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• Difference Between Project and Assignment

Difference between Project and Assignment | Assignment vs Project

It is paramount that we use good English grammar, regardless of whether it is for academics or business. Inaccurate grammar usage could lead to misinterpretation of concepts and in some cases, it can be considered a lack of professionalism.

What is the Difference between Project and Assignment?

Project and assignment are two words that are often used interchangeably. However, they have their differences.

Table of Content

• Table Summarising the Difference between Project and Assignment
• The Meanings of Assignment and Project
• Examples for Project and Assignment
• Assignment vs. Project – Conclusion

Mastering English grammar is not easy. One of the biggest reasons is that there are many rules in English grammar as well as countless exceptions in the way that words are used. Moreover, the English language has a vocabulary of over 170,000 words, and therefore, learning English grammar can quickly become daunting. Regardless, adding a few words to your vocabulary each day can make a big difference. In this article, we shall explore the difference between project and assignment, their meanings and usage.

Table Summarising the Difference between Project and Assignment:

The meanings of project and assignment.

As already summarised above, the meanings of ‘project’ and ‘assignment’ are quite different, and they vary according to their usage.

• ‘Project’ meaning – The word project can be used either as a verb or a noun. Its meaning varies accordingly.
• Give an estimate or a projection based on current data

A specific plan or design

• Assignment meaning – The word assignment can only be used as a noun, and it refers to allocation of work or individuals.

Examples for Assignment and Project:

We shall explore some examples:

• Global average temperatures are projected to reach 25 degrees celsius by the year 2030.
• I noticed scaly growths projecting from his skin after exposure to the chemical.
• The image was projected on the wall.

She was captivated by the findings of the project .

• Assignment – The deadline for the assignment is next week.

Project vs. Assignment – Conclusion

As a verb, the word assignment refers to something that you are given to do by someone else. Alternatively, it could also refer to the assignment of individuals to work. A project, on the other hand, can be used as a verb as well as a noun and its meaning varies accordingly. As a verb, the word refers to the process of giving an estimate or a projection. Alternatively, it can also mean ‘to protrude’. As a noun, the word ‘project’ refers to a specific plan or design. To explore more differences between ‘project’ and ‘assignment’, register at BYJU’S. You can also find other important concepts in grammar, as well as resources for your studies here.

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Assignment vs. Project: What's the Difference?

Key Differences

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Difference Between Assignment and Project

It’s important to know the difference between these two terms. According to Answers.com , assignments are focused on specific, and predefined tasks whereas projects involve a variety of interrelated tasks which are performed to achieve a particular aim.

With the change happening over the world, and the advancement we see in our educational sector, learning has taken a whole new shape and what was once done within the confines of a place called the classroom has evolved to the point where the teachers are no longer the only source of learning.

Unlike the days of reading from a textbook in a classroom and doing classwork, education has now taken a more solid approach. Academics have now set sail to project-based work in schools worldwide. Students can now learn in a fun and exciting way.

Projects, despite their many varieties, can be research-based , at the same time, assignments are a series of essays, questions, and answers. As much as both can help a student learn, their execution sets them apart, giving one a higher significance over the other.

• 1.1 Assignments are textbook focused while Project encourages hands-on learning
• 2 Conclusion

Main Differences Between Assignment and Project

Assignments are textbook focused while Project encourages hands-on learning

One could relate a project to simply designing a model to explain a scientific phenomenon, or watching a movie to ascertain its relevance. The freedom it brings, and the lessons learned from its processes are thrilling. Imagine the feeling a student gets from building a science model of real-life outcomes. Assignment, on the other hand, is all cut and dry. Everything is textbook-focused, which in turn makes learning less fun.

• Evaluation carried out on Assignment can be easily accessed

Just as it’s easy to judge a student’s performance and ability from a given assignment, the opposite is the case for projects. When an assignment is given, the student’s capability is accessed by the report submitted.

The project, on the other hand, is dependent on the performance of others, your team, and a collective effort. As such, it is not a good judge of a student’s capabilities. Unlike a project, an assignment is also a significant pointer to a student’s weakness and a guide in correcting it.

A lot of students struggle to find the best writing services to assist with their projects or assignments. Lets Grade It provides accurate reviews of the best writing services you can find.

• Assignments are majorly within the curriculum, while Projects can be out of the box.

Consider a given assignment on World War I. Everything done on the questionnaire would be aimed at answering the questions asked. The teacher might even permit the students to consult several textbooks to help them properly frame their responses. Everything is being tailored in line with the curriculum, including the research done on the assignment.

A project on the same topic would mean the students thinking outside the box, like writing a report on the technologies used in fighting the war. The goal is to stretch the student’s minds outside the curriculum but within the context of history. This, in turn, makes research fun with a positive outlook as compared to that carried out when an assignment is given.

• Assignments are individualistic, while Projects are a group task

Assignments are usually given on an individual basis. It helps a student be self-reliant and confident in his ability to accomplish a task. This method helps to personally improve assignment writing skills of students while projects encourage students to interact and work together to come up with a solution. This gives rise to teamwork and the ability to delegate, which are vital for life.

For a college or a university, engaging students with both assignments and projects would help create balanced progress and exposure thereby ensuring an ideal learning experience.

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Difference Between Project and Assignment | Assignment vs Project

Regardless of whether we are writing for academic purposes or commercial, it is crucial that we employ proper English grammar . Incorrect language usage can cause concepts to be misunderstood and, in some situations, it can be seen as unprofessional.

What is the Difference between a Project and an Assignment?

The terms “project” and “assignment” are frequently used interchangeably. They do, however, differ in certain ways.

English grammar is difficult to master. One of the main causes is that there are several grammar rules in English as well as endless exceptions to the usage of terms. Learning English grammar can rapidly become overwhelming due to the over 170,000 words in the English language’s lexicon. Whatever the case, expanding your vocabulary by a few words a day can have a significant impact. We will examine the distinction between a project and an assignment, as well as their utilization, in this post.

The Difference Between a Project and an Assignment is Summarised in the Table:

Meanings of Project and Assignment

The definitions of “project” and “assignment,” as outlined above, fluctuate significantly depending on the context.

‘Project’ meaning  – Both the verb and the noun forms of the word project are acceptable. Its significance changes accordingly..

• Using data from the present, provide an estimate or a projection.

a specific strategy or layout

• Assignment meaning  – Only as a noun, the word “ assignment ” denotes the distribution of tasks or people.

Also Read: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHALL AND WILL

Examples for Assignment and Project:

We shall explore some examples:

• By 2030, it is anticipated that the average global temperature will reach 25 degrees Celsius.
• His skin started to acquire scaly growths after being exposed to the chemical, I noted.
• On the wall was projected the image.

The project’s findings captured her attention.

• Assignment : The due date is the next week.

Project vs. Assignment – Conclusion

When used as a verb, the word “assignment” denotes a task that you are given by another person. It could also be used to describe the process of assigning people to jobs. On the other hand, a project has different meanings depending on whether it is used as a verb or a noun. The word can also be used as a verb to describe the act of estimating or projecting. It can also imply “to protrude,” as an alternative. The noun “project” designates a particular strategy or layout. Visit Knowledge Glow to learn more about the distinctions between a “project” and a “assignment.” Here you can locate materials for your study as well as other crucial grammar ideas.

About The Author

Knowledge Glow

I am Komal Gupta, the founder of Knowledge Glow, and my team and I aim to fuel dreams and help the readers achieve success. While you prepare for your competitive exams, we will be right here to assist you in improving your general knowledge and gaining maximum numbers from objective questions. We started this website in 2021 to help students prepare for upcoming competitive exams. Whether you are preparing for civil services or any other exam, our resources will be valuable in the process.

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Assignment vs. Project: Difference and Comparison

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◉ assignment.

Assignment vs. Project Frequently Asked Questions

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Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development Center

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How Do I Create Meaningful and Effective Assignments?

Prepared by allison boye, ph.d. teaching, learning, and professional development center.

Assessment is a necessary part of the teaching and learning process, helping us measure whether our students have really learned what we want them to learn. While exams and quizzes are certainly favorite and useful methods of assessment, out of class assignments (written or otherwise) can offer similar insights into our students' learning.  And just as creating a reliable test takes thoughtfulness and skill, so does creating meaningful and effective assignments. Undoubtedly, many instructors have been on the receiving end of disappointing student work, left wondering what went wrong… and often, those problems can be remedied in the future by some simple fine-tuning of the original assignment.  This paper will take a look at some important elements to consider when developing assignments, and offer some easy approaches to creating a valuable assessment experience for all involved.

First Things First…

Before assigning any major tasks to students, it is imperative that you first define a few things for yourself as the instructor:

• Your goals for the assignment . Why are you assigning this project, and what do you hope your students will gain from completing it? What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you aim to measure with this assignment?  Creating assignments is a major part of overall course design, and every project you assign should clearly align with your goals for the course in general.  For instance, if you want your students to demonstrate critical thinking, perhaps asking them to simply summarize an article is not the best match for that goal; a more appropriate option might be to ask for an analysis of a controversial issue in the discipline. Ultimately, the connection between the assignment and its purpose should be clear to both you and your students to ensure that it is fulfilling the desired goals and doesn't seem like “busy work.” For some ideas about what kinds of assignments match certain learning goals, take a look at this page from DePaul University's Teaching Commons.
• Have they experienced “socialization” in the culture of your discipline (Flaxman, 2005)? Are they familiar with any conventions you might want them to know? In other words, do they know the “language” of your discipline, generally accepted style guidelines, or research protocols?
• Do they know how to conduct research?  Do they know the proper style format, documentation style, acceptable resources, etc.? Do they know how to use the library (Fitzpatrick, 1989) or evaluate resources?
• What kinds of writing or work have they previously engaged in?  For instance, have they completed long, formal writing assignments or research projects before? Have they ever engaged in analysis, reflection, or argumentation? Have they completed group assignments before?  Do they know how to write a literature review or scientific report?

In his book Engaging Ideas (1996), John Bean provides a great list of questions to help instructors focus on their main teaching goals when creating an assignment (p.78):

1. What are the main units/modules in my course?

2. What are my main learning objectives for each module and for the course?

3. What thinking skills am I trying to develop within each unit and throughout the course?

4. What are the most difficult aspects of my course for students?

5. If I could change my students' study habits, what would I most like to change?

6. What difference do I want my course to make in my students' lives?

What your students need to know

Once you have determined your own goals for the assignment and the levels of your students, you can begin creating your assignment.  However, when introducing your assignment to your students, there are several things you will need to clearly outline for them in order to ensure the most successful assignments possible.

• First, you will need to articulate the purpose of the assignment . Even though you know why the assignment is important and what it is meant to accomplish, you cannot assume that your students will intuit that purpose. Your students will appreciate an understanding of how the assignment fits into the larger goals of the course and what they will learn from the process (Hass & Osborn, 2007). Being transparent with your students and explaining why you are asking them to complete a given assignment can ultimately help motivate them to complete the assignment more thoughtfully.
• If you are asking your students to complete a writing assignment, you should define for them the “rhetorical or cognitive mode/s” you want them to employ in their writing (Flaxman, 2005). In other words, use precise verbs that communicate whether you are asking them to analyze, argue, describe, inform, etc.  (Verbs like “explore” or “comment on” can be too vague and cause confusion.) Provide them with a specific task to complete, such as a problem to solve, a question to answer, or an argument to support.  For those who want assignments to lead to top-down, thesis-driven writing, John Bean (1996) suggests presenting a proposition that students must defend or refute, or a problem that demands a thesis answer.
• It is also a good idea to define the audience you want your students to address with their assignment, if possible – especially with writing assignments.  Otherwise, students will address only the instructor, often assuming little requires explanation or development (Hedengren, 2004; MIT, 1999). Further, asking students to address the instructor, who typically knows more about the topic than the student, places the student in an unnatural rhetorical position.  Instead, you might consider asking your students to prepare their assignments for alternative audiences such as other students who missed last week's classes, a group that opposes their position, or people reading a popular magazine or newspaper.  In fact, a study by Bean (1996) indicated the students often appreciate and enjoy assignments that vary elements such as audience or rhetorical context, so don't be afraid to get creative!
• Obviously, you will also need to articulate clearly the logistics or “business aspects” of the assignment . In other words, be explicit with your students about required elements such as the format, length, documentation style, writing style (formal or informal?), and deadlines.  One caveat, however: do not allow the logistics of the paper take precedence over the content in your assignment description; if you spend all of your time describing these things, students might suspect that is all you care about in their execution of the assignment.
• Finally, you should clarify your evaluation criteria for the assignment. What elements of content are most important? Will you grade holistically or weight features separately? How much weight will be given to individual elements, etc?  Another precaution to take when defining requirements for your students is to take care that your instructions and rubric also do not overshadow the content; prescribing too rigidly each element of an assignment can limit students' freedom to explore and discover. According to Beth Finch Hedengren, “A good assignment provides the purpose and guidelines… without dictating exactly what to say” (2004, p. 27).  If you decide to utilize a grading rubric, be sure to provide that to the students along with the assignment description, prior to their completion of the assignment.

A great way to get students engaged with an assignment and build buy-in is to encourage their collaboration on its design and/or on the grading criteria (Hudd, 2003). In his article “Conducting Writing Assignments,” Richard Leahy (2002) offers a few ideas for building in said collaboration:

• Ask the students to develop the grading scale themselves from scratch, starting with choosing the categories.

• Set the grading categories yourself, but ask the students to help write the descriptions.

• Draft the complete grading scale yourself, then give it to your students for review and suggestions.

A Few Do's and Don'ts…

Determining your goals for the assignment and its essential logistics is a good start to creating an effective assignment. However, there are a few more simple factors to consider in your final design. First, here are a few things you should do :

• Do provide detail in your assignment description . Research has shown that students frequently prefer some guiding constraints when completing assignments (Bean, 1996), and that more detail (within reason) can lead to more successful student responses.  One idea is to provide students with physical assignment handouts , in addition to or instead of a simple description in a syllabus.  This can meet the needs of concrete learners and give them something tangible to refer to.  Likewise, it is often beneficial to make explicit for students the process or steps necessary to complete an assignment, given that students – especially younger ones – might need guidance in planning and time management (MIT, 1999).
• Do use open-ended questions.  The most effective and challenging assignments focus on questions that lead students to thinking and explaining, rather than simple yes or no answers, whether explicitly part of the assignment description or in the  brainstorming heuristics (Gardner, 2005).
• Do direct students to appropriate available resources . Giving students pointers about other venues for assistance can help them get started on the right track independently. These kinds of suggestions might include information about campus resources such as the University Writing Center or discipline-specific librarians, suggesting specific journals or books, or even sections of their textbook, or providing them with lists of research ideas or links to acceptable websites.
• Do consider providing models – both successful and unsuccessful models (Miller, 2007). These models could be provided by past students, or models you have created yourself.  You could even ask students to evaluate the models themselves using the determined evaluation criteria, helping them to visualize the final product, think critically about how to complete the assignment, and ideally, recognize success in their own work.
• Do consider including a way for students to make the assignment their own. In their study, Hass and Osborn (2007) confirmed the importance of personal engagement for students when completing an assignment.  Indeed, students will be more engaged in an assignment if it is personally meaningful, practical, or purposeful beyond the classroom.  You might think of ways to encourage students to tap into their own experiences or curiosities, to solve or explore a real problem, or connect to the larger community.  Offering variety in assignment selection can also help students feel more individualized, creative, and in control.
• If your assignment is substantial or long, do consider sequencing it. Far too often, assignments are given as one-shot final products that receive grades at the end of the semester, eternally abandoned by the student.  By sequencing a large assignment, or essentially breaking it down into a systematic approach consisting of interconnected smaller elements (such as a project proposal, an annotated bibliography, or a rough draft, or a series of mini-assignments related to the longer assignment), you can encourage thoughtfulness, complexity, and thoroughness in your students, as well as emphasize process over final product.

Next are a few elements to avoid in your assignments:

• Do not ask too many questions in your assignment.  In an effort to challenge students, instructors often err in the other direction, asking more questions than students can reasonably address in a single assignment without losing focus. Offering an overly specific “checklist” prompt often leads to externally organized papers, in which inexperienced students “slavishly follow the checklist instead of integrating their ideas into more organically-discovered structure” (Flaxman, 2005).
• Do not expect or suggest that there is an “ideal” response to the assignment. A common error for instructors is to dictate content of an assignment too rigidly, or to imply that there is a single correct response or a specific conclusion to reach, either explicitly or implicitly (Flaxman, 2005). Undoubtedly, students do not appreciate feeling as if they must read an instructor's mind to complete an assignment successfully, or that their own ideas have nowhere to go, and can lose motivation as a result. Similarly, avoid assignments that simply ask for regurgitation (Miller, 2007). Again, the best assignments invite students to engage in critical thinking, not just reproduce lectures or readings.
• Do not provide vague or confusing commands . Do students know what you mean when they are asked to “examine” or “discuss” a topic? Return to what you determined about your students' experiences and levels to help you decide what directions will make the most sense to them and what will require more explanation or guidance, and avoid verbiage that might confound them.
• Do not impose impossible time restraints or require the use of insufficient resources for completion of the assignment.  For instance, if you are asking all of your students to use the same resource, ensure that there are enough copies available for all students to access – or at least put one copy on reserve in the library. Likewise, make sure that you are providing your students with ample time to locate resources and effectively complete the assignment (Fitzpatrick, 1989).

The assignments we give to students don't simply have to be research papers or reports. There are many options for effective yet creative ways to assess your students' learning! Here are just a few:

Journals, Posters, Portfolios, Letters, Brochures, Management plans, Editorials, Instruction Manuals, Imitations of a text, Case studies, Debates, News release, Dialogues, Videos, Collages, Plays, Power Point presentations

Ultimately, the success of student responses to an assignment often rests on the instructor's deliberate design of the assignment. By being purposeful and thoughtful from the beginning, you can ensure that your assignments will not only serve as effective assessment methods, but also engage and delight your students. If you would like further help in constructing or revising an assignment, the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center is glad to offer individual consultations. In addition, look into some of the resources provided below.

Online Resources

“Creating Effective Assignments” http://www.unh.edu/teaching-excellence/resources/Assignments.htm This site, from the University of New Hampshire's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning,  provides a brief overview of effective assignment design, with a focus on determining and communicating goals and expectations.

Gardner, T.  (2005, June 12). Ten Tips for Designing Writing Assignments. Traci's Lists of Ten. http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/034.shtml This is a brief yet useful list of tips for assignment design, prepared by a writing teacher and curriculum developer for the National Council of Teachers of English .  The website will also link you to several other lists of “ten tips” related to literacy pedagogy.

“How to Create Effective Assignments for College Students.”  http:// tilt.colostate.edu/retreat/2011/zimmerman.pdf     This PDF is a simplified bulleted list, prepared by Dr. Toni Zimmerman from Colorado State University, offering some helpful ideas for coming up with creative assignments.

“Learner-Centered Assessment” http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/learner_centered_assessment.html From the Centre for Teaching Excellence at the University of Waterloo, this is a short list of suggestions for the process of designing an assessment with your students' interests in mind. “Matching Learning Goals to Assignment Types.” http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/How_to/design_assignments/assignments_learning_goals.html This is a great page from DePaul University's Teaching Commons, providing a chart that helps instructors match assignments with learning goals.

Additional References Bean, J.C. (1996). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fitzpatrick, R. (1989). Research and writing assignments that reduce fear lead to better papers and more confident students. Writing Across the Curriculum , 3.2, pp. 15 – 24.

Flaxman, R. (2005). Creating meaningful writing assignments. The Teaching Exchange .  Retrieved Jan. 9, 2008 from http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Sheridan_Center/pubs/teachingExchange/jan2005/01_flaxman.pdf

Hass, M. & Osborn, J. (2007, August 13). An emic view of student writing and the writing process. Across the Disciplines, 4. 

Hedengren, B.F. (2004). A TA's guide to teaching writing in all disciplines . Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Hudd, S. S. (2003, April). Syllabus under construction: Involving students in the creation of class assignments.  Teaching Sociology , 31, pp. 195 – 202.

Leahy, R. (2002). Conducting writing assignments. College Teaching , 50.2, pp. 50 – 54.

Miller, H. (2007). Designing effective writing assignments.  Teaching with writing .  University of Minnesota Center for Writing. Retrieved Jan. 9, 2008, from http://writing.umn.edu/tww/assignments/designing.html

MIT Online Writing and Communication Center (1999). Creating Writing Assignments. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from http://web.mit.edu/writing/Faculty/createeffective.html .

Contact TTU

Assignment vs. Project: Know the Difference

Key Differences

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Difference between Assignment and Project

What is the difference between assignment and project.

Assignment as a noun is the act of assigning, or an assigned task while Project as a noun is a planned endeavor, usually with a specific goal and accomplished in several steps or stages.

Part of speech: noun

Definition: the act of assigning, or an assigned task a position to which someone is assigned a task given to students, homework or coursework a transfer of something from one person to another, especially property, or a claim or right; the document that effects this transfer an operation that assigns a value to a variable

Definition: A planned endeavor, usually with a specific goal and accomplished in several steps or stages. An urban low-income housing building.

Part of speech: verb

Definition: To extend beyond a surface. To cast (an image or shadow) upon a surface. To extend (a protrusion or appendage) outward. To make plans for; to forecast.

We hope you now know whether to use Assignment or Project in your sentence.

Difference between reverently and reverentially

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People often get confused between similar sounding words or synonyms. Most of the time these words have slightly different meanings, and some time entirely different meanings. We help people discover the difference between these words.

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Project Assignment

What is a project assignment.

A project assignment is a set of tasks or responsibilities given to an intern, focusing on a specific outcome or goal. It serves multiple purposes, from assessing an intern's abilities to providing them with hands-on experience in real-world scenarios.

Why are Project Assignments Important for Interns?

Skill development.

Tackling a project helps interns apply their academic knowledge, enhancing and refining their skills in the process.

Real-world Exposure

It's a glimpse into the practical challenges a company faces, offering interns a chance to understand industry workings intimately.

Undertaking a project often requires liaising with multiple departments, helping interns establish valuable connections.

Feedback Opportunity

Post-project reviews allow interns to receive constructive feedback, which is instrumental in their growth journey.

Types of Project Assignments in Internships:

Research-Based: Interns might be tasked with market research, competitor analysis, or studying the latest industry trends.

Development Projects: Especially common in tech roles, interns may have to develop a software module, design a website, or test applications.

Strategic Planning: Drafting marketing strategies, business expansion plans, or product launches can also fall under an intern's purview.

Operational Tasks: Assignments might involve streamlining a process, logistics planning, or resource management.

Tips for Successfully Navigating Project Assignments:

Understand the Brief: Before plunging into the task, ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the project's objectives and expected outcomes.

Manage Time: Efficiently segment your project into manageable tasks and allocate specific times to each, ensuring timely completion.

Seek Guidance: Don't hesitate to consult with superiors or colleagues if you hit a roadblock. Remember, it's a learning experience.

Incorporate Feedback: Actively seek feedback during the project's course and be open to making necessary adjustments.

What should I do if the project seems beyond my skillset?

It's normal to feel overwhelmed. Start by breaking down the project into smaller tasks. Discuss any concerns with your supervisor , and they might provide additional training or resources. Remember, the aim is to help you learn and grow.

How can I ensure my project stands out among my peers?

Begin with thorough research, think creatively, and don't shy away from incorporating innovative ideas. Consistent communication with superiors to ensure you're on the right track can also make a significant difference. Lastly, presentation matters – ensure your findings or outcomes are presented coherently and professionally.

A Project Assignment in internships is more than just a task; it's a golden opportunity for growth, learning, and laying down the foundation for a successful career. By approaching these assignments with enthusiasm, curiosity, and diligence, interns can ensure they reap maximum benefits from this pivotal aspect of their internship journey.

Difference Between Project And Assignment

Assignments and projects are a part of the curriculum that aims to hone the child's mental ability and enrich them with practical knowledge. However, both have different focuses. In this article, we have delineated the difference between them and have reasoned why the best schools in Abu Dhabi make them an integrated part of the curriculum. 

Difference between Project and Assignment

Project and school assignments are given to provide impetus to student learning. However, projects are research-oriented, and assignment is text-book based. 

Meaning of the two concepts

In school, the teacher gives the kids a project or a research assignment wherein they have to research and present the report. On the other hand, an assignment is fairly easy to crack. It includes questions within the curriculum that the teachers provide after the chapter is completed. 

Purpose of projects and assignments

Cramming is a rote way of learning and will do no good for your child. They need practical skills to scale high in their career.  

Projects and assignments serve the purpose. The students get real-life experience, and they learn to interact with their peers. 

Importance of projects and assignments in school

Project-based learning helps the child prepare for real-time jobs and enhance their soft skills. It is a modern learning method that promotes teamwork and communication skills. The kg schools in Abu Dhabi do it excellently. Here are some more points that emphasise the importance of project-based learning. 

1 - It develops critical skills among them

Project-based learning encourages critical thinking and improves problem-solving abilities. By working on different projects, the students gain hands-on knowledge on addressing problems and finding solutions.  

2 - Their creativity skills are improved

Project-based learning boosts their cognitive thinking and forces them to think creatively and develop new ideas and possibilities. They learn beyond memorization, and it boosts their confidence to manifold times.  

The project assignment helps students hone their time management skills and prepare them for their careers and future endeavours.  

3 - To make them feel connected to the lesson

The assignment's main objective is to analyse whether the students have understood a particular concept. If they are not able to do well in the assignment, it means clarity is lacking. Apart from this, the teachers also assess various other skills.  

The importance of school assignments is that they assist the students in their academic learning and help them grab and refresh their skills on the subject. They come up with new problems and discover relevant solutions for them. The practice also makes them ready for unpredictable situations.  

The project and assignment help the students in their future studies and prepare them for exams and how to handle real-life challenges. It also helps them to achieve specific goals and focus on their future endeavours.   

Examples of projects

Here are some examples of a project that your school might give:

● A project on how to set up a garden.

● Create a family tree

● Show properties of air 

● How are volcanoes formed? 

Examples for assignment

Here are some examples of an assignment that your school might give: 

● Create an assignment about different occupations of the people.

● Describe the planets of the solar system.

● Write five things that you see in nature and briefly explain them.

● What are the different shapes used in maths? Explain with the help of scenery. 

Other Differences Between Project And Assignment In School

While both aim to develop the kids' fine motor and general skills, there is a lot of difference between them. Let's enumerate the project vs assignment. 

1. Projects are off topics, but assignments come within the curriculum

Projects aim at providing you with a comprehensive view of the topic.

While preparing the project, you must conduct deep research on the topic and create a report. The motive here is to assimilate the information, learn from it and present it.  

On the other hand, the assignment’s questionnaire assesses the student's ability to understand and implement the lessons they have been taught in class. The teachers might ask the students to refer to multiple textbooks and then frame the answer. 

2.  Projects are group tasks, while assignments are solo tasks

The projects are group-oriented activities and teach them collaborative skills, which is vital for their career. They learn to delegate, work in teams and help each other. The assignments, on the contrary, are focused on a specific task. It aims to make the children self-dependent. Completing assignments on their own gives them a sense of accomplishment and boosts their academic performance.  

3. In the assignment, evaluation becomes easy for the teacher

A group project must enable the children to evaluate and quantify the student's performance. It brings out their abilities. The students will work in an area they are experts at, and the rest will leave the task to their partner. So the teachers won't be able to assess the student's abilities. It is where assignments come into the picture. It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the students and gives them a chance to improve. Individual evaluation is the main criterion of the assignments. 

4. Projects include hands-on learning, while assignments are textbook oriented

The projects include a field trip to a science museum or creating a science model to understand the phenomenon. Through it, the teachers assess the concept's clarity. It gives them a lot of experience. Instead of reading, they understand the real working model, while traditional assignments are limited to textbooks. 

5. Purpose of Assignments

An assignment develops deep-rooted knowledge of a concept and pushes their learning goals. They are action-oriented and test the direction of a pupil's thoughts and activities and how they achieve an objective while the project evaluates their research skills. 

Also Read : How to Teach English to  KG Students?

Signing it off

To sum it up, projects aim at providing you with a comprehensive view of the topic, while the assignments examine the student's ability to understand and implement the lessons learnt in class. Projects tend to be group tasks, while assignments are solo tasks. Projects can encourage hands-on learning, while assignments examine comprehension of textbook subjects. 

We can say that both projects and assignments are vital for the students and help build their communication, public speaking, and written skills. Overall, they improve students' grades and let them peek into real life. 

GIIS school in Abu Dhabi exposes the kids to both forms of learning to make them future leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. are projects or assignments more time-consuming for students.

Projects tend to be more time-consuming as they involve more planning, research, and possibly group work, whereas assignments are usually shorter and can be completed in less time.

2. Which one is more effective in enhancing learning: projects or assignments?

Both can be effective, but projects often provide a more in-depth learning experience as they require students to delve deeper into a topic and apply their knowledge in a creative way.

3. Are projects and assignments more common in certain subjects?

Projects are often more common in subjects like science, where hands-on experimentation and creativity are valued, while assignments are more common in subjects like math, where practice and problem-solving are key.

4. What types of skills do assignments and projects help students develop?

Assignments help students develop basic skills like time management and organization, while projects develop skills such as research, critical thinking, and presentation skills.

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Project vs. Program Management: Key Differences and Similarities

Project management and program management are two very important disciplines that help organizations execute projects and achieve their goals. If you’re involved with either projects or programs, it’s important to understand the difference between them.

What Is a Project?

A project is a set of tasks that are executed by a team to achieve a specific goal. Project managers are in charge of overseeing the project life cycle, which is made up of five stages. Project initiation, project planning, project scheduling, project monitoring and project closing. To be executed, projects require resources such as human resources, raw materials and machinery, which are used to execute activities, produce deliverables and achieve milestones.

What Is a Program?

A program is a set of related projects that are executed coordinately so that resources such as raw materials and people are shared among projects. This allows teams to achieve larger goals, increase productivity and improve operational efficiency. Program managers are in charge of managing programs.

Projects and programs may differ, but project management software can help you manage both. ProjectManager is a flexible software that delivers real-time data to help you make more insightful decisions. Use multiple project management tools such as Gantt charts, kanban boards, timesheets and dashboards to track projects, programs and portfolios. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

Project vs. Program: How They’re Different

Projects and programs differ in many ways. Here are some of the most fundamental differences between a project and a program.

• Structure : A project is well-defined, with a project charter that spells out the scope and objectives for the project. A program tends to have greater levels of uncertainty. The team is also bigger. The program team supervises and coordinates the work on many projects while the core team may not have that many people. The wider team includes project managers and project team members.
• Effort : This is the most significant difference between projects and programs. A project represents a single effort. It’s a team working towards a common goal. A program is different; it’s a collection of projects. Together, the projects form a cohesive package of work. The different projects are complementary and help the program achieve its overall objectives. There are likely to be overlaps and dependencies between the projects, so a program manager assesses these and works with the project managers to check that the program progresses smoothly.
• Duration : Some projects last for several years but most projects are shorter than that. On the other hand, programs are longer as they set out to deliver more. Programs tend to be split into phases. Some projects are also split like this, but not all projects last long enough to be delivered in multiple phases.
• Benefits : A project team works towards achieving certain outputs, that is, what you get at the end. For example, this could be a set of deliverables that form a software package or a new retail branch. The benefits of a project tend to be tangible: you get a ‘thing’ at the end of it. A program team works towards delivering outcomes. Outcomes can be tangible but are often not. The benefits of a program are the sum of the benefits of the different projects and this could amount to a policy or cultural change, or a shift in the way an organization works.

Project Management vs. Program Management

Now that we’ve outlined the main differences between a project and a program, let’s now discuss how they’re managed. As stated above, there are both similarities and differences between them, which is also true for project management and program management.

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Multiple Project Tracking Template

Use this free Multiple Project Tracking Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

What Is the Difference Between Project Management and Program Management?

Programs have projects, but projects don’t have programs. So, it’s a matter of volume, working across many projects, against managing only one. Therefore, it seems right to assume that the goals of these disciplines would be similar.

To some extent they are, but it’d be misleading to say that the only difference between project management and program management is the number of projects under their care. While this is true, their main difference lies in their scope.

Program management goals are drafted from a high-level view, while projects are planned as a way to accomplish them. So, project management manages the efforts of one team that works to achieve specific goals while programs are used whenever there are long-term goals that require a company-wide effort.

Key Similarities Between Project Management and Program Management

The above might make programs seem drastically different from projects. However, while projects and programs have differences, there are characteristics that are similar to both. Here are four traits that projects and programs have in common.

• They use the same tools and techniques: Both project and program managers need the same project management tools to plan, schedule and track their team’s progress. Some examples are Gantt charts, project roadmaps and project dashboards. They can be managed from a PMO: Large organizations usually have a project management office (PMO) from which they manage both projects and programs.
• They’re temporary : Projects and programs aren’t long-term endeavors. They exist until the work is done, and then the project or program structure and the team are disbanded. This is part of what makes project and program work so interesting – you can always see the end and you have the opportunity to work on many different initiatives over your career!
• They have business cases : This is similar to all the work that a company does, even the business-as-usual stuff. Projects and programs should only start when they have a valid business case . In other words, project and program managers only work on activities that’ll add value and that are proven to make good business sense. There’s no point in wasting time working on something that won’t benefit the company.
• They’re aligned with strategic objectives : It should be easy to see how the projects and programs you line up with the company’s strategic objectives . If this isn’t specified in the business case, ask your project sponsor. It should be easy to see that the work your team is doing on the project or program directly contributes to the company’s goals. Otherwise, what’s the point?
• They deliver change : This is the big one—projects and programs both deliver change. After completing a project or a program, it should result in change. This could be something big or small. Programs tend to have larger goals for changing the status quo and often include an element of cultural change but the concept is the same.

Program Manager vs. Project Manager

Here’s a quick overview of these two important project management roles.

The Program Manager

A program manager , as noted, is responsible for overseeing many projects. That means they manage multiple project teams, but also in many cases the project managers for those projects within his program. The overall success of the programs rests on the shoulders of the program manager.

The Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for one project and its plan, scope, schedule, managing resources, budget, etc. They’ll hire a team and manage their tasks, while monitoring and tracking performance to make sure the project is on track. Their goal is to deliver a successful project outcome, which is the delivery of a quality product or service within budget and on time.

This multiple project tracking template for Excel can help you monitor the progress of multiple projects simultaneously. Not only that, but it allows you to zoom into the costs, percentage of completion, due dates and priority level of all the tasks that make up each project in your program or portfolio.

We offer a variety of free PMO templates you can use to manage all aspects of your projects, programs and portfolios.

ProjectManager Can Manage Projects and Programs

Though a project and a program are distinct, the project management tools used to manage them are very similar. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that’s robust enough to manage projects, programs or portfolios.

Multiple Project Planning Tools

ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart lets you create a visual plan for your project, program or portfolio, identify critical tasks and establish phases, milestones and dependencies. Besides that, you can use other project planning tools such as kanban boards, project calendars and task lists to assign tasks to team members and watch the progress bars update on your dashboards as team members complete tasks. As previously mentioned, there’s also a roadmap feature that creates timelines for all of your projects, enabling you to track the various projects within your program.

Track Progress, Costs and Resources Across Projects and Programs

Use our portfolio dashboard to get a high-level view of all your projects in one place. The live data pulls from each project and is displayed in easy-to-read graphs and charts that illustrate the health of the project, time spent on tasks, costs, workload and more. There’s no time-consuming configuration as you’ll find with lightweight software. Our real-time dashboard is ready when you are.

Create Project Portfolio Management Reports

There are also portfolio reports , so you have a variety of ways to make sure that your projects are on track. Plus, since ProjectManager is online, all of your project and program data updates in real time, giving you the most accurate data possible.

Related Content

• Project Management Office (PMO): The Ultimate Guide
• What Is Project Management?
• What Is Program Management?
• How to Manage Multiple Projects

Whether you’re managing projects or programs, the right tools are required to support your team  and help you manage the effort. You need a way to see across all your projects.  ProjectManager enables you to see your resource allocation across your projects with real-time dashboards and reporting functions and helps you keep your projects on track. Get started with ProjectManager for free by taking this free 30-day trial.

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Research Basics: Understanding the Assignment

• Understanding the Assignment
• Choosing a Research Topic
• Refining a Research Topic
• Developing a Research Question
• Deciding What Types of Sources You Will Need
• Types of Sources
• Search Techniques
• Find Books & eBooks This link opens in a new window
• Choose a Database / Find Articles
• Find Articles Using the EBSCO Articles tab
• Find Journals
• Find Websites using Google
• Find Articles Using Google Scholar
• Find Government Documents This link opens in a new window
• Find Statistics This link opens in a new window
• Interlibrary Loan This link opens in a new window
• How to evaluate your sources This link opens in a new window
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources This link opens in a new window
• Popular vs. Scholary This link opens in a new window
• Wheel of Sources
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How to define project activities and milestones as a project manager

Georgina Guthrie

November 18, 2022

If project management is like a car, then the project activities that take place within it are like gears. Just as you need to use the correct gear when driving a car, you need to use the correct activity when managing a project. Try using the wrong one, and…crunch…you stall.

Activities drive your project forward. They’re the tasks and subtasks helping you reach the finish line. And much like working your way through gears while driving up a hill, you need to implement them one after the other in the right order.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at what project activities are, how to go about defining them, and some tips to ensure they’re carried out as efficiently as possible.

What are project activities?

In simple terms, project activities are the individual actions you must complete to achieve project success. Each activity will count as a project stage consisting of tasks and subtasks that all contribute to the activity’s completion.

Project activities range from something as small and seemingly inconsequential as sending an email to much larger tasks, like building a prototype or conducting user testing. But no matter how big or small they may be, these activities need to have the same level of care and attention.

Once you define the activities, you’ll break them down into various tasks, each one with its own scope definition. You’ll then put them in order and get sign-off from internal and external stakeholders . After that, it’s project kickoff, during which the project manager tracks each activity as the project progresses.

Why are project activities important?

Project activities are important because they ensure a project crosses the finish line on time, within scope, and to a high standard. 

By breaking down a project into manageable chunks, it becomes much easier to track progress and identify potential issues. It’s also worth noting that, as the project manager, you’re accountable for any delays or problems that occur. Therefore, it’s in your best interests to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible!

What is scope creep?

Scope creep happens when the project starts to expand without any corresponding increase in the budget or timeline. It’s a major problem for project managers, as it can lead to projects being over budget and behind schedule. 

What’s the difference between project activities and milestones?

An activity is a stage that goes into completing the project. It consists of tasks and subtasks. A milestone is a point in time when a project reaches a major goal. Project milestones are useful for tracking progress, identifying setbacks, and monitoring the budget.

Here’s where activities and milestones fit into the overall project hierarchy: 

• Project 
• Milestones 
• Activities 
• Tasks 

Activity planning: three popular methods you need to know 

The first step in any project is to sit down and figure out exactly what you need to do for it to be successful. This process is known as scope definition, and it’s absolutely essential in ensuring your project runs smoothly.

There are a few different methods for defining the project scope and its associated activities. The three most popular ones are as follows:

• The waterfall method
• The agile/scrum method
• The hybrid method

The Waterfall Method

The waterfall method is the traditional way of project management. It’s linear and involves completing the different project stages one after the other in a very specific order. The stages typically include:

• Conception/Initiation
• Execution/Implementation
• Monitoring and Controlling

The waterfall method works well for projects with clearly defined requirements, where changes are costly and time-consuming to implement.

The Agile/Scrum Method

In contrast to the waterfall method, the agile/scrum method is much more flexible. It’s designed to allow for constant feedback and adaptation, which makes it ideal for projects that are likely to undergo changes along the way.

The agile/scrum method is based on sprints, which are set periods of time (usually two to four weeks) in which the team needs to complete specific tasks. At the end of each sprint, the team assesses their progress and identifies areas in need of improvement during a review period.

This feedback loop enables a much more adaptable approach to project management, as teams can quickly adjust to changes as they occur.

• Check out our guide to Agile project management for more tips

The Hybrid Method

As you might have guessed, the hybrid method is a combination of the waterfall and agile/scrum methods. It’s designed to take the best aspects of both approaches and combine them into one.

The hybrid method is usually used for larger projects that require a high level of flexibility. It begins with a waterfall-style planning phase, in which the stages are defined in detail. Once this structured plan is in place, the team switches to an agile/scrum approach, using sprints to complete the tasks. The hybrid method creates clear direction to help the project stay on track while still allowing plenty of flexibility in case of changes.

How to define your project activities (tips and essential stages) 

When working on a project, one of the first things you’ll do is create an activity list — which is exactly what it sounds like. 

An activity list is a list of activities and a definition of each activity’s scope. There are six common steps that go into activity planning:

• Define your baseline . The baseline is the starting point of your project and provides criteria for how things are going.
• Create activity sequences. Once you define the broad activities, you can define the smaller tasks that move the project forward. Most project managers use a work breakdown structure to organize the activity sequence.
• Estimate resources. What resources do you need to complete each activity? This could include materials, people, money, venues, etc.
• Develop a timeline . How long will each activity take? Use this information to create a schedule, building in a time cushion when possible to account for unexpected changes.
• Set up a communication plan . Collaboration is the golden thread that holds the project together, and no activity exists in isolation. 
• Control the schedule . As the project progresses, you’ll need to keep an eye on the schedule and make changes where necessary.

Here are a few tips and tools to help you execute the steps outlined above:

1. Define your project baseline

A project baseline is a starting point for your project and a document against which you’ll measure all progress as your project progresses. It will contain your project scope, budget, resources, deliverables, and deadlines. Think of it as a project roadmap to success. Project activities might change along the way, but so long as you keep your sights on the finish line, you’ll pull through. 

• Check out our guide on how to set a project baseline for more tips .

2. Create activity sequences with a work breakdown structure 

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool for dividing complex projects into smaller, more manageable parts. It’s often used in conjunction with a Gantt chart to create a visual representation of the project timeline. 

One of the benefits of using a WBS is that it can help to identify potential risks at an early stage. It also ensures everyone involved understands their responsibilities — an absolute must when working on big projects with lots of moving parts! 

There are a few different methods you can use to create a WBS, but one of the most popular is the ‘top-down’ approach. This method involves starting with the project as a whole and breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces.

For example, if you were working on a project to build a new website, your WBS might look something like this:

• Create wireframes
• Design homepage
• Design landing pages
• Design blog template
• Design email template
• Add content
• Launch site

As you can see, each task appears as an individual element. This makes it much easier to manage and track the progress of the project. You’ll then split these tasks into smaller subtasks, each with its own deliverable and deadline. 

3. Estimate resources

Resource planning means having a firm grip on time, cost, and scope. Knowing what you have to work with will make it easier to assign tasks and work out deadlines. Be sure to consult the wider team during this stage. They’ll likely give you valuable insight into how they work and the time and tools they’ll need to complete jobs. 

4. Develop a timeline 

Once you have a full activity list, start thinking about how to schedule your project timeline . A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that provides a visual outline of project tasks, including deadlines and durations. 

Creating a Gantt chart is a great way to get an overview of your project during the planning stage and get everyone on the same page after the project kickoff. It can also be helpful for identifying potential bottlenecks and areas where tasks might overlap.

5. Set up a communication plan

Effective communication is essential for any project, no matter how big or small. Without it, team members will quickly become frustrated, and tasks will start to slip through the cracks.

When setting up a plan, identify the communication channels your team will use (e.g. email, chat app, etc.), and outline how often communication should take place. It’s also a good idea to appoint a project manager who’s responsible for keeping everyone up to date.

6. Control your schedule 

Staying organized is crucial yet easy to overlook when a million different things are going on at once. Closely managing your project schedule , tasks, and deadlines will give you more flexibility to deal with problems or pivot if the project requirements change.

Create a central place where you can store all project-related information. This could be a physical folder or binder. Or, since this is 2022 and not 1980, you can use cloud storage, such as a shared Google Drive folder or project management software .

There are many project management programs available, each with handy features to make your life a lot easier, thanks to templates, automation, notifications, task management, and more. 

When choosing, pick software that’s compatible with the other tools you’re using. For example, if you’re using a chat app for communication, it makes sense to choose a project management program that integrates with it. The more streamlined you can make your team, the easier it’ll be to cross those project activities off your to-do list! 

How to tame your to-do list with a schedule management plan

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What’s the Difference Between Project, Portfolio, and Program Management?

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To the layperson, the phrase “ project management ” can be rather broad, referring to any kind of management work—from the simplest of projects on up through the most complicated of implementations. But the reality is, there are actually “Three P’s” of project management, each of which is different than (but related to) the others: projects, programs, and portfolios. 

Project, Program, and Portfolio Management

The relationship between project, program, and portfolio management can best be described like this:

• A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken by a company or organization (such as the creation of a new product, service, or result)
• A program is a group of projects that are similar or related to one another, and which are often managed and coordinated as a group instead of independently
• A portfolio is a group of different programs and/or projects within the same organization, which may be related or unrelated to one another

Put another way, projects fit within larger programs , which themselves fit within portfolios . 

Though related, tasks associated with project, program, and portfolio management are by nature very different.

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What Is a “Project” in Project Management?

So, what exactly does “project” mean in the world of project management? Generally, a project is a temporary endeavor, with a finite start and end, that is focused on creating a unique product, service, or result. 

Nothing in this definition describes the size or the precise content of a project—there are projects of every size imaginable in virtually every industry, and project managers supervise them regardless of these specifics.

What Does a Project Manager Do?

As project managers , the key parts of the job are to balance the scope of work—also known as “deliverables”—to meet the project objectives with the resources that are available within the schedule and allotted budget. They must do this all while working to ensure the project meets the quality guidelines required by its customers, which is not an easy task.

Learn More : What Does a Project Manager Do?

Project management is about applying the right tools, techniques, and processes, in a value-added way, to complete the project successfully. As we know, the body of project management knowledge is huge, and there are a number of skills , tools, and techniques available to support project managers in the delivery of these initiatives. What’s important is to understand the project, its goals and objectives, and what its challenges are, and to pick, choose, and use those right parts of project management accordingly.

Learn More: Building Your Project Management Career Path

What Is a “Program” in Project Management?

In some cases, it’s important that a group of projects is managed in a coordinated way to ensure that value is achieved. In project management terms, this collection of projects becomes a program. Like a project, a program is a temporary organization, so when the related projects are complete, the program is complete.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) describes program management in its PMBOK Guide as:

“The application of knowledge and skills to achieve program objectives and to obtain benefits and control not available by managing related program components individually.”

What Does a Program Manager Do?

Program management is not simply managing multiple projects—it’s a bit more strategic than that. The program manager also doesn’t micromanage those projects; he or she is helping ensure that the right work is moving between the right projects at the right points in time.

The program manager focuses, throughout the program, on the business benefits, starting very early at its inception by looking at what benefits can be realized and then making that happen.

Each project still has a project manager completing the work described above. The role of the program manager is to ensure that the benefits intended are met by validating that the correct projects are included in the program. Any project not providing value to the benefits is then realigned or removed from the program.

The program manager is responsible for overseeing the dependencies between projects and creating program-level plans to accomplish this.

For example, a master schedule is created to manage the dependencies between projects; a program risk management plan is created to manage program-level risks; and a program communication plan establishes how information will flow in the program. The program manager is then not managing the projects, but rather providing the oversight needed to ensure that the pieces of each project are completed effectively and efficiently in order to meet the needs of the other projects.

The program manager is focused on benefits realization—rather, knowing the benefits that can be accomplished from this collection of projects and focusing on achieving them. The program manager is also working to manage organizational change and ensure that the benefits are not only transitioned to operations, but that processes are in place to sustain these benefits.

Since the role of program management is to ensure that projects are aligned to the business strategy, as the strategy changes, the program manager also needs to communicate with the project teams so that they are aware of the changes and what needs to be done about them.

What Is a “Portfolio” in Project Management?

A portfolio is a collection of projects and programs that are managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives. An organization may have one portfolio, which would then consist of all projects, programs, and operational work within the company. It may also establish several portfolios for project selection and ongoing investment decisions.

According to PMI and its PMBOK Guide , a portfolio includes, “Projects, programs, other portfolios, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives.”

Organizations need to decide which projects are the right ones to focus on. Often times, they are limited by how many projects can be done based on the capacity within an organization, begging the question, “Are we doing the right projects?”

What Does a Portfolio Manager Do?

Portfolio management is the centralized management of one or more portfolios to achieve an organization’s strategic objectives.

Within organizations, the reality is often that resources are limited, whether it’s dollars, people, space, or equipment. Based on the organization’s strategy, there are several projects and programs that could be done; it just needs to be decided which are the right ones and in what order they should be completed.

It’s critical to look not only at programs and projects at the individual level, but also holistically to know how these align with the organization’s overarching goals.

At the same time, it’s important to consider a level of balance in the portfolio. The organization “needs to keep the lights on,” while also developing new opportunities. Some risk needs to be taken, but the portfolio should not be so risky that everything could be lost within a period of time.

Beyond prioritizing and selecting projects and programs, portfolio management is balancing the portfolio so that the right projects and programs are selected and implemented. Monitoring and controlling is key to the process, since portfolio composition is not a one-time decision. Evaluations should be conducted in some regular cadence. It may be decided that a project’s priority becomes lower and others move into its place. A project could be temporarily moved out of the portfolio or permanently moved out of what that portfolio entails.

This is done to ensure projects align with an organization’s strategies, goals, and objectives. It may also be the case that, as we get into performing a project or program, we find it no longer aligns, causing a reprioritization of all projects and programs in the portfolio.

Project vs. Program vs. Portfolio Managers

While the project manager is managing multiple tasks within a project, the program manager is coordinating between related projects within a program, in order to determine which projects are working towards the same or similar goals, and which may be dependent upon others. Portfolio managers, on the other hand, are managing all (or multiple) programs within an organization, ensuring that all programs are working towards fulfilling the strategic objectives of the organization.

The easiest way to explain the difference in how project, program, and portfolio managers work is: A project manager works to deliver a project efficiently and reliably. They are responsible for the day-to-day management that brings a project to fruition. Program managers are more concerned with strategic alignment: Understanding what individual project managers are doing and enabling effective communication between them in order to understand where projects are and in order to provide support where necessary. Portfolio managers , meanwhile, coordinate between various programs in order to ensure that things stay on track and that the organization is meeting its overarching strategic initiatives. They are often tasked with asking “Why?” ( i.e. why is a particular project being proposed, why is certain work being done, etc .).

How Project, Program, and Portfolio Management All Work Together

To be effective, it is essential that the project managers, program managers, and portfolio managers within an organization all understand the roles that each other plays in bringing about the successful completion of a strategic goal. Without this understanding, there may be unnecessary confusion and miscommunication that can derail an initiative before it even begins. 

From a high level, projects are part of programs and portfolios, and programs are part of portfolios. Each is different, but most effective when managed as one.

If you’re considering a career in project management, whether at the project, program, or portfolio level, building the skills necessary for each role is critical to your success. Earning a master’s degree in project management is one way to develop these skills, increase your earning potential , and gain a competitive advantage in the field.

Learn how a Master’s in Project Management from Northeastern can jumpstart your career today.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2017 and has since been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

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Successful Student Team Projects

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Team project assignments are a mainstay in the teaching of many disciplines but can be uneven experiences if not structured, sequenced, and supported well. Commonly reported problems include unfair distribution of work, poor planning, communication issues, lack of engagement, relationship conflicts. Other common problems include “social loafing” and “free riding” when an individual does little work themselves but benefits from the team’s overall efforts (Iacob & Faily 2019; Opatrny-Yazell & Houseworth, 2018).

There are some specific strategies, however, for preventing and responding to these issues to make team projects highly successful. The concepts underpinning these strategies are (1) mental model convergence, and (2) task work vs. team work.

We all create mental models of the world and teams perform better when their members share similar mental models about the team and its task (Stout, Cannon-Bowers, Salas, & Milanovich, 2009). Mental model convergence is the process through which we align our understandings of both our work and one-another, and we begin shifting from an individual perspective to that of a team member (McMahon, 2007). Therefore, the more often that teams can practice the iterative process of converging their mental models around any task, the more cohesive and productive those teams can become.

We create mental models not only about concepts and tasks–we also create them about team mates and relationships. An important distinction made in team literature is task work vs. team work (e.g., Guchait, Lei, & Tews, 2016). Task work consists of the functional activities of the team and team work describes the set of skills required to productively work with other people toward a common goal. These two skill sets are equally important, and a well-organized team project assignment can help your students learn both.

Organizing Successful Teams

Size: Teams should be no larger than necessary to succeed at the work of a team project. Motivation decreases and complications increase with larger teams (Gibbs, 2009). As team size increases, so does the work required to align mental models and the possibility that team work needs could overshadow task work. Teams of four or five students are commonly considered “right-sized.”

Composition: Avoid allowing students to choose their own teams. Students tend to choose those similar to themselves, which can lead to homogenous and underperforming teams, and pre-existing relationships can create cliques within teams (Sibley & Ostafichuk, 2014). Instead, strategically populate your teams by determining what characteristics would make it easier or more difficult for students to do the expected work, and distribute those characteristics as evenly as possible across teams (Sweet & Michaelsen, 2012). It is also important to ensure that students with marginalized identities are not the only one with that identity on their team (Macke, Canfield, Tapp & Hunn, 2019).

Duration: Early stages of team relationships are marked by social anxiety as members learn about each other and find their place in the team (e.g., Levi & Askay, 2020; Poole, 1983; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977). These concerns diminish and productivity increases as shared experiences accumulate. Across time, relationships deepen and students move toward converging mental models of both the task at hand and the team itself (McComb, 2007). Therefore, project teams should be as permanent as you can make them.

Rotating Project Manager Role: Producing complex products in teams is so difficult that an entire workplace profession has arisen to support it: the profession of project management–which has a great deal to offer student project assignments (Hussein, 2021). A rotating project manager role in each team can provide the coordination and information that teams need to make progress toward the next deliverable. In addition to providing essential support for both task work and team work, a student’s time as project manager can be a rich experiential learning activity for them.

Launching Successful Teams

Orienting Students to Successful Teamwork: Giving students an orientation to successful team work can foster mental model convergence and team work skill development. What does good team work look like in your discipline? Drawing from your own experience as a team member, you can highlight the importance of things like attendance, responsibility, and commitment, along with suggesting processes for decision-making, conflict management, and meeting management, for example (Tombaugh & Mayfield, 2014). Drawing also on students’ own past team project experiences, concerns, anticipated challenges, and recommended strategies can make for a very relatable conversation for all (O’Connor & Yballe, 2007).

Practice Activity: Small scale practice or “launcher” activities provide students with a low stakes opportunity to collaborate before the project begins and begin the process of mental-model convergence without the pressure of grades or the complexity of the project (Holbrook & Kolodner, 2000). Engaging students in such activities can help teams get to know each other, establish norms, and try out their decision-making and collaboration skills. Practice activities are most effective when they conclude with prompts for students to reflect on their own contributions and those of others, what worked well, and what didn’t.

Templates for Organizing: Providing project documentation can scaffold students’ planning process, support mental model convergence, and serve as helpful tools for keeping the project on track (Hunsaker, Pavett, & Hunsaker, 2011). A Team Charter template, for example, provides space for students to document their ground rules and team processes (Hunsaker, Pavett, & Hunsaker, 2011). Team Charters are important: they are a place where the team can move toward mental model convergence around what they think good team work looks like for them. A Project Plan template can help students break the work down into smaller tasks, assign those tasks to individuals, and identify deadlines–helping to align mental models around task work.

Assessments Can Foster Mental Model Convergence

Two-Stage Quizzes can be powerful for learning course content and team building (Sibley & Ostafichuk, 2014; Zipp, 2007). These activities begin with students first taking a quiz or test over course content and turning it in. They then take the exact same quiz as a team, coming to consensus on their team answers and getting immediate feedback on their team performance. This second stage of discussion and immediate feedback is often extremely motivating and rewarding as students clarify their understandings and explain things to each other in their own words. This practice of mental model convergence builds cohesion within a team that can support teammate relationships across their other project work.

Team Work Peer Assessments not only ensure individual accountability but also provide students with critical information about what their teammates value from their contributions and how they might grow their teamwork skills. These assessments should occur at least once during the project work–not just at the end of the term–and often include prompts about what teammates “Appreciate” about and “Request” from each other (Sweet & Michaelsen, 2012). Free software platforms like TEAMMATES can make the process very efficient ( teammatesv4.appspot.com ).

Structuring the Project Assignment

Project Size and Complexity: One factor in team dynamics is the size and complexity of the project (Aggarwal & O’Brien, 2008). The scope and complexity of the project should be appropriate for the number of students on the team as well as their developmental level and project experience. Projects that are too easy or narrow could result in social loafing, while projects that are too difficult or broad can be overwhelming and frustrating.

Iterative Assignments and Feedback: Too often, students do not receive feedback or guidance until they have completed an assignment. Assignments like drafts or other forms of iteration—and feedback given between versions—enable students to learn from their mistakes and apply what they have learned to get back on track. This approach is associated with gains in student performance in multiple disciplines (Hattie, 2009). For maximum impact, feedback should serve as an interim step that guides students toward successfully completing and achieving the goals of the assignment (Ambrose, et. al., 2010). Feedback from multiple sources, including peers, instructors, and any external stakeholders is most valuable.

Both Individual and Team Grades: What you choose to grade sets students’ expectations, signals to them what is important, and thereby drives behaviors. While solely individual grades for team work may lead to accountability and perceptions of fairness, they may fail to promote collaboration (Opatrny-Yazell & Houseworth, 2018). Alternatively, team grades alone may provide cover for social loafers and lay the groundwork for conflict. Therefore, the ideal is to assess performance at both the team and individual levels. In addition to instructor-assigned grades, periodic self- and peer assessments should be included to focus attention on team processes as well as one’s own learning and contributions.

How These Practices Can Come Together

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Guchait, P., Lei, P., & Tews, M. J. (2016). Making teamwork work: Team knowledge for team effectiveness. The Journal of psychology , 150(3), 300-317.

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement . Routledge.

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Hussein, B. (2021). Addressing collaboration challenges in project-based learning: The student’s perspective. Education Sciences, 11( 8), 434.

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Opatrny-Yazell, C. M., & Houseworth, M. A. (2018). Understanding Student Perceptions of Teamwork. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 29 (2), 43-71.

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Sokman, Y., Othman, A. K., Aziz, A. A., Musa, M. H., Azizan, N., & Rahmat, N. H. (2023) Stages in team Work: Is There A Relationship Among Them? International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 13 (11).

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Tombaugh, J. R., & Mayfield, C. O. (2014). Teams on teams: Using advice from peers to create a more effective student team experience. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 18 (4), 69.

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Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & organization studies, 2 (4), 419-427.

Zipp, J. F. (2007). Learning by exams: The impact of two-stage cooperative tests. Teaching Sociology, 35 (1), 62-76.

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Explore the Levels of Change Management

Change Management and Project Management: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Tim Creasey

Updated: March 17, 2024

Published: May 4, 2022

The disciplines of change management and project management are both necessary when executing a project or initiative. Each discipline brings the critical structure needed for effectively implementing change and achieving the results you want. Yet, c hange management and project management must work together to achieve successful change. Doing so creates a unified value proposition , which sets the foundation for tactical integration and delivers value across all aspects of the project, including both the people side and technical side.

Change Management for Project Managers

Depending on your role, the meaning of change management can vary. Project managers tend to think of it as managing changing resources, process and people on a project. Others may think of it as change control or managing changes to the project itself. When we speak of change management at Prosci, we’re referring to the application of a structured process and tools for managing the people side of change to achieve a desired outcome .

Similarly, project delivery has evolved to include a variety of iterative approaches to solutions design and development, such as Agile, especially in technology projects. Regardless, you can adapt change management to work with sequential, iterative and even hybrid approaches to solutions design, development and delivery.

Are you new to change management? Prosci offers many resources to help you start learning about change management.

Compare Change Management and Project Management

The paragraphs below juxtapose change management and project management, comparing common aspects of each discipline, including focus, definition, intent, process, tools, scaling factors, measurement of success, and practitioners. Although this list highlights the differences between the disciplines, it's more important to remember that change management and project management are complementary disciplines that share a common objective : to deliver successful change.

Project Management and Change Management 

Project management and change management each contribute a critical ingredient to successful change. Although they vary in terms of focus and approach, each discipline is essential to moving your project and people from the transition state to the desired future state. Understanding how each discipline works alongside the other is the first step in achieving a unified value proposition and the strongest foundation possible for your change initiatives. 

Tim Creasey is Prosci’s Chief Innovation Officer and a globally recognized leader in Change Management. Their work forms the basis of the world's largest body of knowledge on managing the people side of change to deliver organizational results.

See all posts from Tim Creasey

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" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-1" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-1"> What is Camtasia?

Camtasia is a powerful, but incredibly easy-to-use video editing software and screen recorder trusted by more than 35 million video creators worldwide.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-2" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-2"> What are Camtasia's minimum system requirements?

Camtasia's minimum system requirements are:

• Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) 20H2 version or later (Recommended: Microsoft Windows 11 (64-bit) 22H2 version or later)
• Intel® 8th Gen or newer CPU – or AMD Ryzen™ 2000 Series or newer CPU (Recommended: Intel® 12th Gen or newer CPU – or AMD Ryzen™ 4000 Series or newer CPU)
• 8GB RAM minimum (Recommended: 16GB RAM or more) 2GB GPU memory (4GB or more recommended)
• 4GB of available disk space (Recommended: SSD with 4GB of available disk space)
• macOS 11.0 (Recommended: macOS 13.0 or later)
• Intel® Core™ i5 Processor with 4 CPU Cores; or gen 1 M1 SoC (Recommended: 2.4 Ghz Intel® Core™ i5 Processor with 4 CPU Cores or better; gen 1 M1 Pro / Pro Max SoC)
• 8GB of RAM (Recommended: 16GB of RAM or greater)

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" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-3" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-3"> Is Camtasia good for beginners?

We’ve created Camtasia to be easy enough for beginners but powerful enough to be your video solution for life. Most people are able to create their first video quickly, even if they’ve never made a video before. Additionally, we offer a huge library of Camtasia tutorials and frequent webinars to help you get the most out of Camtasia no matter your level of experience with video editing software..

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-4" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-4"> Does Camtasia have captions?

Yes! Camtasia offers a easy-to-use interface that makes it easy to create closed captions for video accessibility. When paired with TechSmith Audiate , Camtasia’s captioning capabilities become even easier and more powerful.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-5" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-5"> Does Camtasia work on Mac?

Yes! Camtasia has versions for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-6" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-6"> Can Camtasia edit 4K video?

Camtasia can capture and edit video up to 4K at 60 frames per second.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-7" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-7"> Is Camtasia free?

Camtasia offers a free trial that includes full use of the software. Any exported videos will have a watermark until the full version of Camtasia is unlocked with a perpetual or individual subscription license.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-8" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-8"> Can I install Camtasia on more than one computer at the same time?

You may install your license on up to two computers for a single user.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-9" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-9"> Do you offer volume discounts on Camtasia?

Volume discounts are available starting at five perpetual licenses or more. The more licenses you buy, the higher the discount. Volume discounts are not available for individual subscription licenses. Find out more about volume discounts .

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-10" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-10"> What is the difference between the individial subscription license and perpetual license for Camtasia?

The individual subscription license is a non-transferable license for individual creators and it is billed annually. No software key is needed and users have access to the latest updates as they are released. The perpetual license for Camtasia is one-time paid, fully transferable license for individuals and businesses. It offers volume pricing and one year of Maintenance.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-11" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-11"> Where can I find Camtasia tech support?

Our tech support team is ready to help you. Get started with tech support here .

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-12" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-12"> How can I learn to use Camtasia?

We offer a huge library of Camtasia tutorials and frequent webinars to help you get the most out of Camtasia.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-13" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-13"> How do I find my Camtasia software key?

Use our automatic key lookup tool . If you have an individual subscription license, there is no software key. Simply sign in to Camtasia with your TechSmith Account credentials.

" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent="[data-id='56634'] .panel-group" data-target="#collapse-56634-14" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse-56634-14"> How much is Camtasia?

The Camtasia individual subscription license is $179.88 billed annually. The Camtasia perpetual license is $299.99 billed once and includes one year of Maintenance. The Camtasia perpetual license is eligible for volume discounts starting at five licenses or more.

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