Facilitating Virtual ClassesSetting the context for an online course to be most effective (just like a campus class), we assign various activities for the learners to prepare before class so that class time can be an active learning environment. Assignments before class may include videos, voice-over PowerPoint or animation slide decks, readings, problem sets, Google searches for information, pearl diving essays, etc. Short quizzes or knowledge checks before class encourage the learner to have prepared for class and they are easily administered on a learning management system (LMS).  At the University of Maryland, we use Canvas. Feedback from our students informs us that the knowledge checks do motivate . . . continue reading

Flipping the ClassroomWhen UMD professor Jocelyn Davis’s Managing Project Teams course meets in person, it’s not so that she can deliver a lecture. Her lectures are already provided to students as short videos they watch before class. Instead, she uses the in-person time for more active learning techniques so her students actually apply what they have learned from the videos, readings, problem sets, and other “pre-work” activities. It’s part of a “flipped classroom” approach to learning that UMD’s Project Management Center for Excellence, part of the civil and environmental engineering department, has been developing over the past several years. In the COVID-19 era, such strategies have . . . continue reading

Blended Learning Classroom GuidanceThe terms flipped classroom, active learning, and blended learning have been kicked around for a number of years, sometimes with great fanfare. One of the outcomes of our partnership with edX is that we have studied research results on effective teaching techniques. Relative to teaching on campus our conclusion is unequivocal, blended learning formats are far more effective. The content is much stickier! For example, the 2019 Impact Report from edX states: “edX and our partners have unlocked the power of blended learning – when on-campus learning happens both on-line and in person. Blended learning has been shown to improve learning outcomes. In one . . . continue reading

Faces of Project Management: Dr. Gerry Galloway

The first known picture of Dr. Gerry Galloway was one of him and his mother. She was pregnant and standing on the banks of the Alabama’s Warrior River. Since then, Galloway has never stopped working with, loving and being around the water. “My passion,” he said, “is to make sure that in the U.S. and other countries, people are able to live with the natural cycles, droughts and floods of water.” Galloway has been working towards that goal in some way shape or form for his entire career. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and served in the army . . . continue reading

Five Ways Good Managers Influence Workplace Happiness

Happiness in the workplace isn’t an oxymoron.  It’s a highly competitive strategy.  Just ask Zappos, Coca-Cola, AECOM, Super Media, Google, and others.  Some companies even have chief happiness officers.  It’s that strategically important. What is happiness?  Happiness at work? Happiness is a surplus of positive over negative emotions plus a sense of satisfaction with life overall.  And, it includes: Authenticity – being yourself, acting on your values, using your unique strengths Relationships – personal and work relationships which are positive and supportive Meaning and purpose – having a clear and meaningful why for the work you do Growth and mastery . . . continue reading

Agile Course Earns Top 100 MOOC RankingClass Central—a search engine and review site for massive open online courses (MOOCs)—has named a University of Maryland Project Management Center for Excellence offering among their top 100 Best Online Courses of all time.  Agile Leadership Principles, the fourth course in our Agile Project Management Professional Certificate, earned the honor alongside MOOCs offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Harvard University; University of California, Berkeley; Princeton University; Yale University; University of Michigan; and others.  Agile for Project Control, the 5th course in the program was ranked 1st among the Ten Most popular MOOCs for April 2019. The response has been overwhelming since . . . continue reading

The Future of Academia in a Virtual EnvironmentINTRODUCTION The coronavirus pandemic has been the motivation to quickly move campus courses online. The Project Management Center of Excellence has long been offering online classes in a variety of formats initially at the graduate level, but increasingly at the undergraduate level as well. Many faculty on campus have traditionally resisted teaching their classes online. However, the convulsive shift caused by the pandemic has given us a new opportunity to assess which aspects of teleworking and moving classes online have worked pretty well. What can we learn from this experience and what might the future look like? When we think . . . continue reading

5 Reasons Why Ineffective Communications Can Lead Projects to Fail

Ineffective communications between project managers, their teams and their clients can have a disastrous effect on project outcomes. Even when miscommunication is clearly the culprit, many project managers simply don’t know how to constructively address the problem, instead chalking the experience up to usual and even acceptable risks of project management. The lack of a carefully thought-out communications strategy with the appropriate tools to regulate and store information can ultimately cause companies to lose millions of dollars. Here are five important reasons why poor communication can cause a project to fail: Misunderstandings. In the late 1990s, NASA and the European . . . continue reading

Tips for Working at HomeIf you are generally new to working from home on a full-time basis, we at the University of Maryland’s Project Management Center for Excellence have put together a few ideas that may be useful. Routine It is best to develop a schedule and routine that works for you. Treat the day like a workday and get up on time, dress for the office (even if it is casual) and try to keep a regular schedule. Plan your day to work with your natural energy cycle. We all have one and they are different. Maybe you are a morning person or . . . continue reading

Grant Enhances Learning Opportunities for Project Management StudentsStudents who wish to learn without limits must be guided by innovative teachers. At the University of Maryland, we are breaking ground to support students seeking more options to continue their education. With funds from the Teaching Innovation Grant sponsored by Mary Ann Rankin, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maryland, six courses offered by the Project Management Center for Excellence are becoming more accessible, more enriching, and more interactive for students. The grant engages in rigorous education research projects designed to learn about, develop and plan outstanding online courses that are adaptable, accessible . . . continue reading