Remote Access to Academic Trials and Testing
Executive Summary:
The major focus of the project is to provide a new dimension in carrying out practical laboratory researches online through innovative employment of available technologies. This service is intended for Msc students and not those taking their undergraduate programs.
The project is directionally intended to explore how web 2.0 technologies can be integrated with the already existing communication technologies to allow students carry out laboratory research online and from any part of the world.
The issue to be addressed by the project is common to almost all the academic areas where there is an overriding need for the specialists at the time of doing the research or laboratory testing but the specialists might be limited in number. Such a limitation creates lots of troubles and especially where campus based cohorts of postgraduate students in specialist areas can only be able to proceed with their practical’s when they have to travel and assemble at the campus.
In terms of user needs, the project first and foremost is geared towards equipping students with high quality NDT skills that they can be able to manipulate in a flexible and online environment. Secondly, the project intends to make practical laboratory work and experience available online through the innovative use of a wide range of technologies. This arrangement will therefore ensure that problems associated with geographical spread are no more besides reducing the costs incurred when a student has to travel to the campus in order to take the laboratory.
Aims and Objectives/Deliverables:
The overall objective of the project is create an online learning environment where postgraduate students especially those on vacation and on work-based learning can be able to remotely access and carry out practical laboratory research without having to travel to the campus site.
The project objectives therefore include the following:
General Approaches:
The project will first of all look at the possibility of allowing Masters Students to take their laboratory practical lesions remotely online. Particularly, the project is based on the conception that each of the course modules has a lot to do with NDT technologies, its applications and accompanying techniques all of which must be at the palm of the students. Besides, the general description of the study module is embedded on the rule that practical learning constitutes 25% while practical lesions account for 40% of the total marks. This generally means that a lot of weight has to be given to practical sessions.
Students undertaking their studies on the distance learning program will actually be able to access the same laboratory and its equipments just in the same way for time or part time do. This therefore means that, remote students will be able to do the same practical assignments and complete them in real time. In order to standardize every step in this new development, an equivalent of a tutor on lab technician will have to be employed in order to help monitor the remote practical assignments.
The project will also make it possible for both distance learning students as well as those residing within the campus to be able to access the laboratory and all the practical assignments even outside the usual timetable sessions. However, such outside the timetable access may happen without the guidance of the class tutors and the lab technician. However, the system will be designed in such a manner that an in build level intervention will still be available even in the absence of the tutors and technicians.
Contractual Aspects:
The major aspect of the project that will require contractual agreement entails the intellectual property rights that always arise in these kinds of projects. Once the project is complete, the fundamental outcome will be the report that outlays the possibility of providing remote access to laboratory lessons to students not residing in the campus. As a consequence, all of the information that will be generated by the project will be made available for use and dissemination by any interested parties. Pinson (2008).
Another significant aspect of the project that requires contractual agreement entails the technical specification and online learning environment. These two fundamental specifications will designed and developed by the institution therefore remaining to be the property of the institution. However, the general regarding these specifications will be made available through various channels such as the university website.
Project Resources:
The first in the list of project resources is the project partners. This project has no directly or formal partners apart from the University. However, the project will stand a chance of benefiting from external stakeholders such as CISCO group, Google group and IMechE.
The next in the line of project resources will the overall project management which will be in the hands of Department Professor as the chair. The project manager will conduct regular weekly online meetings to digest the issues as they arise. All the online meetings will be saved or recorded and saved for use especially in the project website. The project team will consist of the entire department heads involved in various activities that contribute to the success of the project. Pinson (2008).
The project further understands that it is designed to exist in a community where other forces exist. In this perspective therefore, the project will participate in this community activities that it shares with considerable mission. Besides, any additional support from the community that will strive to give more meaning to the project is highly welcomed.
Budget Process:
The project will adopt both bottoms-up and top-down budgetary process. This decision is informed by the fact that at times it becomes difficult to deduce the actual amount of resources that will be used due to the volatility or changes in the market environment. This therefore means that the budgeting will have to be very participatory in nature so as to be able to deeply understand all the factors that are likely the entire budget. Pinson (2008).
Risk Analysis:
This is one of the critical aspects of this project and which must be taken into deep consideration if the project is to be successful. There are four types of risks that the project management team will have to deal conclusively. These are staffing risks, students and employers’ risks, organizational risks and lastly technical risks. McKeever (2012).
The staffing risk majorly involves a situation whereby crucial members of the project management team cease to show up or cease to be available during the project’s management. By all means this is a major problem and remedial actions to be taken in events of such a situation will be document for each of the project management staffs. The student and employer risks arise from the fact that engagement of the two using the online learning environment might be poor. However, through research and consultations significant benefits are bound to arise if the system is made friendlier to use. Organizational risks are related to changes in the organizational structures and priorities of the project management team and which if not properly handled have the potential of altering the direction of management. One of the major risks associated with the project regards the technical failure that has defined many technical projects. The project team will therefore have to fundamentally be more careful with the technical progress. In order to do this effectively, the project team will be meeting on a regular basis to discuss the progress of the project. This means that the team will be able to identify the problems as they arise and make suggestions on the way forward. McKeever (2012).
Evaluation Plan:
There is no doubt that evaluation will be very instrumental to the overall success of the project. The evaluation process will be divided into four phases which define the four practical exercises of remote learning. In this regard the evaluation process will entails asking the tutors, the students as well as the support staff of their experiences with the new model. These questions will include those touching on usability of the system, technical effectiveness and effectiveness of the learning environment. When looked at in this perspective, evaluation will therefore ensure that everything is tailored as planned in the original version. McKeever (2012).
References:
Pinson, L. (2008). Anatomy of a Business Plan: The Step-By-Step Guide to Building Your Business and Securing Your Company's Future.U.S.A: aka associates.
McKeever, M. (2012). How to Write a Business Plan.U.S.A: Nolo.
