I. Class Challenge Activity [Active-learning Introduction to Project Management]

In this warmup activity, class will be asked to collaborate to plan and execute a solution to a challenge (a few examples are listed below) with time, resource, and/or communication constraints. We will use the debriefing discussion following the activity to list and characterize the major phases of project management that are common to all projects.

— Whole class or in groups of 4-6, depending on the activity and classroom layout
— ~20 minutes
— Choose one class challenge, from several examples below, or create your own!

1) Class Challenge (Team or whole-class activity)
Examples:
A. Blind Square Rope Game
(Links to an external site.)-- whole class activity
-- requires an open space where students can move around

B. Index Card Tower Contest (Links to an external site.)
-- small groups of 4-6 students
-- requires tables or desktops that students can gather around

C. Marshmallow Tower Challenge (Links to an external site.)
-- small groups of 4-6 students
-- requires tables or desktops that students can gather around

2) Class Debrief & Discussion

Part 1, Debrief: Reflection on Experience & Execution of Task
- How did it go? Analyze the success/failure of the process.
- What worked well? What didn’t work well?
- What would you do differently next time?

Part 2, Discussion- Reflection on Broader Themes of Leadership and Project Management
- How would you describe the leadership that arose within the group?
- Was it equitable? Did everyone get a chance to share ideas and pose solutions?
- What do you think were the main steps of managing this project, from beginning to
end? [Initiating, Planning, Monitoring, Executing and Close Out]
- How would these steps translate into a class project? How would a class
project be different?

II. Generating New Ideas- Group Brainstorming Activity [Initiating a Project]

This small-group activity provides a framework for individuals to equitably pose questions and present brainstorming ideas to their team. This is a chance for every team member to have their questions answered, their ideas heard, and avoids issues of individuals monopolizing discussion spaces.

1) Each student writes one open question or brainstorming idea on the top of a sheet of paper, and then hands it to the person to their right (and receives a separate sheet from the person on her left)

2) On the new sheet, each student reads the question/idea and writes down any ideas/answers that they might have, and adds her name (for later clarification)

3) The exercise continues this way until every student has their original sheet back (if more input is needed, groups can pair up to get more contributing ideas, or pages can pass around a group twice)

4) Once everyone has their original sheet back they take several minutes to read through the responses, and then each person takes time sharing back to the group (with contributors taking time to clarify/elaborate) as needed