Kanban for Project Managers
An instructional design plan, ready for development.
Problem and Solution
This project is an instructional unit that will provide learners with foundational knowledge and skills on the Kanban method of project management and allow them to practice the process in the project manager role. It is intended to be part of a university course on project management strategies.
The intended audiences are undergraduate business students and graduate students seeking a project manager certificate. Students in the undergraduate business program have completed most general education requirements and are entering their first higher-level, business-specific courses. They have declared business as their major and are taking this course due to their interest in a project management minor. Graduate students specifically applied for the project management degree or certificate. This suggests that they are motivated to learn about project management and have achieved the academic standards required for admittance to the programs. By the end of the instructional unit, the students will be able to demonstrate the Kanban process.
My Process
Analysis
After determining the overall instructional goal, I performed a first-level task analysis and an in-depth task analysis (on the right).
From there, I took the 4 main tasks and wrote aligned performance objectives and assessments that will measure success.
Design
I used Gange's 9 Events to structure this unit. I planned learning events and sub-events, and outlined the eLearning.
Storyboarding
The final product for this instructional unit is a detailed storyboard. This storyboard serves as the blueprint for the final deliverable, offering a visual narrative that guides the development process.
In addition to outlining the sequence of scenes and actions, it incorporates style elements to ensure consistency. This involved integrating specific colors, typography, and other visual elements.
The storyboard features customized graphics tailored to the content and audience. These graphics are thoughtfully designed to enhance comprehension, engagement, and retention. Each graphic is strategically placed within the storyboard to complement the narrative and convey complex concepts with clarity.
Ultimately, the detailed storyboard serves as a roadmap for the final deliverable, providing a clear vision of the instructional content and its presentation. It empowers the production team to bring the instructional unit to life while maintaining fidelity to the brand and maximizing engagement and learning outcomes.
Takeaways
This instructional unit is a reflection of my knowledge of several research-based learning theories and up-to-date instructional design strategies. I relied on backwards design, ADDIE, Gagne’s nine events, and Mayer’s multimedia principles to plan this instructional unit in a research-backed, theoretically grounded way.
In the future, I aim to redesign the course to incorporate additional exercises focusing on the effective management of task flow on the Kanban board. However, given the introductory nature of this instructional unit, the current structure is satisfactory. The primary goal is to acquaint new project management students with each commonly employed method. I also want to highlight specific accessibility features to be included in the design, such as closed captioning.