the agreed upon time in the case of non-response. However, the team did successfully collaborate and deliver all products. As such, the Project Development objectives were partially met. Team members were assigned to tasks based upon their expertise and availability. However, due to some breakdown in communication and external factors, not all team members were completely satisfied with their role and/or performance. As a result, the Growth & Learning objectives were only partially met. In summary, the project scope was defined at the beginning of the project. This scope narrowed over the course of the project, but did not expand. A positive relationship between the client and project team helped keep channels of communication open and expectations were manageable. An outstanding effort and dedication by project team members allowed for each of the milestones to be met on time or early. Constant
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Message Design Course Final Report

communication during each of the project phases allowed team members to express concerns, contribute ideas, and provide feedback as necessary. Furthermore, regular meetings prior to scheduled meetings with the client as well as two additional meetings provided time to collaborate on tasks and address potential issues before they became problems.

Perspective

Objective
Update curriculum map to reflect new course goals Update course syllabus to reflect new course goals and revised curriculum map Create new final Design and develop new course website Draft course rename proposal Reduce cost to client

Measure

Client

1. Client satisfaction

2. Total cost 3. Competitive resourcing 4. Best practices adopted 5. Best practices followed 6. Team member communication 7. Commitments met 8. Team member assignments 9. Team member satisfaction

Financial

Expand use of available resources Streamline communication

Project Development

Encourage collaboration across tasks Develop project deliverables Enhance team competence

Growth & Learning

Increase team satisfaction

Table 1. FWD Training Balanced Scorecard

Project Closure
Under separate cover from this Final Report, the project team has provided original source files for the Curriculum Map, Course Syllabus, and Rename Proposal. As the course website was developed on the eLC, the client has access to replicate the work into a new course section when necessary. Based upon the client endorsement of this final report (See Appendix K), FWD Training concludes that the Message Design Course Development Project has been successfully completed. Further communication with the client will not be necessary, but FWD Training will remain available for a period of at least one year from the date of endorsement to answer any questions regarding project recommendations.
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Appendix A. Original Client Request

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Appendix B. Project Team Profile
Name Tonia Dousay Title Project Manager Degrees/Certifications B.S. Agricultural Science M.S. Agricultural Education

Message Design Course Final Report

Experience eLearning Manager, Texas Engineering Extension Service

Expertise instructional design, project management, website development

Flint Buchanan

Team Member

B.F.A. Sculpture M.F.A. Digital Media

Instructional Technologist, College of Vet Med

digital media, project development, communication technology instructional design and evaluation, website development

Won Park

Team Member

B.S. Psychology M.S. Educational Psychology

Online language course evaluator, Indonesia Open University Application Analyst, University of Georgia Main Library

Denise Wilson

Team Member

B.A. Computer Science

web interface and database design/development, library technologies project management

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Appendix C. Curriculum Map

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Appendix D. Course Syllabus

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Appendix E. Client Endorsements

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Appendix F. Revised Work Breakdown Schedule

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July 22, 201

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Appendix G. Project Evaluation Survey Tool
Client Meetings

Message Design Course Final Report

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is Strongly Agree and 5 is Strongly Disagree, please respond to the following statements.

1. I felt that the client meetings were productive.

2. I felt that the number of client meetings were sufficient to conduct business.

Please share any comments regarding client meetings. Client meetings were very productive. There was an agenda developed by the PM that allowed both the team and client to work towards known objectives.

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July 22, 2010

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Team Meetings

Message Design Course Final Report

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is Strongly Agree and 5 is Strongly Disagree, please respond to the following statements.

1. I felt that the number of team meetings were sufficient to conduct business.

2. I felt that the team meetings were productive.

Please share any comments regarding team meetings. Team meetings were incredibly well organized. There was an agenda that was followed, and everyone contributed to the meetings.

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July 22, 2010

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Team Interaction

Message Design Course Final Report

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is Strongly Agree and 5 is Strongly Disagree, please respond to the following statements.

1. I felt that email communication between team members was productive.

2. I was satisfied with the opportunities to collaborate or work together on tasks.

3. I felt that my team members contributed equally to the tasks.

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Please share any comments regarding team interaction.

Message Design Course Final Report

The team was great. Everyone really pulled their weight and no one shirked any responsibility. Everyone was willing to jump in and do whatever it took.

Project Manager
On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is Strongly Agree and 5 is Strongly Disagree, please respond to the following statements.

1. I felt that our Project Manager treated all team members equally.

2. I felt that our Project Manager was organized.

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Message Design Course Final Report

3. I felt like my opinions were respected and considered in making decisions.

Please share any comments regarding your Project Manager. The Project Manager's organizational skills, and expert advice were key to the success of our project. I couldn't have imagined a better experience than working with this PM.

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July 22, 2010

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Message Design Course Final Report

Appendix H. Client Endorsement of the Final Report

I, Rob Branch. Ed.D., have reviewed the final report and acknowledge receipt and approval of all deliverables of this project.

Client Comments:

Client Signature:

Rob Branch. Ed.D. Project Team Signature:

Tonia Dousay, Project Manager University of Georgia FWD Training

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July 22, 2010