Volume 5, 2017: Issue 1

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Title:

The endurance test: A virtual project team's lived experience in an online project management course

Author(s):

Michael F. Lohle, University of Bridgeport, USA

Steven Terrell, Nova Southeastern University, USA

Abstract:

This case study examines longitudinal data stored in the learning management system (LMS) of an online MBA program’s project management course to understand and describe the lived experience of a virtual student team that exhibited difficulty delivering a term project. Testing the constructs of a theoretical model previously proposed in literature, the findings consider whether the model design can be applied in a specific situation and suggests additional case studies are warranted for further understanding. The findings also confirmed two concerns. First, unless students actively contact their instructor to escalate feedback about progress, it is difficult to assess a given student’s contribution to virtual team projects. Second, the instructor actively solicited feedback and facilitated closure to compensate for a lack of student accountability, prompting concern about whether requiring an online instructor’s constant oversight and engagement is an optimal strategy for effective project delivery on virtual student teams.

Keywords:

Online pedagogy, virtual teams, project management, learning management system, LMS, troubled projects, knowledge management, grounded theory, theoretical sampling

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36965/OJAKM.2017.5(1)1-13

Type:

Research paper

Journal:

The Online Journal of Applied Knowledge Management (OJAKM), ISSN: 2325-4688

Publisher:

International Institute for Applied Knowledge Management (IIAKM)

Accepted:

4 May 2017

Pages:

1-13