1 Steve Barron and Omar Hamasni, Lancaster University

Purpose of this session m  Difficulties with learning PM why is it different?  Current Approaches to learning PM Identifying some issues  Suggestions/Possibilities for addressing issues 2

Difficulties with learning Project Management 2m  Inherent Uniqueness & Uncertainty in projects – how do we deal with Risk?  “Technical” skills vs. “Project” skills  Projects as Complex entities – flexibility in approach to projects  Projects & operations - transient vs. steady state 3 sb

PM has no clear syllabus  E.g. PMI – APM – IPMA – P2M  Similar focus but different purposes, different approaches  And the syllabus just gets bigger and bigger...! 4 sb

Balance of PMI knowledge areas 3m Missing: People skills, Ethics, Strategy & Change management 5 oh

Learning approaches 1m  Knowledge  Skills  Practitioner  Expert 6 sb Is the improvement in PM capability justified by the spend in PM training? Each one suggests different learning, teaching and assessment approaches.

types of programmes 2m delete  Training  Traditional Approaches  Academic  Learning PM  Advanced PM  Executive/practitioner 7 sb

learning environment 1.5m  Surface/deep/strategic  explain what it is briefly  Needs for PM learning  Delete this slide 8 oh

9 Strategic approach Intention: to achieve the highest grades possible by: Putting consistent effort into studying Finding the right conditions and materials for studying Managing time and effort effectively Being alert to assessment requirements and criteria Gearing work to the perceived preferences of lecturers Surface approach Intention: to cope with course requirements by: Studying without reflecting on either purpose or meaning Treating the course as unrelated bits of knowledge Memorising facts and procedures routinely Finding difficulty in making sense of new ideas presented Feeling undue pressure and worry about work Deep approach Intention: to understand ideas for yourself by: Relating ideas to previous experience Looking for patterns and underlying principles Checking evidence and relating to conclusions Examining logic and argument cautiously and critically Becoming actively interested in course content Source: Entwistle 1996 Approaches to Learning

Learning Environment 2.5m  Related discipline/focus of study  Student diversity backgrounds/culture  National  Organisational  learning from each other 10 oh

Alternative approaches 3m  Storytelling  double loop learning  Reflective Practitioner – student perspective 11 oh

The Reflective Practitioner 2m  PM as a Reflective Practitioner  Developing a critical approach  How to find time to be reflective in a busy project/learning environment? 12 sb

Conclusions 1m  Teaching PM needs special consideration  Learning PM suggests particular learning approaches  The PM syllabus shows no signs of converging 13

What to take away from this session? 1m  Traditional approaches might not be sufficient to achieve necessary PM learning  What level of PM are we trying to achieve?  Professional bodies have their own syllabus agendas 14