Blackboard Collaborate New User Guide Project Plan

Revision history
Date Version
2/1/2014 1.0

Author
Stephanie Suber

Explanation of Chan e
First Draft

Contact information
Prepared by Stephanie Suber Blackboard Collaborate 650 Massachusetts Ave N.W. 6th loor Washin!ton" #C $000% %&$0$&'6(&')60 stephanie.suber*blackboard.co+

Approved by
Na!e
Jay Gatsby Daisy "uchanan

Position
Director, Information Deve opment Dept. #ustomer $iaison, %eacher %rainin& an' Support

Date
2/!/2014 2/!/2014

Project Overview Description of the larger project

Blackboard is an or!ani,ation dedicated to i+provin! the learnin! and co++unication capabilities o- industries around the .orld. ro+ /&%$ learnin! institutions to the +ilitary to the private sector" Blackboard strives to create products that lead the evolution o- education. Speci-ically" Blackboard Collaborate is a product line that allo.s users to create virtual classroo+s" o--ices" and +eetin! spaces.
Project vision and goals

Blackboard Collaborate prides itsel- on providin! .orld&class co++unication tools to educators so they can deliver +ore e--ective learnin! e0periences throu!h online" blended" or +obile environ+ents. 1he overarchin! vision o- the product is to allo. educators to reach +ore students and i+prove learnin! outco+es across the board. 1he !oal o- this speci-ic pro2ect is to provide in-or+ation docu+entation to !uide -irst&ti+e users in navi!ation o- the product. 3t has been reported -ro+ our +arketin! and custo+er service depart+ents that +any -irst&ti+e users are e0periencin! an over.hel+in! learnin! curve and are unable to navi!ate the trainin! resources provided by Blackboard Collaborate. 1he 1eacher 1rainin! and Support #epart+ent has re4uested this pro2ect to create initial docu+entation that .ill !uide users throu!h -irst use o- the product.

Project scope

1he Blackboard Collaborate Ne. 5ser 6uide is a co+pletely ne. pro2ect bein! created by a s+all develop+ent tea+ in close con2unction .ith the co+pany7s 1eacher 1rainin! and Support #epart+ent. 1he pro2ect involves the creation o- an instructional docu+ent o- appro0i+ately 50 pa!es to !uide ne. users step&by&step throu!h the initial tasks o- .orkin! in Blackboard Collaborate.
Project schedule
"ilestone
First Draft (evie) Fina Draft (evie) Fina Draft ,pprova %o -ro'uction %o Distribution

Actual or #elati$e Date

2/24/2014 */+/2014 */10/2014 */12/2014 */24/2014

Project budget

1he Blackboard Collaborate Ne. 5ser 6uide +ust .ork .ithin a develop+ent bud!et o- 8%0"000. 1his a+ount has been bud!eted to cover the personnel costs o- the Pro2ect Mana!er" 3n-or+ation #eveloper" and 9ditor. Physical production and distribution o- the !uidebook .ill be paid -or by the 1eacher 1rainin! and Support bud!et.

Description of the customer for the product and the information

1he custo+ers -or this !uide are educators usin! Blackboard Collaborate -or the -irst ti+e. 1hese users need a brid!e to help the+ learn basic navi!ation be-ore they can +ove into the +ore advanced tutorials o--ered by the Blackboard Collaborate support syste+. Many o- these users +ay be co+in! to teachin! and:or .eb con-erencin! -or the -irst ti+e" so they are unable to intuitively be!in usin! the so-t.are .ithout very structured !uidance. ;-ten" because o- their novice level" even .orkin! throu!h the plentitude o- tutorials o--ered on the Collaborate site is too ti+e&consu+in! or advanced -or the+.

Usability requirements
Si+ple" clear step&by&step directions are re4uired -or this product. 3t is i+portant that the !uidebook include no +ore in-or+ation than a user needs to start and utili,e the +ain educational -unction o- the Collaborate product.

Information Development Information-development project vision

1he -inal in-or+ation product -or this pro2ect .ill be a basic !uide that allo.s ne. users to e--ectively utili,e all educational -unctions o- the Blackboard Collaborate product. 1he !uidebook .ill be +ini+alist" tar!eted at 50 pa!es .ith +any illustrations. 3t .ill -ocus on real&li-e e0a+ples that users .ill likely encounter in their very -irst sessions .ith students. 1here .ill also be a -inal section providin! advice -or holdin! success-ul Collaborate sessions and basic troubleshootin! support.

Project schedule
"ilestone
First Draft (evie) Fina Draft (evie) Fina Draft ,pprova %o -ro'uction %o Distribution

Actual or #elati$e Date

2/24/2014 */+/2014 */10/2014 */12/2014 */24/2014

Project budget
1he Blackboard Collaborate Ne. 5ser 6uide +ust .ork .ithin a develop+ent bud!et o- 8%0"000. 1his a+ount has been bud!eted to cover the personnel costs o- the Pro2ect Mana!er" 3n-or+ation #eveloper" and 9ditor. Physical production and distribution o- the !uidebook .ill be paid -or by the 1eacher 1rainin! and Support bud!et.

Information-development project scope

%nfor!ation&De$elop!ent Project 'cope

Deli$erable title
" ac.boar' #o aborate /e) 0ser Gui'e 12*4

Deli$er( !ethod
-DF

)an ua es
/one

*Chan ed
01

Pa e+,opic Count
+0 pa&es 12 topics

Roles and responsibilities of the project team

%nfor!ation&De$elop!ent Project ,ea! #ole
-ro2ect 3ana&er

Na!e
Stephanie Suber

)ocation

#esponsibilit(
Deve ops pro2ect p an5 secures necessary resources5 ensures 'ea' ines are met5 monitors pro2ect resources5 information architect Deve ops &ui'eboo. content

650 Massachusetts Ave N.W. 6th loor Washin!ton" #C $000% %&$0$&'6(&')60 e0t $00$
stephanie.suber4b ac.boar'.com

Information Deve oper

Jor'an "a.er

650 Massachusetts Ave N.W. 6th loor Washin!ton" #C $000%

%&$0$&'6(&')60 e0t $0$%

2or'an.ba.er4b ac.boar'.com 6'itor /ic. #arra)ay

650 Massachusetts Ave N.W. 6th loor Washin!ton" #C $000% %&$0$&'6(&')60 e0t $0%%
nic..carra)ay4b ac.boar'.com

-erforms 'eve opmenta , copy, an' pro'uction e'its on a topics an' ensures that stan'ar's are met

)ar er Project ,ea! #ole

Director, Information Deve opment Department #ustomer $iaison, %eacher %rainin& an' Support

Na!e
Jay Gatsby

)ocation

si noff+#esponsibilit(
Si&noff responsibi ity on 'raft an' fina 'e iverab e

650 Massachusetts Ave N.W. 6th loor Washin!ton" #C $000% %&$0$&'6(&')60 e0t %000
2ay.&atsby4b ac.boar'.com

Daisy "uchanan

650 Massachusetts Ave N.W. 6th loor Washin!ton" #C $000% %&$0$&'6(&')60 e0t %0('
'aisy.buchanan4b ac.boar'.co m

(e ays nee's of the customer to the team5 si&noff on 'raft an' fina &ui'eboo. 'e iverab e

Project dependencies and risks

Project assumptions

1his list speci-ies the assu+ptions +ade in plannin! this pro2ect< All pro2ect tea+ +e+bers .ill +ake this pro2ect their top priority in ter+s oco++it+ent to ti+in! and 4uality. 1he Custo+er =iaison .ill +ake the pro2ect tea+ a.are o- any chan!es to custo+er need that +ay occur throu!hout the develop+ent o- the product. Sub2ect&+atter e0perts are available to the pro2ect tea+ on an as&needed basis.
Risk analysis
#isk Description
Sub2ect7matter e8perts may be unavai ab e or prioriti9e this as a :minor,; non7 priority pro2ect.

Probabilit(
3e'ium

Potential %!pact
3e'ium

Pre$ention Plan
<or. )ith Jay Gatsby an' Daisy "uchanan to ensure they have communicate' c ear priorities to the S36s. Discuss initia pro'uct comfort

Contin enc( Plan

Shou ' S36s be consistent y unavai ab e, a report )i be fi e' )ith mana&ement an' the 'ea' ine for the 'e iverab e e8ten'e'. Shou ' Jor'an "a.er 'iscover that

Information Deve oper may

$o)

3e'ium

nee' more time than anticipate' to fami iari9e herse f )ith the " ac.boar' #o aborate pro'uct.

eve )ith Jor'an "a.er an' chec. in re&u ar y to ensure no areas of concern have 'eve ope'.

she is ess ab e to navi&ate the pro'uct than previous y thou&ht, I )i he p her comp ete the pro2ect or brin& in another Information Deve oper to assist.

Dependencies calculation

Project total hours and costs

Deli$erable ,itle
" ac.boar' #o aborate /e) 0ser Gui'eboo.

Pa e+,opic Count
+0 pa&es 12 topics

* Chan e
01

,otal -ours
1+0 hours

,otal cost
=10,000

Project resource requirements

1he develop+ent tea+ .ill need access to their typical .orkstations and the Blackboard Collaborate so-t.are.