Illustration Vectors by Vecteezy
In this post I will outline some of the tools and techniques I plan to use to plan, track and evaluate progress and the work is completed. The Voice Learning Assistant (VLA) will be composed of many parts in itself, and the final project requires deployment, trial usage and evaluation; all of which must be complete by the set deadline. No doubt there will be times when results require changes, and the planning phase must be flexible enough to integrate changes whilst offering clear structure and time management.
Breaking the Project into Small, Achievable Objectives
The first task I have set myself is to break the VLA into small, manageable parts using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to identify key phases. Currently, the phases are:
- Initial planning.
- Literature review.
- System design including a prototype.
- Building the voice interaction component.
- Preparing pre-drawn diagrams and storing them for use.
- Building and implementing the mastery logging scheme.
- Implementing dynamic prompting to facilitate responses at the appropriate level.
- Alpha testing and refinement.
- Beta testing and refinement.
- Preparing for the pilot testing.
- Running the pilot test.
- Analysing the data and feedback from the pilot test.
- Writing the final evaluation and identifying further work.
I plan to break each of these phases down further into tasks and then SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) which I will then use to manage my time on a daily basis to ensure more holistic deadlines are met. (Institute for Academic Development, 2024) (Apm.org.uk, 2025)
Using Milestones
To keep the project on track more broadly, the completion of each phase above will be used as a milestone with a target completion date. These key checkpoints will allow for progress reviews, review meetings, and allow for regular evaluation. For clarity, the current milestones are:
- Initial planning complete.
- Literature review complete.
- System design complete.
- Voice interaction component complete.
- Diagrams prepared and saved to database.
- Mastery logging scheme implemented.
- Dynamic prompting implemented and functional.
- Alpha testing and refinement complete.
- Beta testing and refinement complete.
- Pilot test preparation complete.
- Pilot test complete.
- Analysis complete.
- Project complete.
This approach is based on the milestones and stage management strategies found in PRINCE2 (Projex Academy, 2023).
Gantt Chart for Planning and Tracking Progress
I will use a Gantt chart to plan the project timeline and visually monitor progress, which can be constructed before the project begins. The Gantt chart will allow me to:
-
- Map tasks across a visual timeline and check they are realistic.
- Identify dependencies between phases to ensure sequencing is correct.
- Identify tasks that overlap.
- Allocate deadlines and durations in advance.
- Identify and prepare for pressure points and bottlenecks.
The chart will be used as a live document and be updated regularly to ensure it depicts and accurate representation of the project progression. This will help with early identification of timeline deviations that threaten the projects timely completion (Projex Academy, 2023).
Monitoring Progress During Execution
To help keep the project on track, I will implement a system of regular reviews once execution has begun.
Weekly reviews will be used to assess and monitor task completion and milestone based reviews will assess progress at key points in the project plan. The Gantt chart will be updated to reflect actual progress against planned progress supported by a progress journal documenting what has been completed, problems that have arisen, and any implemented solutions.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
As the project involves technical implementations there is an inevitable degree of uncertainty. To prepare for this I plan to use a Risk Assessment and Mitigation Log which will identify potential risks, their likelihood and impact assessment, strategies for their mitigation, and defined monitoring points to review and evaluate their realised impact.
Ongoing Evaluation of Outcomes
Due to the iterative nature of the project, I will evaluate outcomes at the end of each major phase as follows:
- Compare completed work against SMART targets.
- Review the functionality of each component at each complete iteration.
- At the pilot stage, assess the students engagement patterns and feedback.
- Once complete, analyse pre-test and post-test results and evaluate against expectations.
- Use collected data and feedback for the next iteration cycle, as time permits.
By using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data I will ensure the project progresses in a way that is meaningful and based on user feedback and data.
Final Thoughts
The VLA project is expected to evolve as work is carried out but by using strong, recognised project management techniques the structure and progress can be controlled from the outset to ensure its timely completion. By planning for regular progress and risk reviews I am confident that I will keep the execution on track from design to implementation and pilot.
Thanks for reading and check back for the next post soon.