netw600 full course latest 2017

Week 1 discussion

DQ1 Team Building

The workplace has grown increasingly diverse in terms of culture, communications, and workstyle. How do we work together as a team, when individually we are so different?

DQ2 Planning For Success

What are your main considerations when approaching the planning phase of the Capstone?

Week 2 discussion

DQ1 Researching Information

Where do you begin researching the technologies you will consider for the Capstone Project?

DQ2 Managing Change

Projects do not exist in a vacuum. What are some outside influences that affect the viability of a project?

Week 3 discussion

DQ1 Developing Project Cost Estimates

What are the considerations for deciding whether a project is financially viable?

DQ2 Requirements Gathering and Analysis

What is the role of a Business Analyst in the Project Planning Process?

Week 4 discussion

DQ1 In-House or Outsource?

Is cheaper always better? Are there any considerations that trump initial costs when deciding whether to provide support in house?

DQ2 Organizational Structure

Can you identify some specific organizational structures? Are there organization structures associated with start-ups…mature organizations?

Week 5 discussion

DQ1 Regulatory Impacts

Telecommunications is subject to a number of federal, state, and local regulations. Which regulations directly impact telecom managers?

DQ2 Future Proofing, Allowing for Expansion and Growth

Technology is always changing. Is it possible to "future proof" your design?

Week 6 discussion

DQ1 Contract Management, Service Level Agreements

Negotiating service level agreements relies in part on risk assessment. Is 24/7 support the best answer or can you live with less support? What are the considerations?

DQ2 Communication Tools

What communication tools worked best for your team?

Week 7 discussion

DQ1 Continuous Improvement

The project is complete! Why do we need another meeting? What is the role of post-mortem at the conclusion of the project?

DQ2 Preparing For a Presentation

How do you prepare a PowerPoint Presentation based on your paper?

Netw600 course project

The NETW600 Capstone course requires the completion of a comprehensive telecommunications network plan. The Telecommunications Capstone consists of two parts, a written plan detailing a real-world telecommunications project and an oral Project Presentation. Both the written and oral presentations detail network performance, scheduling, and budget requirements.

Teamwork is an important component of the Capstone. Successful projects have fully functioning teams working together during the entire term. The standard size team is 4-5 students. Individual projects are not an option.

In the business world, you will often be required to work on a team. In many cases, you will not have the opportunity to choose your teammates. The Telecommunications Capstone teams will be randomly assigned during Week 1. Four to five people will be assigned to each team. Each team will choose a Project Manager who will ensure that the deliverables are assigned and completed. No individual projects are allowed. Learning to work together with a people of diverse skill sets and communications styles is part of the challenge.

Each team member is required to actively participate in all aspects of the team's work. High functioning teams establish a plan and actively communicate on a continual basis sharing responsibilities and ideas. Successful completion of this class requires the team to plan, communicate, and work together. In Week 6 of the term, you will participate in a 360 degree feedback process. You will be required to give feedback on yourself, your team members, and your instructor. Information from this process will be incorporated into your final grade.

Real world telecommunications project requests do not come in neat packages. Clients may have no knowledge of the technology required to implement their goals. Client requirements are often vague and incomplete.

During the first few weeks of the term, you will be required to uncover and solidify project requirements.

In Week 1, you’ll attend a video meeting with your client. In addition, you’ll receive a mini-RFP detailing some of the requirements.

In Week 3, a Bidder’s Conference will be held in the Discussion area. The Bidder’s Conference is your opportunity to question your “client” and get needed details. That will be the final opportunity to clarify any questions about their business and its telecommunications requirements. As always, the Q & A Forum is the place to ask general questions about the project or any other aspects the course that may be of interest to the entire class. However, no client details will be discussed in the Q & A Forum.

Throughout the term, you may be required to adjust for unplanned occurrences and provide project schedules and reports. There are two planned interim deliverables incorporated into the project:

the draft Background Definition and

the draft Problem Definition.

In a sense, these are client checkpoints. Your instructor will give comments and directions based on these deliverables in order to ensure that you are on the right track. The intent of the project is to provide you the opportunity to integrate the knowledge and skills learned throughout the program. Preparation of the Course Project helps you review and integrate skills developed in previous course work.

The Course Project WebEx Presentations are a key component to this course. The WebEx Presentations are not delivered “live.” Teams should record their best effort and submit it to the Dropbox. All team members are required to participate in the Presentation, i.e., all students take a turn as the presenter. Both the written and oral presentation should detail network performance, scheduling, and budget requirements.

Discussions are a key part of all DeVry course work and the Capstone is no different. The Capstone Discussions are designed to enhance your understanding of a variety of topics that pertain to the Course Project and to the industry in general. Plan on sharing your experiences and research with your fellow classmates. Participation is required and it is recommended that you review all postings each week.