PM-Appers!+Intro+Page

Duncan McBogg, Melanie Melvin, & Lior Flum

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Welcome
The goal of this wiki is to provide a quick reference guide for eLearning students to narrow down the search for a free, cloud-based project management tool. Giving them information to make educated decisions about choosing online project management applications that allow the users to pull together documents, tasks and schedule and begin work quickly and efficiently.

Effective online learning environments employ team projects. One of the benefits of online learning is that it allows for students to be located throughout the world. Project management requires juggling many elements simultaneously and often under the pressure of time. Successful results depend on organizing and coordinating team members, timelines, tasks, documents and other resources.

What are project management applications?
Project management applications are software that facilitate the work on a project in one or more of its stages. In this wiki we will refer mostly to online applications. This means these applications run straight out of the browser, require no installation, work on different platforms and devices, and often "play" well with other online collaborative tools.



Why use project management applications?
Using a project management application a virtual team can easily plan and keep track of the project execution. A project management application provides clear structure and organization to virtual teamwork. More specifically PM apps help:
 * 1) Organize tasks
 * 2) Develop time estimates and schedules
 * 3) Assign roles
 * 4) Estimate costs and reduce them
 * 5) Follow and monitor progress
 * 6) Manage resources effectively
 * 7) Collect and organize project documents and link them to tasks

For example, a PM application can help a team of online students who are given the assignment of developing a website by soliciting the relevant information from them to create an easy to follow elaborated project plan. A PM application uses the information the students provide to connect the tasks breakdown automatically with the schedule and resources. Many PM applications can also automatically create a visualization of the project plan in the form of diagrams.

==This wiki is intended for e-Learning students who: ==
 * have a little or no financial means to invest in project management applications
 * need to assemble for the purpose of completing a specific project and will disband after its completion
 * need to work over great distance using online collaborative environments
 * not able to devote a great deal of time to learning an online project management tool
 * need a project management application with mobile capabilities
 * already use Google Drive for online collaboration

PM-Appers recommends using either Teambox and Gantter. To learn more about these specific project management applications, click on the Teambox and Gantter tabs at the top of the page. If you need a way to customize your own criteria/needs, go to the DIY Selection Guide tab. You'll find a brief presentation on things to consider when searching for a PM application, as well as a spreadsheet to help you further refine your search.

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