Project Management for Instructional Designers (Part two of a four-part series)

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This is part two of a four-part series on Project Management for Instructional Designers for the EDU 627 course. 

Last time, we discussed the importance of project management and instructional design. This week, we be discussing the differences and similarities between instructional design and project management, and the domains where both processes function best.

As I progress in my studies for the EDU 627 course, I am learning quite a bit about project management and the role instructional design plays within project management. This course reinforces the differences and similarities in project managers (PM), and instructional designers (ID). ID and PM are not the same. While ID projects are projects and ID people do follow a project framework, the scope and focus of those frameworks are totally different. ID follows a framework that is focused essentially on providing a learning experience. ID people focus on all facets of the learner, from the classroom (if one is present), to the presentation of the material. A PM is far broader, as the PM framework is about completing projects in a general sense with a focus on tasks, administration, stakeholders, risks, and budgets; and the PM process follows steps that align with those concepts (Pan, 2012). 

I feel that it is important that ID people receive some training on PM, as the act of taking on an ID project is a project. Being aware of the PM process allows for an ID person to plan an ID project more effectively. In PM, a project manager follows five core steps: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Project Monitoring, and Project Closure (Russell, 2016). The reason an ID person is critical and cannot be replaced by a PM, is again, project scope. The ID process can be inserted into the PM process, as noted by Wiley et al. (2011). I found an excellent short, freehand video (5:00 minutes) that discusses where ID falls into the PM process; and you can watch it below. 

Can a PM plan and have a course designed? Probably. Will it be as effective as if an ID person designed the course instead? Unlikely. Adhering to concepts such as web standards, ADA compliance, learning styles, lesson planning and assessment (design backwards), are just some of the things an ID person does that a PM would most likely not even be aware of – and the aforementioned concepts are all part of the ID process. An ID person works at their best when working under the framework of PM. 

I am seeing this at my institution where I work right now, as we are migrating from one learning management system (LMS), to another. Our department head is more focused on meeting stakeholder needs, deadlines, management of personnel, and budgets. Our chief instructional designer is more focused on what the learning experience will be within the LMS, and what processes need to be followed to ensure the learning experiences are met, are consistent, and compliant with standards. Together, they are a force to behold.

If you want to read more about the PM process, click to visit a website that expertly breaks down the process in an easy to digest, chunked format.

Be sure to check back for part three, due out in approximately two weeks from the date of this entry.

References: 

Amado, M., Ashton, K., Ashton, S., Bostwick, J., Clements, G., Drysdale, J., Francis, J., Harrison, B., Nan, V., Nisse, A., Randall, D., Rino, J., Robinson, J., Snyder, A., Wiley, D., & Anonymous. (2011). Project Management for Instructional Designers. Retrieved from http://pm4id.org/. 

Pan, C.-C. (2012). A symbiosis between instructional systems design and project management. [article]. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 38(1) 1-10.

Russell, L. (2016). Project Management for Trainers, Second Edition. VA: Association for Talent Development.