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Comments from the teachersFrom the teachers point of view the course AAR5325 manage to achieve its learning objectives to its fullest extent. Students have learned the basics of projects management in the field related to international development and NGO work. They have familiarised themselves with terms such as: Rational management, Project Definition, Project Planning Matrix, Logical-Frame Approach (Logframe), Risk Management, SMART Indicators, Theory of Change, strategic project planning, project evaluation and DAC criteria and formulating a ToR. Particularly valuable was the input by two guest lecturers from practice. We plan to deliver the course in a similar manner next year. Comments from the students through the reference groupstudents see satisfied with the class, stating for example that:<ul><li>The dialogue was fluid. The professors were accessible both in presence and by e-mail, and available to comments for improvement both to the reference group and in classes.</li><li>The professors were well organized, and the plan showed at the beginning of the course which is appropriate. Group works and Mentimeter are highlighted as positive contributors to the learning environment. Interactive learning activities, interesting post-class activities, and accessible professors are noted.</li><li>The feedback sessions have been well-received</li><li>Group work, interactive tools, and guest lectures are identified as contributing significantly to student learning.</li><li>The course description corresponds to what we have learnt in the class. </li></ul>

At the same time the following challenges have been raised: <ul><li>"the professors have proposed some individual feedback sessions additionally to the presentations in class. It was useful but a bit late.."</li></ul>&gt; This is duly noted and we will seek to adjust next time and offer earlier individual consultations. However it need to be noted that we have also offered extensive written feedback to both assignments. This went beyond normal standards.<ul><li>"The written material is considered crucial, and more examples, especially from previous students, are desired"</li></ul>&gt; While we understand the request, in our case, sharing previous assignments is counterproductive for pedagogical reasons and it also leads to a reduced quality for the results. We had sufficiently explained this to the class on several occasions :)<ul><li>"Some students find the use of some tools such as the Gantt Chart useful but challenging to develop without assistance. </li></ul>Architecture students seek a more relevant message explaining the practical importance of the course." &gt; This is a very valid comment. However from our point of view it related to the fact that the students who made these comments might have missed the introductory session. We see that a regular attendance is very necessary to follow the class, and that reading alone are not sufficient.<ul><li>The budget has also not been mentioned and taught in class as mentioned in the course learning outcome.</li></ul>&gt; Indeed this is very relevant. But due to our limited scope we have to prioritise what we teach and this time we could not concentrate in the budget. While it would be great to have an extra exercise on the budget, this would also mean that we need to reduce other contents.<ul><li>A specific focus on the post disaster/emergency context would increase the learning outcome</li></ul>This seems to be an individual comment. We don't really agree that the class should be focused on post disaster recovery alone.<ul><li>The once per week session is long and sometimes ends late which can be demotivating for some students to follow all the classes. Maybe splitting it into 2 shorter sessions would be helpful. </li></ul>&gt; We will check whether this is possible. Limited staff capacities might be a constraint.

NTNU:TIA:REST

Institutt for arkitektur og planlegging

Department of Architecture and Planning

Engelsk

Prosjektutvikling og prosess

Byforming og planlegging

Prosjektadministrasjon

Afrikastudier

Geografi

Globalisering

Sosiologi

Strategisk design

Urbanisme

Økonomi

Fysisk planlegging - masterstudium

Sustainable Architecture (Master's Programme)

Arkitektur - masterstudium (5-årig)

Urban Ecological Planning (Master's Programme)

Global Health (Master's Programme)

Globalisation and Sustainable Development (Master's Programme)

Eiendomsutvikling og -forvaltning - masterstudium

Arkitektur - masterstudium (2-årig)

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Tiltak

Room reservation

Include module on Project Evaluation whenever possible

Include a session to she the vision and mission of the class and ensure that the participants understand buy in.

Better Buy In and sharing of vision and mission 

From the teachers point of view the course AAR5325 manage to achieve its learning objectives to its fullest extent. students have learned the basics of projects management in the field related to international development and NGO work. They have familiarised themselves with terms such as: Rational management, Project Definition, Project Planning Matrix, Logical-Frame Approach (Logframe), Risk Management, SMART Indicators, Theory of Change, strategic project planning. However in the current session issues such as Moderation and Negotiation and Conflict resolution, Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Impact Assessment could not be included due to reasons of the class scope (not enough time to cover all topics). Instead it was decided beforehand to include the topic of cost-benefit analysis. &gt; In the future e want to bring back the themes of project evolution and monitoring stronger.  A particularly valuable component of the class was the inpout by two guest lecturers from practice. &gt; The inclusion of experts from practice should definitely remain a part of the class in future.  Student commented, among others: "The course taught a valuable skill of project development, and it helped us in different arenas (like internship), where we developed and worked on projects of our own. We liked the format of 3 hours lecture + group work in one sitting (rather than for example 2 lectures a week). “ “The curriculum was well drafted to teach project development tools step by step. The open-minded approach of the teachers towards students’ project ideas was an incredibly good approach to the learning process." Also "The guidelines for final deliverables were not clear in the beginning and most of the students were confused what the final submissions should be. Providing a few reference reports of past years could be helpful."&gt; We think that the communication should be better and ore clear and will work towards improving this part. However we don’t think the sharing of previous results will ad to creativity and original work in the class.  "It was evident that very few students participated in the final presentation. One of the reasons could be that the presentation session of project proposals was conducted after the Inspera submission of the proposal report. Additionally, the students were concerned that the feedback received during the presentation could not help to make any amendments since the assignment was already submitted." &gt; It is wrong that only a few students participated in the final presentation. More than 60% participated. We need to create initiatives to increase this number (Cf. also next point). &gt; This comments actually presents a clear misunderstanding of the class’ teaching and leaning approach and our take away from this is a better communication process that includes a verification of a common understanding of the mission and vision of the class.

"The lack of a proper room with chairs and tables made it a bit uncomfortable to be in the class for 3 long hours. We felt like there was a need of a proper classroom where the students feel comfortable since they also must participate in group activities after lectures"&gt; We will take consideration of this point when reserving a room next time.

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We observe (backed up by students and guest lecturers feedback) an overall very high quality of teaching and learning. All learning goals have been achieved. -         The course has initiated a series of group excises for using tools of project development, the group assignments have reached the high quality.  Especially the external experts gave very positive feedbacks on group exercise especially on teamwork. Forms of assessment and approach have been adequately shared and discussed with the students. Results of the four-group work and individual proposal were assessed separately. This was done according to criteria that were known by the students.   With COVID-19 in the second year most of the class has been taught in a hybrid format as the group was relatively small. Guest lectures were conducted digitally and sessions by local teachers in person. The students appreciated the mix. The course has received an exceptionally good feedback from the guest lecturers who are professional in the field. Moreover, it has received a very good feedback from the students. Due to the small group site of 10 students feedback has been collected based on conversations and evaluation forms. The later have been distributed 2 times in the semester, in the middle and at the end. Response rates have been 8/10 students for the first and 9/9 students for the second.

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Quality of the course, as evaluated by the course coordinator: All learning outcomes have been fully met. 4 external professionals/ experts were used to complement course contents from a practitioners and expert perspective. This is deemed highly successful.

Learning outcome:Knowledge: The candidates became familiar with basic modes of project design, management, implementation, and learning, monitoring and evaluation in the development cooperation and post-disaster reconstruction and with the respective tools. The participants are able apply the tools and approaches to their own project as well as to evaluation existing project proposals.   Skills: Students acquired know-how to write a project charter and scope and to develop a project plan. The became familiar with tools such as Problem and Objective Trees, Project Structure Plans, Gantt Charts, Theories of Change, Logical frameworks, SMART indicators, Risk management Tools, and cost appraisal monitoring and evaluation basics.  General competency: The candidates can critically evaluate the challenges of the development and emergency practitioner to design effective interventions to development and emergency issues.

<ul><li>Communication and organization</li></ul>Communication and organisation were good. But there is scope for improvement: Due to the parental leave of the coordinator prior to class and due to COVID-19 the class was fully prepared in the first 2 -3weeks of operation. Furthermore, it was necessary to adjust the teaching plan and complement the core staff (Gotsch and Wang) with external lecturers.  The is space to improve to communicate with students via those digital tools especially on blackboard which can be made in a more user-friendly interface.       <ul><li>Teaching and learning activities</li></ul>We observe an overall high quality of teaching and learning. -         The course has initiated a series of group excises for using tools of project development, the group assignments have reached the high quality.  And the external experts gave very positive feedbacks on group exercise especially on teamwork. -         Due to COVID-19, the teachers, and students (more or less) successfully manage to use digital teaching tools such as Zoom and Blackboard, -         The entire quality of real teaching and discussions could not be substituted by online teaching

<ul><li>Form of assessment</li></ul>-        The form of assessment can be deemed as successful. Forms of assessment and approach have been adequately shared and discussed with the students. Results of the four-group work and individual proposal were assessed separately. This was done according to criteria that were known by the students.

Diverse studier AD-fakultetet

Sustainable Urban Transitions (Nordic Master's Programme)

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This report was submitted in the old format

Læringsutbytte

Kunnskap: Kandidaten vil utvikle en forståelse av sentrale begreper for prosjektutvikling og beredskapspraksis som deltakende vurdering og monitorering og evaluering.

Ferdigheter: Kandidaten vil kunne vurdere en rekke perspektiver på utvikling og beredskapsintervensjoner for å kunne gjøre prioriteringer i programbeslutningsprosesser. 

Generell kompetanse: Kandidaten vil kunne kritisk vurdere utfordringer i utviklings- og beredskapsarbeid og utforme effektive tiltak for utvikling og beredskap.

Prosjekt utviklig og prosess

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Prosjektutvikling og prosess - AAR5325