Project outsource: providing students with project management experience using contractors

Abstract

This article describes a service-learning assignment that incorporates independent contractors into the classroom. The assignment is designed to facilitate students learning technical and interpersonal aspects of project management through practice managing a project, and it involves students managing a distributed team member. Service-learning projects address the motivational shortcomings of traditional instructional approaches by having students develop solutions for outside stakeholders. However, traditional service-learning projects are limited by the skills of the students in the course. The project outsource assignment is novel in at least three ways. First, unlike many service-learning assignments, it is effective in online and traditional settings. Second, it provides students with practice managing a distributed team member. Third, incorporating skilled contract workers enables students to undertake a wider range of service-learning projects. The article describes the assignment, objectives, process, results, and transferability aspects of the assignment.