Advanced Search

Critical Path Analysis - Lesson Plan: 2 x 1 hour lessons

A series of 'off the shelf' lesson plans and resources for use in the classroom. These lessons deal with Critical Path Analysis and are relevant to the following specifications:

• AQA: Module 2, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6
• Edexcel: Unit 2, Section 5
• OCR: Modules 2873

Aim:

The Activity is focused on critical path analysis. The Presentation gives an overview of the technique along with some of the advantages and disadvantages. The Activity is centred on a decision making process for a fictional food manufacturing firm installing a new piece of machinery. The students have to make a decision as to which one to install.

The Activity requires the class to be divided into two groups. The students are given a list of the main tasks in the process of installing the new machine. The tasks are not in any specific order; therefore the students must decide amongst themselves what the most appropriate order is. They should then draw out the network and eventually identify the critical path.

When feeding back their ideas, the group should make their recommendation and offer some evaluative comments as to what other factors might need to be considered in the decision making process.

The order in which the tasks need to be carried out has not been specified for a reason. There could be different approaches to the order of the activities and indeed, the suggestion that some tasks could be necessary on more than one occasion deliberately makes the Activity more challenging. (The hygiene process is likely to be needed more than once given that this is a food manufacturing process.)

In reality, of course, tasks are not nice and straight forward and as such the Activity tries to reflect that. The students will need to discuss this amongst themselves and justify the order they have decided in their presentation. Where necessary, the educator can have the casting vote!

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the lessons, students should:

• Understand the key requirements of critical path analysis (CPA)
• Understand the purpose, benefits and limitations of using such a tool
• Be able to apply the principles of CPA to a scenario
• Arrive at supported and informed judgements as a result of considered analysis

Resources:

• PowerPoint Presentation - Critical Path Analysis [139 KB] (basic version also available for quicker download [127 KB])
• Mind Map - Critical Path Analysis
• Activity - Critical Path Analysis
• PC and data projector to facilitate student group presentation

Lesson Structure:

Lesson 1

1. Brief introduction to the concept of CPA - the big picture. (5 minutes)
2. Use the Presentation to go into further detail about the process. During the Presentation the point regarding the lack of certainty about the appropriate priorities of tasks should be emphasised. (20 minutes)
3. Outline the task and divide the students into two groups. (5 minutes)
4. Students begin their discussion in groups and prepare their Presentation. (25 minutes)
5. Brief review of the main points raised in the lesson. (5 minutes)

Lesson 2

1. Brief overview of the purpose of the Activity. (5 minutes)
2. Students continue with presentation preparation. (20 minutes)
3. Each group presents their case - 10 minutes per group. (20 minutes)
4. Feedback and discussion of the outcome. (10 minutes)
5. Review of main outcomes of the lessons. (5 minutes)