2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Only one in twenty mega-projects in engineering will meet both their authorized cost and schedule; the reasoning behind this requires an understanding of the interconnected concepts within project management (e.g., risks, change orders, project complexity). This ~50 minute introductory project management activity will provide students with a low stakes-low resource experience directly connecting to the various reasons why these mega-projects might fail and what we should consider during the Front-End-Planning (FEP) phases of a project. This lesson was designed so that teachers can select from the various reasons for failure and modify the activity to elicit those specific ideas. The general structure of the lesson is as follows: Students are provided with a task where they are to land a pre-designed paper plane in a 1 meter2 landing station. Each member of their team is provided with a different role that will allow them to complete the task (e.g., budget manager, quality control, project manager). Throughout the activity, the teacher will introduce various situations which will inevitably up-end the success of the project. For example, in the middle of product development, the project manager may receive word that the customer has decided to change the type of paper that the plane is made out of. The team will need to determine how this change order fits into their budget, schedule constraints, and overall objectives. Similar situations that provide explicit connections to major reasons why mega-projects can fail are provided in the extended lesson and can be utilized according to the teacher’s lesson objectives. Ultimately, the teacher will utilize effective questioning throughout the activity to elicit students’ preconceived ideas, thought processes, and development of the concepts. This activity lays a foundation for future concepts by providing students with a safe experience of failure and developing confidence in how to address failure in future projects. This activity is structured using the Learning Cycle and involves small group and whole group discussions. Goals for students include critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration, as well as an understanding of project management concepts (e.g., risk analysis, quality control, technical communication). This introductory activity can be utilized for middle or high school students to teach foundational project management concepts.