The eReader pilot

Last winter I was asked to sit on the ePublishing/Reader Working Group (headed by Jon Crutchfield and Paul Turner in Academic Technologies) which is responsible for investigating the use of eReader devices/technologies for our students. We have decided a pilot is the best way to move things forward. To that end, I’m teaching a 7-week module of Project Management starting in Mod 1 this fall and I’ve volunteered myself and my students to serve as test subjects.

The Purpose (Mission)
The course's learning objectives include the need for students to become proficient in using tools and technology to aid in project management. I have added emphases below. Students will:

• Learn what it means to manage projects
• Increase students' understanding of project life cycles
• Discuss budgeting and cost estimation of projects
• Apply software tools and applications to project management
• Assess risk and learn conflict management skills
• Manage a real project

These are the targets we want to meet

• Completion of all team projects
• With respect to the iPad Pilot Study...completion of all of the following
• A joint ePublishing Working Group report would be issued upon completion of the course (target mid-November 2010 release)
• Consider a national distribution and/or getting ND Newswriting involved from the onset or afterwards
• Presentations on campus for interested groups/depts/schools

This is how the University of Notre Dame will gain

• Notre Dame will be one of the first universities to conduct a large scale pilot such as this
• Notre Dame and all of its departments will learn from this effort and be able to improve upon what has been accmplished
• Other universities will learn from our efforts
• Notre Dame may be able to partner with select technology vendors and publishers to be 'partners in innovation' for education

Objectives
In addition to teaching project management skills, we will also conduct research on the use of the iPads in the classroom. Several things will be assessed during the course of this pilot study

• Measurable Objectives:
• Technology Acceptance including Usefulness, Ease of Use, etc.
• Technology Value
• Actual use of the iPad

Deliverables
A joint ePublishing Working Group report that will be co-written with a student group.

Project Constraints

• Time. We have only 7-weeks to conduct this project.
• Unforeseen limitations of the iPads