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Volume IV, Issue 3 December 2007 |
Quinsigamond
Community College |
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Staff Development Links
Staff
Development
Erica Merrill
Staff Development
Room
114 Ahlfors Hall
December's Events
Breakfast Club
QCC Annual
In accordance with the college's strategic initiative to optimize the use of technology for improved and cost-effective communication, this newsletter is being distributed electronically as the best means for information-sharing with faculty and staff. |
Editor: Erica Merrill "Microsoft Project for Beginners" by Lynn Cohen "Reflections on the Centennial Vision for Occupational Therapy" by Brenda Marshall
Microsoft Project for Beginners I recently took a “beginning level” class in Microsoft Project and am writing this essay to share my thoughts about the class itself, the software, and situations in which a user could benefit from using this tool. The Class The class, given by New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in Westborough, MA, did not offer the opportunity to work with the Microsoft Project “help” function, nor to see Microsoft’s written documentation of how to use Project. This was a shortcoming of the class, as I was unable to determine the level of quality of either. However, participants did receive a useful reference book that addressed all the features covered in the class, with clear explanations of when and why to use various options, which the instructor supplemented. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable about the software, very receptive to questions, very clear in explaining each step, and checked in often to make sure all participants were “getting” each concept as we went along. Using Microsoft Project Software Let me stress: Microsoft Project is definitely not a simple tool. It is a complex database that stores information about many elements of a project, and allows the user to relate those elements in detailed and intricate ways in order to produce a project plan. I can describe a very bare-bones outline of the process this way:
Some important caveats: The user must be extremely careful to correctly define multiple aspects of the various elements of the plan. This can be as simple as specifying the normal work-week of the enterprise to correctly specifying multiple links (“dependencies”) between tasks and parts of tasks. The opportunities for not fully-defining all the necessary aspects of a project element are great, and it is therefore relatively easy to create a project plan that is incomplete or inaccurate. “Quality time” spent up-front is critical. As a long-time user of Microsoft Office products, I expect certain tools to work in certain ways. For instance, in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the user can click the “undo” button multiple times to “scroll back” and undo multiple changes. That isn’t the case with Microsoft Project. The instructor attributed this to the fact that Microsoft bought the Project software from a second party, and hasn’t spent a lot of time adding in the “nice features” that we’re used to in the Office Suite tools. These “nice features” will be available in the Windows 2007 version. Usefulness of Microsoft Project Having said all that, there are clearly some situations in which Microsoft Project would be an excellent tool for managing a project, given the human resources needed to input to and maintain the data files:
In summary Microsoft Project is very useful for keeping track of big projects and requires intensive, careful work up-front in order to get complex data files created correctly (“garbage in/garbage out”). It is worthwhile using it for any project that involves one or more of the four factors listed above; and in order to succeed, the enterprise must be ready and able to make a commitment of the human resources needed to support it. Setting up and maintaining a project plan in Microsoft Project requires a significant commitment of personnel, trained and savvy in using application software. At QCC, in my immediate work area, I can see immediate applications of Microsoft Project in managing a grant, or in managing any project where the objective is to interface databases. (Both meet some or all of the criteria of: lengthy project, with numerous individual tasks/milestones, requiring the use of multiple resources, with a potentially large monetary impact). I will close with two “non-software elements” the instructor identified as critical to making this tool work at its optimum for the user. First, communication is key. As an example, if a project director finds out that a resource isn’t available as originally thought, that information needs to get into the data files promptly and accurately. Secondly, a single well-trained user should be designated to input to and maintain the data files, as the opportunity for inconsistency (and therefore less-than-optimal results) is too great otherwise. I hope readers find this essay useful, and I would be happy to answer any questions.
Reflections on the Centennial Vision for Occupational Therapy
“You
are today where your thoughts have brought you; I attended the two-day Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Directors’ Education Council Meeting in Providence, RI in October. This was an excellent opportunity to network with about 140 Program Directors of occupational therapy assistant and occupational therapy programs from around the country. A frequently recurring theme at this conference was the profession’s centennial vision. In 2017, the profession will turn 100, and much thought is being given to how we should position ourselves for the future. The Centennial Vision states: “We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs”. It is challenging and exciting to consider how our Program here at QCC can best educate our graduates to fit this vision. The leaders of our profession have identified four strategic directions to guide us to the realization of this vision, and I have begun to think about how our QCC Program can follow these directions. The first is: To build the capacity to fulfill the profession’s potential and mission. Until this year, our Program, like most others across the country, has been under-enrolled. This decrease in enrollment followed the decrease in reimbursement for rehabilitation services following the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. It is exciting to again have a full class, and the future is looking bright in terms of increased enrollment; however, our Vision Statement is a clear reminder that, without sufficient practitioners, the profession will not thrive. Our Program spends much time and energy educating the public about occupational therapy, and we will increase our efforts to spread the word. When the people learn how valuable occupational therapy services can be, they will be flocking to join and learn from the profession! As we pursue this effort to increase enrollment, we will also be meeting the requirements of the second strategic direction: To demonstrate and articulate our value to individuals, organizations and communities. As people increase their understanding of who we are and what we do, they will understand that our role can be much larger than providing rehabilitation services to individuals who have experienced illness or trauma. Occupational therapists are concerned with “occupation”. The word “occupation” means any activity which “occupies” our time. The quality of life that an individual experiences will depend upon how he or she perceives the value of the activities in which he or she engages. Occupational therapists are skilled at helping individuals develop meaningful and valued occupations, which can be as helpful to the person entering retirement or the healthy older individual who has lost a spouse, as it is to the recovering stroke patient or the child with cerebral palsy. Occupational therapists have the skills to meet societal needs for health and well-being. At QCC, we have a variety of activities within our Program that take our students into the wider community to work with healthy individuals as well as those experiencing illness. The third strategic direction is: To build an inclusive community of members. Sadly, many occupational therapy practitioners do not choose to belong to their professional organization. Here at QCC, all students belong to the American Occupational Therapy Association and are strongly encouraged to be active in national and local activities. In speaking to colleagues in states in which there are few occupational therapists and no occupational therapy schools, it was evident that there are many therapists who feel isolated and unsupported. This is an aspect of the profession that is often overlooked. In these days of electronic communication, instant information-sharing, listserves, and so on, no one should feel cut off from the support of colleagues and mentors. An important part of student education is to teach the students to be outward-looking and to network with and support other occupational therapy practitioners. And finally, the fourth strategic direction is: To link education, research, and practice. Our curriculum includes instruction in the use of evidence-based practice, lessons on how to participate in, and to understand research, and to pursue ongoing educational opportunities. These are rarely favorite topics with students. I have found that my students became increasingly motivated when I showed them how these topics relate to our future as a profession. They feel a real connection with the Centennial Vision; they see it as their future. Spending time with colleagues from around the country to discuss and plan for the future was an exhilarating and energizing experience. Managing the day-to-day routines of teaching and administration has more meaning for me since this meeting; I’m not focusing on completing the semester – I’m focusing on the next 100 years!
© Staff Development, Quinsigamond Community College 2007. |
