[Year 12 IT Apps] information needed for gantt charts

[McDonald, Debra A1]

Sorry for the length in time for me to reply to you all.. I have analysed options given to us for the Gantt chart sections for our sacs... 
 

*	
	now if funds permitted I would use Microsoft project but that is not possible (at ~$200 per machine).  
*	
	excel - not a real Gantt chart program and hence can be difficult to assess due to constraints on the program needing to be able to do real time calculations. - and students do not get experience in real programs
*	
	Gantt Project - good but does have a few minor flaws...  is free and does most things so it is the one I am going to use...

 
the Gantt Project program. is ok but it does not break down to hours as we would like... but there is a new version suppose to be out "soon" that will have that feature.. 
 
but for a free program it does all that is needed of it for the SAC and it is very easy for the students to use...
 
I am going to try it with my class for U301. and I will see how well it works.
 
hope this helps some people, 
 
cheers
 
 Debra McDonald 
Network Manager
Lyndhurst Secondary College
Cranbourne
(03) 5996 0144
mcdonald.debra.a1 at edumail.vic.gov.au <mailto:mcdonald.debra.a1 at edumail.vic.gov.au> 

________________________________

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Mark Kelly
Sent: Thu 19/02/09 8:35 AM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] information needed for gantt charts



The problem with Excel is that it's not intended to do the job of
project management (just as it's not intended to be a database).

Creating a chart is one thing, modifying it it another.  In a real PM
tool, making a change automatically rearranges the other tasks to suit.

Antonia Caridi wrote:
> I use Excel as well for reasons given by Geoff but also the aim is for
> students to understand Project Management and have awareness of common
> symbols used to denote milestones, predecessors, etc - all of which can
> be easily done with Excel. There was some controversy prior to this SD
> regarding an exam question where the Gantt diagram given had been
> created with MS Project and it was felt by many teachers that a  lot of
> students did poorly on the question as they did not recognise the MS
> Project interface.
> Students need to use a spreadsheet program in Unit 4 so it can also
> serve as a good intro to that.
>
> Antonia
>
> Antonia Caridi
> Sacre Coeur
> 172 Burke Road
> Glen Iris 3146
> Telephone 9885 4501
> Fax 9885 5936
>
>
>>>> "Geoff Moss" <geoffmoss37 at bigpond.com> 18/02/2009 6:21 pm >>>
> Brendyn
>
> I believe in keeping it simple for the students and use Excel.  With
> many needing to learn Access or a database it is a bit hard to have them
> learn another software type.
>
> I find students easily learn the principles of project management and
> enjoy putting it all together in Excel.
>
> Obviously, if students have had the opportunity to learn Access in 2008
> then teaching a new software is OK.  Unfortunately, I do not have that
> luxury at RMIT where most of our students are new to us and have not
> necessarily had Year 11, let alone Years 9 and 10, IT experience.
>
> Geoff Moss
> RMIT


--
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
School Phone +613 8520 9000
School Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au

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