Some project budget resources. If you're feeling bored.

            This week in EDUC 6145, we are tasked with meditating on the sometimes difficult art of generating a project budget.  The beauty of the World Wide Web is that it connects individuals around the world with experts, individuals who have experience in a particular topic about which one is curious or needs more information.  The resources below seem to be worthwhile places to look for the project manager who many need some pointers in budget generation for projects.

TechRepulic:  "Creating Your Project Budget: Where to Begin?"  TechRepublic's website is a collection of various resources related to the world of information technology.  If one has a question somehow connected to IT, he or she is probably able to find an answer about it on this site.  As projects in IT are a reality, it would only make sense that there would be a "Project Budgets 101" style article on this site; there are a few of them, actually.  The one linked is the one I found to be the most helpful.  It is helpful because it spells out in clear terms all the important parts of a budget to consider (basics, project costs, risk assessments, etc.) and provides tips for how to incorporate each one piece in the budget.

Tuts+:  "6 Budget Planning Steps to Professional Project Estimates"  Sometimes I do well with accomplishing a task of I have a checklist that I can go through; this resource on planning professional project estimates from Tuts+ is more or less that.  One has to appreciate the amount an diversity of business and project related information on this site.  This article is just an example.  The information is laid out well and follows a logical pattern.  One of the most useful things about this article especially is the idea of being able to maintain higher budget numbers but simplify the presented information so that it does not overwhelm the client.

            I am not a professional at budget creation.  Who am I kidding?  I'm not even an amateur of the process.  Should I ever need help or information on doing it for a project, however, I will not hesitate to refer to either of the sources above.

Stepping into the future while considering the past (Wk8AssgnGeursG)

            When peer-to-peer file sharing program Napster debuted in 1999, technology experts all over the United States saw Napster for what it really was: a revolutionary innovation in music.  Since then, such file sharing programs such as BearShare, Limewire, and Kazaa (which I may or may not have used), as well as companies with pay-for-music services such as iTunes and Amazon have all provided services which can be traced back directly to the work of the Fanning brothers and Napster.

            Fifteen years ago, people would not have been able to guess how digital music would change, but they could make some pretty strong guesses.  In the same way, since distance education’s early days in 1833 with correspondence courses(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012), the face of distance education has continued to progress alongside the technology it utilizes.

            The major technological force which propels distance education is the Internet and its communication tools.  Distance education heavily relies on communication between instructors and learners, especially as they are divided by time and geography.  As Dr. George Siemens points out, “More and more of us are communicating online” (Laureate Education, “The Future of Distance Education”).  This is a positive thing which will have a strong impact on public perception of distance learning five, ten, or even twenty years down the road.  As people become more comfortable communicating with each other over long distance, become familiar with the tools which they use in order to communicate, and become used to how the two can be used in order to exchange ideas and knowledge, distance learning’s perception will pick up speed and be viewed more and more positively as time goes on.

            Instructional designers have a challenge in the years upcoming related to improve social perception and continue to improve the quality of instruction in the field of distance education.  Through the use of the social channels to which instructional designers have access, they have the ability to engage community stakeholders by demonstrating the quality of distance learning programs by giving clear examples of work and how it matches up to brick-and-mortar institutions’ learning objectives for courses.  Instructional designers can also be agents for change by providing clear communication and example of how distance learning principles already are a part of individuals’ daily lives.  They can help in the improvement of distance education by listening to the voices of concerned stakeholders and looking for ways to alleviate their fears and concerns.  For example, if a stakeholder is concerned about having access to an instructor, the instructional designer should look for different avenues to provide the concerned person with solutions to the problem.

            The future of distance learning is as pregnant with possibility now as Napster was fifteen years ago.  Only the passing of time can demonstrate what changes and improvements will be birthed.  People engaged in the process such as instructional designers can have a large influence on the direction and quality of changes that are possible and they should make the most of every opportunity to make distance learning as effective as possible.

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). The future of distance education [Video file]. Retrieved from              https://class.waldenu.edu.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance:             Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

A reflection on learning at a distance.

Learning is a natural process; horses learn to pull a plow, dogs learn not to urinate on the carpet, and high school students learn algebra –in most cases anyway.  Learners gain knowledge and new skill sets to use.  For generations, learning was done in person with a face-to-face approach, as seen through the example of oral tradition.  Geographical shifts and technological advancements have created both a need and opportunity for people in unique circumstances to be able to learn, even at a distance from whatever is considered the source for knowledge.

Distance learning has taken many shapes.  This is the case because as Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2012) explain, the word “distance” can include geographical, time, or intellectual aspects (p. 9).  As people move to new places, have new time constraints placed on their daily lives and schedules, and encounter new scenarios where new knowledge is necessary, life can require new and spontaneous ways of learning.

When I was younger I used to think of distance learning differently than I do now.  When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to take a creative writing class for elementary school students sponsored by Purdue University’s School of Education.  Since my parents were late in submitting the registration materials, I was unable to participate in the actual class.  I was, however, able to take the class by having the instructor send to my house packets of worksheets with directions which I completed and sent back to get feedback.  This correspondence course format closely resembled the way that Issac Pitman would offer shorthand writing courses in England during the 19^th century (Simonson et al., p. 37).  Up until recently, this was the only thing that came to mind when I thought of the term “distance learning.”

 I still see distance learning as opportunities for learning that happen when the learner is unable to be in a setting that involves direct contact with an instructor.  Advances in technology have made great strides to remove some of those barriers created by distance to create virtual learning scenarios for learners.  In the past, instructors would send pre-recorded video tapes of lessons; this was a good plan until the learner might have a question for the instructor or have a special need which the basic video could not address.  With new telecommunications tools such as YouTube and Skype, instructors can post videos in one location for learners to access and converse with learners to work with the learners to ensure knowledge transfer. 

As telecommunications technology improves and learner needs change, the look of distance learning will continue to change and develop.  The need of professionals to continue their education while remaining in their job setting was the catalyst for universities to develop degree programs through distance learning settings which could provide an equivalent education experience where “the distance education course is effectively designed…(so) potential learners will reach the course’s instructional objectives” (Simonson et al., p. 52).  While I cannot see into the future with my crystal ball of instruction design, learner needs will drive innovations in technology and instruction design so that distance learning continues to move towards providing the learner with the best learning experience available.

Above is a visual example of the distance learning web of which I am a part.  As a professional educator, innovations in distance education affect me, even though the only distance learning program in which I am actually enrolled is my higher education degree through Walden University.  If the reader of this blog post takes a minute to reflect upon his or her own learning, I feel certain that he or she will quickly realize that the changes that have occurred in distance learning also impact them on a daily basis.  As we look to the future, let us not be quick to dismiss distance learning, but instead ask how it can fill a need for learning and how well that need can be met.

References

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a

distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.