Mixing project management and distance education: a case study

During Spring 1999, software project management students at East Tennessee State University produced a plan for a database publishing system. These students, who attended classes at geographically separate sites, contended with several problems related to working at a distance: creating a common repository for project artifacts, maintaining effective communications, and building a sense of "team". Geographic separation, though a challenge, proved less of an obstacle than other, more basic problems in project management. In spite of its problems, the project succeeded to a large extent, and pleased the client, students and instructor alike. The authors believe the project's success demonstrates the feasibility of distance-based coursework in software management-particularly in settings where an experienced instructor can help students to coordinate work at a distance.