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On Line Microsoft Project Tutorial for Engineering and Technology Students

Feng Jao and Khalid Al-Olimat Ohio Northern University

Abstract

This paper explores a designed online instructional tool to tutor engineering and technology students on how to utilize the Microsoft Project software to create a project plan which is one of the important elements in project management. Students in the engineering programs and in the technology program at Ohio Northern University are required to utilize Microsoft Project to construct a plan for their senior design projects. There are no any dedicated lectures to teach students or to show them how to use this software. Students need to learn it on their own. The tutorial shows students all the involved steps in project planning and how to insert each task to develop the plan. This tutorial allows students to learn on their own and it is advantageous due to its self-paced. The information and data collected from survey and questionnaires was analyzed and used for the evaluation of the effectiveness of this media based instructional tool. Students have responded favorably to and expressed their satisfaction with the developed tool.

Introduction

A general call for educational reform has been increasing over the last decade. This has put a demand on educators to find ways to optimize the content of their courses. The continuous growth of technology made it easier for educators to achieve this optimization while meeting the instructional needs of students.

Meeting the instructional needs of students to learn the material is the keystone of every effective program. The tools of educational technology and software hold tremendous potential for improving both teaching and learning processes. Papers [1-6] reported that those who integrate technology in the learning process believe it will improve learning and better prepare students to effectively participate in the 21st century workplace. Today, educators are concerned with how to use technology to enhance and enrich their learning environments rather than asking whether to use it.

One of the educational technology elements is Multimedia. Multimedia which is defined in paper [7] as “the integration of video, audio, graphics and data within a single computer workstation” and according to Willis [8] multimedia enables the instructor to custom design and individualize instruction and learner to “plan, execute, and manage” his or her learning experience at the rate, place, and time of the learner’s choice. Folkestad and De Miranda [9] have used multimedia through screen-capture to teach students how to use CAD software. They reported that students were unsatisfied with this instructional tool due to its fast pace and the need to switch back and forth from the recorded lecture to the CAD software.

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Jao, F., & Al-Olimat, K. (2005, June), On Line Microsoft Project Tutorial For Engineering And Technology Students Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14847