for Njosh

The Discussion Board (DB) is part of the core of online learning. Classroom discussion in an online environment requires the active participation of students and the instructor to create robust interaction and dialogue. Every student is expected to create an original response to the open-ended DB question as well as engage in dialogue by responding to posts created by others throughout the unit. At the end of unit, DB participation will be assessed based on both level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion.

At a minimum, each student will be expected to post an original and thoughtful response to the DB question and contribute to the dialogue by responding to at least two other posts from students. The first contribution must be posted before midnight (Central Time) on Friday of the unit. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation.

The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of the unit.

Assignment Details

The Unit 1 Discussion Board assignment has 3 parts. Complete the following for this Discussion Board:

Part 1: LabSim Description and Action Items: UNGRADED

Please refer to the following for information about accessing and using LabSim:

• Getting Started with LabSim 
• LabSim Navigation

Click here to refer to the instructions for the Unit 1 Lab tasks.

Part 2: Previous Project Experience: GRADED

Information technology (IT) projects at any large organization are typically accomplished through group projects. Only through experience can one be comfortable participating in, contributing to, and collaborating on team projects. This academic program will afford you sufficient opportunity to become familiar with valuable techniques that you can employ on teams.

During the course, you will be asked to participate in a Group Project. Please use the Unit 1 Discussion Board to review the project details, share group project experiences, and pose any questions related to the Group Project.

Complete the following for Part 2 of this Discussion Board:

• Share your experiences working on teams in the past—either on the job or working on special projects.
• Discuss whether your team experience involved the various development phases of teams (forming, norming, storming, and performing).
  • What special skills did you develop when interacting with other team members?
  • How were conflicts handled?
  • How did the team reach consensus on project milestones?
  • How were project milestones communicated?

Part 3: ITCO103 Group Project: INFORMATIONAL 

The details and phases of the Group Project are included here. Please review the overview and use the DB thread to pose any questions or comments related to the Group Project requirement for this course.

Teams will be assigned early during Unit 2. You will be assigned to a project-managed team. A project-managed team is one where you and your team members will be creating and following a specific plan and schedule. The final Group Project deliverable will be due in Unit 4. There will be activities completed during units 2, 3, and 4. All activities will be conducted in the Small Group area.

Review the following ITCO103 Group Project resources:

• ITCO103 Group Project Schedule
• ITCO103 Group Project Overview
• ITCO103 Group Project Grading

Complete the following for Part 3 of this Discussion Board:

• Summarize the tasks that you expect will be needed for the ITCO103 Group Project to be a successful one.
• Describe how you anticipate contributing to this project. What would you like to achieve from this experience?
• Pose questions about the Group Project to your instructor here in the Unit 1 Discussion Board area.
• Look for clarification in the following areas:
  • Unit breakdown of activities
  • Goals for each unit
  • Concerns regarding schedule
  • Details regarding the assignment description

The following may be useful as you research and prepare for this discussion:

• Tuckman Forming Storming Norming Performing Model
• Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing

In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.

References

Businessballs. (n.d.). Tuckman forming storming norming performing model. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm

MindTools. (n.d.). Forming, storming, norming, and performing. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm

TestOut. (n.d.). How-to tutorials. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from http://www.testout.com/home/student-resources/how-to-tutorials