In this particular area of higher education, we feel that some of the more subtle points of curriculum philosophy are especially important for preparing students for what they are about to face.
Let’s go over some of those things here, as we talk about what best positions students for passing a PMP certification exam.
Specificity
First and foremost, of course, the curriculum materials have to be targeted to the certification or training question.
Take one of our popular study resources around PMI agile certification projects.
In this type of exam or certification, students are looking at being able to master specific challenges around moving projects forward in an agile manner.
That means knowing the specifics of processes like scrum, kanban or lean, among others.
So the curriculum has to target the specific practices. It has to orient itself to what the student is actually going to know about each of these key methodologies.
Something like scrum may not be entirely complex, but it might have certain nuances or tricks of the trade that are really important to put together when you’re designing the curriculum. Otherwise, the student might come out with just a surface-level knowledge of something that they should really understand in detail.
Changes Over Time
It’s also important to anticipate changes over time and work those into curriculum.
Now something like scrum or kanban may stay fundamentally the same in the way that it was initially designed to work. But various aspects of something like a PMI agile certification study packet can and will change as the industry changes and moves forward.
Curriculum providers who are not oriented toward change are missing a vital component of putting together what students need to succeed. That ongoing process is part of staying relevant, and updating an approach to match the reality of what’s done in the industry today
Format
Why does format matter with study materials?
If you’ve never had the chance to look over and compare different study materials for a particular exam or certification, you might think that it might not actually matter that much.
However, experienced students know that format is a major part of the appeal for curriculum that brings them closer to succeeding on one of these key certification exams.
Good format means being able to pinpoint items in the curriculum without scrolling through lengthy documents.
It means having the right modular approach, so that students can access what they’re trying to learn by drilling down into a document or audio file in a way that is guided. That means having markers and labels in place with the right sophistication and capability to help the student to navigate the materials well.
For more, check out everything that we offer for PM at Crosswind Project Management Inc.