How can you break down large projects into smaller tasks to meet deadlines in Digital Learning?

Begin with what would be different/better once your product/project is delivered. What impact will it have on the people and the business? Now, identify what are your top priorities that bring you closer to that impact. Use SCRUM methodology, and work on those top priorities, and keep delivering MVPs, and keep buildtyour backlog. This way you will get feedback from stakeholders throughout the project.

Begin by outlining the project's scope and objectives, then identify key milestones and dependencies. Divide the work into manageable components, such as curriculum design, content creation, platform development, and testing. Assign these tasks to specific team members with clear responsibilities and deadlines. Use project management tools like Trello or Asana to track progress and ensure everyone stays on schedule. Regularly review and adjust the project plan as needed, allowing for flexibility while maintaining the overall timeline. Frequent communication and collaboration among team members are crucial for successful project execution.

Prioritize the content and identify core topics that must be included in the course. This ensures that essential material is addressed first and helps meet deadlines. Determine the resources required for each deliverable, such as subject matter experts, instructional designers, multimedia creators, and technical support. Start creating course materials, such as text, videos, quizzes, and assignments. Assign tasks to team members or collaborators, if applicable. Implement quality checks and reviews during the content development process. Ensure that the materials align with the learning objectives and are error-free.

Make sure to align your main goal with the key priorities of the business or client that you're creating learning for. Use their language. The more voices you can get at this early stage the better - from entry level through to executive leadership. Diverging from this will most likely cause you to have to pivot later on and will create extra work.

Divide the content into smaller, manageable chunks. Each segment should focus on a specific topic or concept related to the learning objectives. Consider the use of microlearning techniques. These are short, focused lessons that last a few minutes and cover a single learning point. Group related segments into modules or units. Each module should have a clear theme or topic that contributes to the overall learning objectives. Arrange the segments in a logical sequence. Ensure that learners build on their knowledge progressively as they move through the content.

Identify which tasks are critical to meeting the project's goals and should be prioritized. If necessary, collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) to understand the content requirements. They can help estimate the complexity of the material. If the project involves media creation (e.g., video production, graphics design), allocate time and resources accordingly.

Don't skip regular reviews with SMEs, sponsors, exec leadership etc.! Plan this in upfront. In many cases this will actually save time, and is a key way to establish whether you are on track and actually delivering something of value. It also means outcomes are much more likely to be sustained long-term.

Consider using a Gantt chart or project management software to visualize the task sequence and deadlines. This helps in tracking progress and ensuring tasks are completed on time. Assign responsibilities to team members or collaborators for each task. Ensure that each person understands their role and deadline. If any task is particularly complex, consider breaking it down into smaller sub-tasks with their own deadlines. This makes it more manageable.

With tasks and scheduled meetings building up, you will need a planning tool that can handle this strain. Notion is a great tool for project management that our team uses to organise, tag, and rearrange tasks and assignments according to priority. Operating with a planning tool helps everyone on the team to quickly find and backtrack important tasks. Added to this, a calendar that allows you to write in blocks and tag and move these around with coded icons optimises work flow and creates a great overview.

As tasks are completed, test the content and evaluate its effectiveness. This may reveal the need for revisions or additional tasks. Digital learning projects can be dynamic, and unexpected issues may arise. Stay flexible and adapt as needed to ensure the overall success of the project. Document any changes to task deadlines and the reasons behind them. This helps maintain transparency and accountability. Conduct regular project reviews to ensure that tasks are aligning with the overall project goals and deadlines.