Data set for teaching MS Project

[Bill]

I am currently teaching a university level course in project management and I
would like to expose my students to using MS Project. Is there a data set
available of weekly activities I can assign that would demonstrate the
functionality of the software? Thanks!

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

The tool comes with all sorts of templates. What are you looking for
specifically?

 

[Rod Gill]

My approach has always been to be clear on what business benefits there are
for quality schedules and scheduling. Then I teach how to deliver that added
value using Project.

I think it was Eisenhower who said the plan is nothing. Planning is
everything. So take lessons learnt from your scheduling courses, project
governance and Reporting units then demonstrate how to add value to them. A
template demonstrating what functionality Project has is of little worth,
but showing how reporting can be automated, how who does what when reports,
resource bottleneck management and more can be done is very valuable.

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Jim Aksel]

YOu may want to try going to some of the major publishers websites to see if
they have companion files, etc. I know that Kathy Schwalbe has a book called
"Information Technology Project Management" that has some project files
associated with it. Try www.cengage.com/coursetechnology or www.course.com.

You may alos want to try reading some of the white papers I have published
on my blog,link below.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Bill,

The problem about using existing templates will be that "Weekly activities"
is definitely not the best way to show the product's abilities. The best
Project can do for you is to calculate when a task can be done (depending on
relationships, availability of resources, external constraints...) and when
you say from the onset that teh activities have to be weekly you eliminate
the strongest point of the software!

Hope this helps,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availabliy check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[Rob Schneider]

Perhaps there is a way you can setup running the course itself as
"project" and use Project to model/track that project? Yes, contrived,
but perhaps could work and provides connection to something real and
something that "progresses".

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Bill,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

One topic you could use is in teaching students the planning needed to
undertake their individual projects or theses. This would not only help
them to learn Project, but may result in students brining their course work
in on time!

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials