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Unit outline_

PMGT5887: Computer Applications in PM

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal evening] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Computer-Aided Project Management builds a bridge from the genesis of project management principles through today's software, developing a postmodern project management systems paradigm for the twenty-first century. Adopting a unique systems perspective that emphasises project coding--an essential skill in project database management--this course demonstrates what fundamental project management principles are, what they do, and how they work in the software environment. Addressing all phases of a project, it illustrates and expands theories through the use of realistic case studies and extensive exercises running on computers. An important feature of systems project management, the use of scope and quality is also discussed. By the end of this unit of study, students should be able to: - Understand application-based introduction to effective systems and methods for project planning and control - Understand essential knowledge to manage successfully and to create, use, and communicate PC-, Server-, Web-, and Internet-based project management information. - Understand the use of structures such as PDS (Project Definition Structure), WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), OBS (Organizational Breakdown Structure), and Masterformat project coding for areas, functions, elements, phases, stages, packages, purchase orders, contracts, and human resources planning and scheduling by CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) communicating with Gantt and bar charts and graphics such as S curves relating estimating and cost control from order-of-magnitude numbers to appropriation grade budgets. - Understand how to apply project concepts from knowledge areas at an operational level using project-based software applications.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Project Management
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Shahadat Uddin, shahadat.uddin@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Fahim Ullah, fahim.ullah@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Siddra Qayyum, siddra.qayyum@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Online Discussions
10% - 10 Minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Participation Class and Tutorial participation
10% Multiple weeks Contribution to learning activities
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment group assignment Case Study part 1: Estimation report
20% Week 08 N/A-
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Presentation group assignment Case Study: Presentation
10% Week 08 N/A
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Online task Quiz
25% Week 12 Online quiz, one hour time limit
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment group assignment Case Study part 2: Project Monitoring
25% Week 13 N/A
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Case Study Part 1: In this group assignment, students will be asked to find a sample project from the literature, or industry. Students will then prepare typical business case reports, including the scope statement and financial analyses, and develop a project plan which they will set up in MS Project
  • Case Study Presentation: Based on Case Study Part 1, students will have the opportunity to orally present their business case developed to the class. Feedback provided by class and tutor/coordinator serves as immediately learning. In some cases, the feedback can then be taken into account for case study part 2.
  • Case Study Part 2: The second part of the case study builds on Part 1. Students will be given a particular scenario based on their proposed case study. Using this scenario, they need to implement changes in their project schedule and make assessments to impact to scope, time, cost and quality of their project. In this part of the project, project tracking tools will be used extensively.
  • Quiz: The on-line quiz will comprise of multiple-choice questions. The quiz will cover topics from in-class presentations, tutorials and in-class discussion materials (i.e. not solely limited to MS Project).
  • Online Discussion: Students will take part in weekly online discussions
  • Class participation: Class participation is marked based on student’s involvement during lecture and tuturial

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late submissions will incur a penalty of 10% per day for up to 7 days starting directly after the cut off time. This means 5% will be deducted even if submitted on the due day but after the cut-off time. After one week, assessments will no longer be marked receive a 0 mark.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1. Course administration; 2. Orientation; 3. Project management concepts Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5
1. Course administration; 2. Orientation; 3. Project management concepts Independent study (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5
Week 02 1. Spreadsheet modelling part 1; 2. Introduction to spreadsheet; 3. Modelling using formulae (moving averages and spreadsheet modelling) Workshop (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5
1. Spreadsheet modelling part 1; 2. Introduction to spreadsheet; 3. Modelling using formulae (moving averages and spreadsheet modelling) Independent study (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5
Week 03 1. Spreadsheet modelling part 2; 2. What-if analysis; 3. Optimisation modelling Workshop (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
1. Spreadsheet modelling part 2; 2. What-if analysis; 3. Optimisation modelling Independent study (7 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 04 Tools in project integration Workshop (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Tools in project integration Independent study (7 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 05 Starting with MS project Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Starting with MS project Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 06 1. Project scope management and tools for constructing WBS; 2. Using MS project Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
1. Project scope management and tools for constructing WBS; 2. Using MS project Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 07 1. Project time management; 2. Tools for scheduling projects Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
1. Project time management; 2. Tools for scheduling projects Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 Business case presentations Presentation (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Business case presentations Independent study (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
1. Project cost management; 2. Assigning costs in projects; 3. Using MS project for cost and resource allocation; 4. Using MS project for project resource pooling Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 09 1. Project cost management; 2. Assigning costs in projects; 3. Using MS project for cost and resource allocation; 4. Using MS project for project resource pooling Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
1. Project cost management; 2. Assigning costs in projects; 3. Using MS project for cost and resource allocation; 4. Using MS project for project resource pooling Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 10 Using MS Project for Project Resource Pooling Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Using MS Project for Project Resource Pooling Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 Using MS project for project communications Workshop (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Using MS project for project communications Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 Using MS project to track project progress Workshop (3 hr) LO4 LO6
Using MS project to track project progress Independent study (7 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 13 Review Workshop (3 hr) LO4 LO6
Review Independent study (7 hr) LO4 LO6

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  •  Carl Chatfield and Timothy Johnson – Microsoft Project 2016 Step-by-Step. Microsoft Press, 2016. 978-0-7356-9874-1

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand the key systems and processes of project management
  • LO2. understand the application of appropriate information-communication technology tools available at various stages of the project
  • LO3. understand the concepts, framework and structure within which the computer application works in although computer applications change over time
  • LO4. apply the use of the right technology for the right task in the project phase
  • LO5. demonstrate knowledge of common tools used by professionals in the industry
  • LO6. demonstrate the skill to learn, use and adapt new technologies effectively and efficiently.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Course content, assessments have been aligned to Microsoft Project version 2016

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.