1. Presentation of a course in project-work: “Co-operation, Learning and Projectmanagement”
Lars Peter Jensen
Associated Professor at Aalborg University
Department of Control Engineering
Fredrik Bajers Vej 7C, DK Aalborg East
Phone: ,
URL:
01/12/2018

2. 1. Introduction to problem based projectwork
Presentation of study form
Presentation of course context
What is a process analysis
Project and report
Structure in the working process
FAQ

3. Projects in the first year
Reflective evaluation Reflective evaluation
Process analysis Process analysis
Evaluation Status seminar Evaluation
Process analysis
Status seminar Evaluation
P0 – 1 month
P1 – 3 month
P2 – hole semester: 4 month + examination month

4. The four phase model of a Project
Analysis
Design
Implementation
Test
The ideal
Student Project
Industriel
Project
Student
Project
too narrow
Student
Project
too broad
What does a typical project look like? Basically most projects has four phases:
Analyse, design, implementation and test.
If it is an industrial project, like creating a new mobile phone, then of course one have to analyse the whole product and its market situation before designing the whole phone, implementing it and test all parts alone and together before releasing the phone to be produced.
But a student project doesn't have to do it that way. If they try then they will find out that there isn't enough time and probably end somewhere between design and implementation. This is soon realized by the student and then some of them tries to narrow the project right from the beginning, choosing only to analyse a small part of the project, e.g.. The antenna of the mobile phone, and then design, implement and test that. But this is a too narrow approach where the students don't know the actual problem because they haven't analysed the whole problem.
The right way to do a problem oriented project is to start with a problem that isn't too big and then analyse the whole problem, chose which part to design – probably the parts the students think they can learn the most by designing.
Then again narrow the project by only implementing some parts, learning different implementation methods by using them once in stead of learning one method using it 5 times.
Testing is of course done of all the implemented parts to be sure they work, but using more formal testing methods and making test reports is only done for a small part of the implemented parts in order to prove that the students can do it.

5. What is analysing? Get an overview of the problem
Asking Questions (six W)
See Perspectives
Divide into different aspects
Top Down
Bottum Up (Brain Storm)
Look critically at all aspects
Estimate
Measure
Compare
If you were to describe what analyse is, what words would you use?
Note down suggestions and then compare to this list.

6. How to start analysing – presentation of two tools
The six W- model
Post It Brain storm
Everybody writes keywords on Post It notes for 5 min
All notes are placed on the blackboard
All notes are read out
Everybody goes to the blackboard and structures the notes together
Why?
What?
Problem
Whom?
Where?
How?
When?
Some times the students find it difficult to start analysing, so we help them by suggesting two tools already at the basic year, and i will present them for you, so that you also know.
…….Demonstrate by using post it laps
The first model can open a problem and the second one is very good for structuring a brain storm.
The strength is that you get a chance to think for your self, you gets a good structure even though it might take some time and finally you can see if more than one has thought of the same (more laps)

7. 2. Reflective evaluation
What is reflection
Why use reflection
How do you reflect
How is reflection used in the first year education

8. Reflection – a learning theory
Now we will have a closer look at the theories behind the Aalborg model. One of the views about problem-based learning in groups making a project, is that reflection loops have a predominant place. This understanding of learning processes is based on Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle, and Schön’s (1987) ideas about reflection in the learning process, combined by John Cowan (1998) to a learning concept based on several small reflection loops - Kolb cycles (as paraphrased by Cowan: - experience - reflection - generalisation - test -).
Much of the task of the facilitative teacher is to encourage movement around the cycle. Teachers can bring this about by asking questions which take the student from experience to reflection; or by introducing the task which moves them out of reflection into generalizing.
The Kolb cycle with words paraphrased by John Cowan (Cowan 1998).

9. Reflection in a learning process - a useful model
John Cowan suggests that a teacher uses planned reflection three times in a learning process, see Fig. 1: before (for) or in the very beginning of the learning process where it is considered what the process shall be to fulfil the learning needs, in the middle of the process, where it is considered how the process so far has fulfilled the scopes and aims, whether they are still relevant and what changes in plans if any are necessary, and finally after (on) the learning process, in order to decide what has been accomplished and what is still missing, bearing in mind improvement of future learning processes One of the main purposes using this approach with three reflection loops is to teach the participants to improve the quality, depth and relevance of what has been learned.
This model is used formally at the basic year, where the students discuss their expectations and goals for the project/semester with their supervisor in the beginning of the project, and in the middle of the project there is a midst term seminar, where they present their results so far and how they plan to continue. This presentation is made for another group and the supervisor, and they comment and give good ideas . At the end of the project the students have to write an analyse of how the project work has been and to point out how they will improve in the next project, so this is a formal reflection on action, and it is used at the examination and assessed together with the technical documentation of the project work.
I have actually planned this course according to the model too, asking you to do the reflection for action before the start, which probably have have focused you on what you wanted to learn, and me to address those issues in the course. In stead of a formal reflection in the middle of the course we have a lot of discussions, and at the end of the course we will try to assess it by doing a reflection on what you have accomplished, and how each of you can use some of your new knowledge in your next teaching task.
The Cowan diagram

10. 3. PBL, Learning and Supervision
What is PBL ?
Why PBL ?
How to get the most of your supervisor ?
Portfolio – What is that ?

11. Course in “Co-operation, Learning and Projectmanagement
Supervision Co-operation Project management Learning
Exercises
Process analysis

12. The co-operation agreement – A tool for projectmanagement
Meetings – How often ? – What if somebody is late ?
Expectations and ambitions ?
Organising meetings , dirigent, referent, use of blackboard ?
Division of labour ?
What kind of response do you give within the group ?
How do you prepare a meeting with your supervisor ?

14. What can go wrong in the co-operation between the supervisor and the students ?

15. Different expectations

16. 4. Planning and controlling a project
The project settings and objectives
Project Management
Project Planning
Activity diagram
How long time do we need for a given activity? - how to make a qualified guess
The Gantt chart
Activity schedule and how to control it

17. 14X 6X
10X 2X 8X 4X X
Total: 70X

18. Uge dag Problemanalyse 6 Procesanalyse 3 Kravspecifikation 343 44 45 46 48 49 50 51
dag F m o f t
Problemanalyse
Procesanalyse
Kravspecifikation
Valg af delproces
Kodning delproces 2
Procesmodel
Kodning model
Test+vurdering
Teknologi..+samfund6
Afslutning

21. 5. Projectdesign What is a Projectdesign ?
Experiences with project plans
Project design ?
Report design ? 

22. 6. Communication in and from the group
What is good communication within the group ?
Communication diagrams
Discussion exercise about consensus agreements
The 7 intelligences - test

23. Communication diagram
Draw how the members of
the group are placed around
the table
Draw arrows for each
contribution to the dis-
cussion for about 5 min.

24. 7. Preparation of the process analysis
The portfolio and the process analysis
What is a good process analysis ?
What data do we find in a good process analysis ?
Structure and content of a process analysis
Feedback on the process analyses You will receive a constructive feedback on your process analyses in terms of facilitating questions that you can elaborated on during the assessment

25. The process analysis has to:
1. Be descriptive (what has been done, experiments etc)
2. Be analytical (what have we learned)
3. Be directed on progress (what do we want do in the future)
4. Be operational ( Concrete idea for future action)

26. 8. Co-operation, Learning and Project planning
Introduction
Levels of ambitions
Co-orporation agreament
Organising a meeting
Communication during the meeting
Distribution of tasks within the group
Conflict handling

27. 9. The individual person within the group
Learning and metalearning
Learning style
Assertiv, aggressiv and submesive behauvour
How to handle a conflict

28. 10. Project management Why project management ?
What is project management ?
Management tasks
Management attitudes
Management models
Management roles