1. Define your goal 2. Identify tasks 3. Create a timeline 4. Identify resources 5. Enlist help

2.  Identify Tasks & Activities

Discuss with your team members all the possible activities it will take to complete the project. Use various brainstorm techniques, like mind-mapping or word association, to create an alternative list.

The Programmer's Rule: Estimate the time it will take to finish a project...and then double it.

At this stage of the game, this will only be a rough estimate. For many, this will be the first time they have worked on a Web project. What might seem like simple tasks on the list, such as 'write a couple of pages in content," will often be far more complex in practice.

But, that's to be expected. Furthermore, a number of new tasks will inevitably surface as your project continues, so it's a good idea to build in extra time on your project timeline

So I can hear a few of you right now, "if the future is so hard to determine in Web development, why should I waste my time in writing out a detailed list of activities now?" Well, by listing all activities from the start, no matter how incomplete, your team can identify potential problems down the road.

List what is known- Have team members list what they know about the project. This can include information based on prior knowledge. This also helps determine what resources you can pull from at a later date.

List what is needed- Have team members estimate all activities required to accomplish a project.

List problems or delays that might occur- Not only should the team list all possible obstacles, they should also think of ways to overcome these problems.

This activity not only prepares the students to think
proactively, it helps prioritize and organize the sequence of activities.

Assign Tasks

Another important task is to define all the jobs that need to be done and then assign those jobs to the appropriate team members. We suggest that you write down each job description.

• Who collects and selects the content?
• Who obtains the proper permissions?
• Who does the writing?
• Who does the artwork or graphics?
• Who is responsible for the animation or multimedia?
• Who does the scanning or video processing?
• Who codes the HTML pages, Java, JavaScript or CGI scripts?
• Who tests the project?
• Who is the project historian, keeps a project journal, and builds the project reflections and review page?

In most teams, though, there will be a crossover of responsibilities and a sharing of tasks. This is also to be expected, and there should be some flexibility in the assigned task to allow for cross-learning.

But, team members need to know that they are to be held accountable for their specific assignment. If the team member's task is too much for them to handle, the environment has to be open enough for the student to ask for help. The goal is to create a collaborative environment where students share ideas and skills.

Page 1: Define your goal
Page 2: Identify tasks
Page 3: Create a timeline
Page 4: Identify resources
Page 5: Enlist help