1 SIT105 – Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Assignment 1 Due: 8:30am, Monday 18 August 2014 Goals of the Assignment There are two main goals for the assignment. The first is to fully understand the meaning of some of the terms used in “Critical Thinking”. The second goal is to undertake research with correct referencing. The Vancouver style of referencing is to be used for this assignment. This referencing style is described at: http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-skills/handouts/vancouver.php Submission Instructions & Late Submission Penalty Information  Print your assignment and MIBT assignment coversheet.  The coversheet should be filled and stapled along with the assignment.  You need to submit your assignment online on (or before) the due date.  You also need to submit a hardcopy of your assignment to your lecturer either in person or you can drop off the hardcopy in the mailbox located on building LA, Level 4.  The mailbox number is D6 and you will see lecturer’s name on the mailbox. Make sure that you are dropping the assignment in the right mailbox. Check with the MIBT Reception if you have trouble locating it.  Any assignment submitted after the due date and time, will be penalized according to the penalty rules. Assignment Instructions  Total Marks for this assignment is 75. It is worth 15% towards your final grade.  Read the marking criteria carefully and make sure your answers meet all the criteria.  Answer all five questions. Write your answers in MS Word document. Questions 1. For each of the following terms:  Find TWO sources that contain a meaning of that term and write in your own words. Note: The prescribed text “Critical Thinking” by Moore & Parker & Lecture/Prac Materials is NOT to be used as a referenced source. Also any Wiki or Wikipedia references are NOT allowed.  Think critically and write a single definition in your own words, relating your definition to IT. Give an example to match your definition. http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-skills/handouts/vancouver.php 2 a. Problem Solving Techniques b. Specifications Stage of Requirements Engineering c. Problems with many voices d. Root Cause Analysis e. Brainstorming [3 marks each, 15 marks] 2. Read the excerpt from the article (see last page) by Ross Gittins and identify all of the claims, issues and arguments presented. You should answer this question using a table like the one shown below - Column 1 indicates whether you have identified a given sentence as a Claim, Issue, or Argument. - Column 2 contains the text of that claim, issue or argument. If you classify the sentence to be an argument, you need to identify the premise and conclusion correctly as shown in the below example. - Keep the order of the text in Column 2 the same as the actual text Claim She swiftly glued a canary yellow c ...

1. 1
SIT105 – Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Assignment 1
Due: 8:30am, Monday 18 August 2014
Goals of the Assignment
There are two main goals for the assignment. The first is to
fully understand the meaning of
some of the terms used in “Critical Thinking”. The second goal
is to undertake research with
correct referencing. The Vancouver style of referencing is to be
used for this assignment. This
referencing style is described at:
http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-
skills/handouts/vancouver.php
Submission Instructions & Late Submission Penalty Information
assignment.
due date.

2. your lecturer either in person or
you can drop off the hardcopy in the mailbox located on
building LA, Level 4.
on the mailbox. Make sure that
you are dropping the assignment in the right mailbox. Check
with the MIBT Reception if you
have trouble locating it.
ue date and time, will be
penalized according to the
penalty rules.
Assignment Instructions
towards your final grade.
answers meet all the criteria.
document.
Questions
1. For each of the following terms:
write in your own
words. Note: The prescribed text “Critical Thinking” by Moore
& Parker &
Lecture/Prac Materials is NOT to be used as a referenced
source. Also any Wiki or
Wikipedia references are NOT allowed.

3. words, relating your
definition to IT. Give an example to match your definition.
http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-
skills/handouts/vancouver.php
2
a. Problem Solving Techniques
b. Specifications Stage of Requirements Engineering
c. Problems with many voices
d. Root Cause Analysis
e. Brainstorming
[3 marks each, 15 marks]
2. Read the excerpt from the article (see last page) by Ross
Gittins and identify all of the
claims, issues and arguments presented.
You should answer this question using a table like the one
shown below
- Column 1 indicates whether you have identified a given
sentence as a Claim, Issue,
or Argument.

4. - Column 2 contains the text of that claim, issue or argument.
If you classify the
sentence to be an argument, you need to identify the premise
and conclusion
correctly as shown in the below example.
- Keep the order of the text in Column 2 the same as the actual
text
Claim She swiftly glued a canary yellow certificate on my
windscreen
Claim Part of me died
…
Issue How you going, mate?
…
Argument
Premise/Conclusion
My car was on high-beam because there was something wrong
with the dip-switch
Claim The handsome policewoman allowed me to carefully
drive my
car home
[15 marks]
3. Diagram the following arguments using Structure Diagram.

5. The problem is with the power supply. The reason being, the
lights that indicate the
power supply for the three phases are not on. If those lights
are not on, then either the
fuse is shot for your apartment or there is no electricity for the
whole building. But if the
problem is with the fuse, then the fuse indicator light would be
on. Since the fuse
indicator light isn’t on, the problem must be with the power
supply.
I. Identify the key words in the above problem statement
II. Break down the problem statement into simple sentences and
highlight the
irrelevant information (if there is any)
III. number the claims
IV. Draw the structure diagram using the method described in
the text book.
[15 marks]
3
4. Define a short problem related to the Information Technology
field. The problem can be
of your own imagination but a realistic one and should be
programmable using any
programming language. Apply the 6 stages of Requirements
Engineering to this problem

6. and write a short paragraph for each stage, describing how you
would address each stage
in the process.
[10 marks]
5.
a. Use the full truth table method to determine the validity of
the following argument
((A v
- - - - - - - - -
B
[10 marks]
b. Use the short truth table method to determine the validity of
the following argument. A
step-by-step description as to how the value in each cell was
arrived at should be given.
~P v (Q & R)
~R & ~P
- - - - - - - - -
~Q
[10 marks]

7. 4
Article to be used for Question 2
Ross Gittins
By far the biggest development in the economy in recent years
is the mining boom, and
it's likely to roll on for at least the rest of this decade. But
Australians are having a lot of
trouble getting their minds around the boom's implications. The
area abounds with
worries and misperceptions.
Economists keep banging on about the mining boom because it's
the biggest factor
driving the economy's growth. We've had a surge in export
income because the world is
paying such high prices for our coal and iron ore. And we're
also getting huge spending
on the construction of new mines and natural gas facilities.
A lot of people are uncomfortable about the mining boom ...
they see digging stuff out
of the ground as a pretty unsophisticated way to make a living.
The other reason economists get so excited about the topic is
that this is hardly the first
commodities boom Australia has experienced (the first was the

8. gold rush) and most of
our previous booms have ended in tears. We've quickly spent all
the extra money
coming our way, but that's led to rapidly rising prices. The
authorities' efforts to stamp
out inflation have ended up causing a recession and rising
unemployment.
The present managers of the economy are determined to ensure
that doesn't happen
this time by keeping spending and inflation under control. This
explains why, until
recently, the Reserve Bank was always thinking about putting
up interest rates, and
why the Gillard government has been so keen to get its budget
back into surplus.