The Sky’s the Limit: An Activity for Teaching Project Management

Abstract

This article describes an experiential learning activity (ELA) for illustrating foundational project-management principles. The activity simulates a “real world” application of a project-management scenario requiring teams to plan, design, and build structures to achieve stated objectives within a limited time frame. ELAs provide students with a common shared experience that serves as a building block to facilitate higher levels of learning. The article provides an overview of the exercise, detailed instructions for classroom integrations and evidence of effectiveness. The activity may be adapted for use in a variety of course settings to emphasize various learning objectives within a course.