Eliminating the left-brain/right-brain conflict present in the traditional Critical Path Method. (2nd October 2007)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Paxton, John
• Is Part Of: International journal of information and operations management education. Volume 2:Number 2(2007)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 220
• Publication Date: 2007-10-02
• Subjects: CPM learning -- left-brain/right-brain conflict -- PERT -- PERT/CPM -- critical path method -- information content -- operations management education; Continuing education -- Periodicals; Information organization -- Periodicals; Operations research -- Periodicals; Education -- Research -- Periodicals; 025.00711
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-2303

Abstract

In presenting Critical Path Method in the traditional manner, students experience a left-brain/right-brain conflict as they switch back and forth between the network diagram and the table ultimately used to calculate the slack values. For some students, this is not a problem; however, for many students, this is confusing to the point that these students refuse to use one or the other of these two essential tools. I have devised a presentation scheme that eliminates this conflict while simultaneously retaining all of the information content. This paper presents this scheme along with empirical evidence of its efficacy.