Faculty Directions, Spring 2004 - MyCLE: Undergraduate Project Management Course Delivered from Australia

Chris Piper
Department of Construction Science and Management

Editor's Note: This academic year, Clemson University faculty, students, and staff have the opportunity to use one of three course management systems. Their reporting of their experiences will help determine the one course management system that is selected for the future. This article on MyCLE and articles by Philip McGee and Clint Isbell on WebCT and by Felix Barron on Blackboard illustrate the innovative ways faculty are using these course management systems.

Throughout our lives we find ourselves in situations where we want to be in more than one place at the same time. We want to be present at a conference and be in class. We want to be in the archives to do research and in our CU office to meet with our students. Fall 2003, I wanted to be at the University of South Australia (UniSA) to propose my doctoral plan and in my Clemson University (CU) classroom to teach my senior construction science and management students. I learned that technology can help us be in two places at once. In my case, MyCLE, Web Drive and recorded lectures and other course materials on CD made possible my eight-week stay at UniSA and my teaching of CSM 453 Project Management.

Planning for the dual role of teacher at CU and student at UniSA was important. I worked with Educational Technology Services, specifically Paul Adams and Jim Piekutowski (distance education) and Jamie Brown, the coordinator for MyCLE. The distance education group videotaped my lectures and prepared the CD that was distributed to my students on the first day of class by Dr. Roger Liska. Via the CD, I was able to explain why I was attending the UniSA, explain how the course would operate during my physical absence, provide assignment explanations and othernecessary course materials. My plan included using MyFiles and the discussion board in MyCLE, as well as email.
At the University of South Australia, "computer barns" are tucked away in alcoves and other small spaces. Only a quick Internet search and email are allowed.

As with any plan, I had to make adjustments once I got to UniSA. At first, the only place I had to work was in a public lab-either in what they call a computer barn where only a quick Internet search and email are possible or in what they call a computer pool where the firewall forced me to log in multiple times and made using MyFiles quite difficult. I contacted Jamie Brown back in Clemson, and he explained how to use Web Drive to map to the student folders to access their assignments. Web Drive was the key to downloading and reviewing assignments in a timely manner. Eventually, I was assigned a desk with an older model PC (486), which helped me stay in better contact with my students.

This experience was one of exploration. The students and I learned a lot about how we learn and teach, what is important to us, and the advantages and disadvantages of technology. Once I returned to the physical classroom, we reviewed our exploration into this new way to teach and learn the project management course content. Students reported that they missed the face-to-face interaction with me. I did, too, because I read their expressions and body language to determine understanding of the concepts being presented. I can stop, review a concept, ask them a question, and give real-world examples to illustrate a point.

"Computer pools" at the University of South Australia are similar to CU's public labs.
They missed the ability to stop by my office and have engaging discussions or get immediate assistance with an assignment.Although I checked my email twice daily and encouraged them to start assignments early in order to ask questions and get feedback, the 13.5 hour time difference affected the timeliness of my responses to their questions. Although we used the discussion board once, the effectiveness would have been vastly improved if there weren't such a time difference and I didn't have Internet access challenges.
The advantage of my students' experience with distance-learning technology is that it forced them to be more self-disciplined and in control of their own destiny. No one was there to remind them to review the CD and turn-in assignments. They had to make decisions on their own using their best judgment and other resources to complete assignments. This is what project management is about-making decisions based on the information given and living with the consequences, whether right or wrong.

Being on the other side of the world was also a learning experience that they might appreciate later. Many design, engineering and construction firms employ a global workforce to build a complex project. Design engineers in the US exchange drawings with their counterparts in Asia so that round-the-clock work can be accomplished and construction can start earlier. Work has to be planned and project participants have to exercise patience in dealing with time zone changes and technology challenges and limitations. It's not always cost-effective to undertake video teleconferencing or convenient to get everyone logging in at the exact same time to have an on-line discussion. Traditional methods such as email are still relied upon by many people. CSM 453 being taught from Australia exposed the students to the challenges of a global work environment that cannot be easily replicated in a traditional classroom setting.