How a D-I-Y blended Learning course Was Created for
The Art of Technical
Project Management

The Young Person’s Guide to Project Management (YPG-PM) blended learning course is developed for use without the complexity of a learning management system (LMS). Ken Whitaker used off-the-shelf apps as a do-it-yourself (D-I-Y) project.

Behind the scenes of
Young Person’s Guide

As a self-proclaimed digital nomad, Ken is working on the development of the textbook and courseware material: in coffee shops and our home office. Using software apps from TechSmith and Adobe combined with Macs, BeyerDynamic audio, Dropbox document sharing, Wacom tablets, and Logitech (Blue Designs) devices has made all of this possible.

Single-Source Design

YPG-PM was designed for content sharing. To start, identify common elements to produce blended learning content to be used by students: book, presentation, and online video. This effectively is known as single-source use of material in a variety of different uses.

Start with the Textbook

An outline is created, a draft document is formed and a grammar checked. The draft document text was edited and artwork created. Using the outline as a guide, the content was placed into the final textbook layout.

Design for Configurability

Manuscripts can be designed for configuration of the following:

Print, eBook, or online
Language (English, French, ...)
Student and instructor content

InDesign CC is a perfect tool to use a combination of text variables, layers, and something called “conditional text.” A manuscript can be configured for students or with additional material specifically for instructors.

Creation of the Videos

As each chapter is focused on a specific topic (like ‶Measuring Individual Performance″), incorporate the voiceover script into the outline. Create the presentation slide show for the instructor to present in class. Record the presentation using the voiceover script and add quizzes for student self-study. This is what blended learning is all about.

A semi-pro recording studio has been set up with a Mac recording the secondary monitor, quiet mouse/presenter, tablet (paces the script automatically), and a sound-deadening isolation shield behind the mic/headset:

Posting the Videos and Attachments

The lesson’s video is posted for viewing with closed captioning enabled. The PDF presentation is uploaded with attachments for students to download. Rather than use a sophisticated learning management system (LMS), TechSmith Screencast.com was used:

Finishing the Textbook

Courseware textbooks provide the core material for classroom study but there is no reason that you couldn’t learn alone. It just happens that a combination of self-paced study and classroom interaction offers tremendous benefits. By following the above steps with some creative planning can produce a book that can be available in print, PDF, and Kindle (EPUB).

The Blended Learning D-I-Y Design Document

The above summary is just the tip of the iceberg. Click below to view the actual document that summarizes the details on how the blended courseware was created:

GET HOW TO CREATE D-I-Y BLENDED COURSEWARE

Let’s Add a Game to the Course!

There’s one more opportunity to add some fun to the classroom with team games. Yep, shortly after the release of the course, we’ll release a gamification package called The Nerd Herd Game (The NHG). A custom ˝Young Person’s Guide to Project Management″ game set will be available to instructors to complement the classroom lessons. Click on the figure below to learn more about this exciting game currently under early development.

LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE NERD HERD GAME

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