Week 2 - CST 300

This week we worked on creating a rough draft for our Industry Analysis paper, which we submitted for submitted for peer review. The writing lab discussions were helpful with providing additional information on how to write your paper, how to review it, and some common mistakes in writing.

Module 2 Lecture

The lecture for this week included an introduction on project management, an article on software engineering trends, and a presentation by Peter Diamandis. Some of the interesting points in Diamandis’ lecture included his discussion of Moore’s Law and Brain Computer Interface. Moore’s Law is based on the idea of accelerated returns and the exponential growth of computing. Diamandis’ discussion on Brain Computer Interface was especially interesting because I personally was not aware of the amount of money companies were currently investing in this concept. The idea of connecting our “neocortex to the cloud,” seems so advanced, but ties into Moore’s Law in that it is something that could happen within our lifetime.

The medium article on software engineering trends was pretty accurate in discussing the trends that occurred in 2023, especially for artificial intelligence. ChatGPT became an even bigger household name while advancements in AI technology continue to grow.

Finally, the video “Introduction to Project Management,” covered the basics on projects and project management. This video reviewed why projects are needed (they are usually triggered by certain needs and demands), how they are carried out and how they are prioritized. Project managers are the ones accountable to seeing a project through and require a certain skillset and attributes in order to be successful. While project managers are responsible for the project’s success, they still carry out their functions as a team.

OLI Module 2

The module this week started off with a video where Anita Woolley discussed what factors determine a team’s effectiveness and performance. There was a test called “Reading the Mind in the Eyes,” where images of people’s eyes were shown and we had to choose the emotion that seemed the most appropriate. This was used to gauge our situational sensitivity; however, I wonder why just the eyes were used and not the entire face? Regardless, my score was average which I figured would be the case as some of the photos looked ambiguous. Later in the assignment, two videos were shown that demonstrated the importance of collaboration and teamwork in a workplace setting. In the first video, Jesse Schell discussed the importance of hiring people at his company that valued teamwork and discussed some of the questions he used during the hiring process to find people like this. The second video was of a former Carnegie student named Jenny Lui that works for Google. Her video highlighted the importance of teamwork in the workplace and what kind of traits are valued in a follow teammate. It was also interesting to hear how such a large company like Google managed their teams and how essential teamwork was for their company to function.

Review and Reflect Learning Strategies

The article written by Dr. Kizlik was interesting in that it condensed several studying strategies that have been shown to be successful. I am fairly good at creating a schedule that takes into account everything that I need to complete and when I need to complete it. For the most part I am organized, and I keep my working environment clean.

Unfortunately, where I fall short is that same schedule I create. In general, I’m not very meticulous about keeping a schedule once I’ve made it. I also tend to just power through assignments at times, without taking any breaks. On the other hand, when I am not focused or on a time crunch, I tend to get distracted and then procrastinate at times. While I typically have my headphones on, sometimes I go out to coffee shops with my partner to do my work, which can also be distracting.

Time Management Skills

The time management skills listed in the indeed article were very on point, however putting them into practice can be difficult at times, especially when something unexpected happens. However, that also plays into the second point of the article: prioritization. Below I’ve included my current schedule on how I would ideally manage and prioritize my time:

Project Management Basics

The videos in this section reviewed some of what was said discussed the previous video, “Introduction to Project Management.” Essentially projects are something that have a goal and an end date; it is temporary, unique and closed after the objective is obtained. Some reasons why projects may fail include failures in time management, cost management, scope management and quality management. On the other hand, a work breakdown structure that identifies the deliverable that need to be produced, and when, can be helpful in managing a project. The final part of this section included information on a Gantt chart, a bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, including the start and finish dates. In a Gantt chart, tasks are charted and allow for a visual demonstration of that project’s management.

Previous Capstones

1. Date and Be Safe: This was a dating application that focused on the safety of it’s users. The concept was great, but the actual app itself appeared like it still needed some work. The presentation was clear and concise, however could be improved by just adding more to the demo itself.

1. Stuff Ride: A web app that lists where locals can find and provide transportation for large items. The presentation was great, it included information on why this kind of service may be needed and how the app itself worked. One area it could improve on is having a directory where the product specifications can be pre-selected. I probably wouldn’t use this app if I had to look up the dimensions or manually measure a product.

1. Stem Ranks: This is a web application that allows users to read the experiences of former and current students to help with choosing a school to attend. The presentation itself was good, the application looked clean and user friendly. The only issue I could see is that I feel ratemyprofessor is already pretty similar in concept.

What I learned this week: In general, I learned a variety of things. I learned more about teamwork and how the intelligence of a team does not necessarily indicate a team’s success. I reviewed information from the writing lab that better supported me drafting my Industry Analysis paper. This module also covered a lot of information on project management, which I found to be helpful. Various articles and videos supported a lot of the topics that were covered and allowed me to have a better understanding of teamwork, project management, and even writing.