Chapter 9
Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set
The success of any IT project is determined at the very beginning of the project life cycle,
when the IT staff meets with the business clients to gather the requirements. But IT's
track record with this important phase is similar to its history with project management
itself: abysmal. Requirements have been gathered for decades, but most IT
organizations have yet to discover a consistently successful way of sitting down with
business clients, discussing their needs, and translating those needs into a useful
system, enhancement, customization, or software package selection.
In fact, according to some statistics, poor requirements gathering is the cause of about
70 percent of today's technology project failures. That's because passing along one bad
requirement is akin to throwing a stone into a pond and watching how far the ripples go.
According to some calculations, each badly defined requirement results in 10 bad design
statements, which then can multiply to 100 incorrect coding statements. Even if that's
an exaggeration, you can easily see how poor requirements negatively affect application
integrity, maintenance costs, and client satisfaction. This is true whether you're looking
to build a custom system, buy a new software package, or enhance an existing system.
Skipping requirements gathering is like building a house without a plan. For example,
I've seen companies buy software that didn't meet their business needs, mainly because
they wanted to save time on the requirements step. When they tried to modify the
package to meet their needs, they discovered they didn't know the requirements. They
sadly concluded that the step they skipped really did need to be done to make the
package useful.
I often see organizations turn to yet another vendor tool or methodology in their
attempt to improve this situation. But just as with project management, IT is facing a
problem that requires less of a scientific fix and more of a mind-set change that
emphasizes the up-front work of really communicating with business clients to discover
what they need.
From what I've seen in my 24 years in the IT profession and from working with clients
across the country, this is a mind-set change that's way past due, as business leaders
grow increasingly frustrated with the gap between what clients need and what IT
delivers. I learned about the importance of good requirements throughout my varied IT
career, which included stints in analysis, development, production support, project
management, and relationship management. It became clear to me that to have success
in any of these roles, it all starts with good requirements. Everyone who has to read and
use them appreciates them, they increase productivity and quality, and they add
accountability. Finally, a good requirement is measurable because either the end
product delivers on that requirement or it doesn't.
Specificall ...
A strong communication capability between the business and IT ensures the alignment of business requirements with delivered IT functionality and value. Use this storyboard to understand common barriers to effective requirements management, tactical solutions to overcome these barriers, and how to achieve a high level of project success.
This storyboard will help you:
•Understand the common barriers to effective requirements management
•Learn how organizations have solved these challenges
•Implement your own tactical solutions to enable effective communication of business requirements for IT projects in your organization
•Achieve a high level of project success
Whether an organization develops its own applications or implements packaged solutions, the success of the project depends on the clear communication of business requirements in terms IT can understand and deliver.
In this e-book, you'll find tips for hiring the right people into your customer success organization, including the traits your customer success managers should have, interview questions to help you test for those traits, and a sample job posting.
Forget the A to Z of why it projects fail, here’s the S to L of successful!Stoneseed Ltd
THE TOP TEN WAYS TO KEEP YOUR PROJECT ON TRACK
CREATED BY: DAVID COTGREAVE
A number of articles have either dropped in my Office 365 inbox this week, or on various social media feeds, each of them detailing a list of the reasons why IT Projects fail.
That's a rather negative way to approach it.
The best sports teams didn't build success by checking out why other teams were losing - they focussed on winning. You should too.
You can certainly learn from the mistakes of others (and yourself) but instead of dwelling on the A to Z of failures, how about championing the S to L of what happens when IT projects are SUCCESSFUL.
S - is for Skills
U - is for Understanding
C - is for Communication (and clarity)
C - is for Change Leadership
E - is for Efficient Execution
S - is for Systems
S - is for Supervision
F - is for Fact-Rooted analysis
U - is for User input
L - is for Learn
The S to L of SUCCESSFUL.
If it sounds simple, it's because it is. Sort of.
Except, of course, for the fact that behind each of the ten points above there lies a lot of hard work and hard earned experience - sometimes it's like herding cats - but the gains are there to be won.
Just don't start with a list of why projects fail.
Further details of how Project Management as a Service can help, can be found on our website www.stoneseed.co.uk
Outcome Engineering 101: Five Guidelines to Delivering Products that Create I...Cognizant
It’s time to shift to an evolved, technology-empowered design mindset. As technology informs design, and good design arms technology to become most effective by engaging with users, the two now sit at the top of the product development pyramid to co-create success.
Outcome Engineering 101: Five Guidelines to Delivering Products that Create I...Cognizant
It’s time to shift to an evolved, technology-empowered design mindset. As technology informs design, and good design arms technology to become most effective by engaging with users, the two now sit at the top of the product development pyramid to co-create success.
A strong communication capability between the business and IT ensures the alignment of business requirements with delivered IT functionality and value. Use this storyboard to understand common barriers to effective requirements management, tactical solutions to overcome these barriers, and how to achieve a high level of project success.
This storyboard will help you:
•Understand the common barriers to effective requirements management
•Learn how organizations have solved these challenges
•Implement your own tactical solutions to enable effective communication of business requirements for IT projects in your organization
•Achieve a high level of project success
Whether an organization develops its own applications or implements packaged solutions, the success of the project depends on the clear communication of business requirements in terms IT can understand and deliver.
In this e-book, you'll find tips for hiring the right people into your customer success organization, including the traits your customer success managers should have, interview questions to help you test for those traits, and a sample job posting.
Forget the A to Z of why it projects fail, here’s the S to L of successful!Stoneseed Ltd
THE TOP TEN WAYS TO KEEP YOUR PROJECT ON TRACK
CREATED BY: DAVID COTGREAVE
A number of articles have either dropped in my Office 365 inbox this week, or on various social media feeds, each of them detailing a list of the reasons why IT Projects fail.
That's a rather negative way to approach it.
The best sports teams didn't build success by checking out why other teams were losing - they focussed on winning. You should too.
You can certainly learn from the mistakes of others (and yourself) but instead of dwelling on the A to Z of failures, how about championing the S to L of what happens when IT projects are SUCCESSFUL.
S - is for Skills
U - is for Understanding
C - is for Communication (and clarity)
C - is for Change Leadership
E - is for Efficient Execution
S - is for Systems
S - is for Supervision
F - is for Fact-Rooted analysis
U - is for User input
L - is for Learn
The S to L of SUCCESSFUL.
If it sounds simple, it's because it is. Sort of.
Except, of course, for the fact that behind each of the ten points above there lies a lot of hard work and hard earned experience - sometimes it's like herding cats - but the gains are there to be won.
Just don't start with a list of why projects fail.
Further details of how Project Management as a Service can help, can be found on our website www.stoneseed.co.uk
Outcome Engineering 101: Five Guidelines to Delivering Products that Create I...Cognizant
It’s time to shift to an evolved, technology-empowered design mindset. As technology informs design, and good design arms technology to become most effective by engaging with users, the two now sit at the top of the product development pyramid to co-create success.
Outcome Engineering 101: Five Guidelines to Delivering Products that Create I...Cognizant
It’s time to shift to an evolved, technology-empowered design mindset. As technology informs design, and good design arms technology to become most effective by engaging with users, the two now sit at the top of the product development pyramid to co-create success.
The world is moving aggressively towards being digital. This makes is important for you to adopt effective Digital Transformation.
Learn more:- https://bit.ly/3dwViEI.
Outcome Engineering 101: Five Guidelines to Delivering Products that Create I...Cognizant
It’s time to shift to an evolved, technology-empowered design mindset. As technology informs design, and good design arms technology to become most effective by engaging with users, the two now sit at the top of the product development pyramid to co-create success.
Turn your customer's needs into successful it projects it-toolkitsIT-Toolkits.org
Every IT project is driven by a business requirement. For an IT project manager, the hard part is translating that business requirement into an end product that fully meets that business need.
COVID-19: The future of organisations and the future of technical communicationEllis Pratt
The COVID-19 coronavirus is having a huge impact on people and organisations. With so many things that could be about to change, how should technical communicators respond? What’s your plan for the future?
In this presentation, we looked at:
How organisations might change during and after the COVID-19 lockdown
What that means for technical communication, and how you can come back stronger than ever
What technical communicators can do to help, and how you can deal with this crisis
How other technical communicators responded when we asked them for their views
How Project Management Tools Enable Improved Customer ExperiencesOrangescrum
Smart teams and successful agencies use project management tools to bring both their clients and teams together on one platform for better customer experience. visit, https://blog.orangescrum.com/
The Future of Contact Centers Artificial IntelligenceJim Iyoob
It is not possible to have your company everywhere all the time, right? But today’s customers want it fast, they want it good and they want it their way. Your customer will leave you if it’s not their way; you can expect up to 95% of them to tell their friends, family and co-workers about their bad experience. Matt Rocco and I have put in a lot of work together to write “The Future of Contact Centers”.
201207 Tech Decisions: 5 Keys to Fast Successful New Deployments.pdfSteven Callahan
Article reviews how to deal with the deluge of new technological options and the aspects of a strategy for quick, high quality implementations of emerging technologies. Based on company success stories, article lays out what will work.
Deliverable 2 - Using Visuals to Enhance Viewer PerceptionCompet.docxtheodorelove43763
Deliverable 2 - Using Visuals to Enhance Viewer Perception
Competency
Analyze and interpret perceptual elements of visual media communication to identify effective visual messages.
Scenario
You have been hired by a large law enforcement agency to analyze the images used on advertising billboards in both urban and suburban regions. The billboards visually display a new campaign message to improve neighborhood safety.
During your analysis, you find that the images used on billboards in the urban areas are exactly the same as the images used in the suburban areas. Both images show parents happily talking with law enforcement officers while children run over green lawns having a fun balloon fight. You decide that these images are not sending proper perceptual messages. You decide to create a visual analysis video for the law enforcement agency to share with the administration
For the video visual analysis, you realize you will need to find two new images that are quite different from one another. One image will be used on the urban billboard, and the other image will be used on the suburban billboard. In your video presentation, you will compare and contrast how each image utilizes the following:
1. Compare and contrast the visual elements of cultural familiarity. Explain why it is important to use culturally familiar visuals that are quite different in the urban and suburban billboard images. Include specific visuals in your visual analysis.
2. Identify specific visual examples of the following cognitive elements: memories, experiences, and expectation. Compare and contrast how urban and suburban viewers may be affected differently by those specific cognitive visual elements.
3. Explain the difference between urban and suburban viewers' emotionally engagement with each of the billboard images.
4. Identify visual semiotic codes in both images: metonymic, analogical, displaced, and condensed. Discuss the importance of using these codes. Include specific visuals in each part of your visual analysis.
As you outline your ideas for the video, you decide to record your verbal analysis while analyzing the two visuals in less than seven minutes for added clarity.
/
FEATURE
8 common project management mistakes — and how to avoid them
IT executives and certified project management professionals reveal the most common reasons projects get derailed and
what project managers can do to keep them on track.
By Jennifer Lonoff Schiff
CIO |
JUN 28, 2017 3:00 AM PDT
So many projects, so much mismanagement. That's the refrain of many IT executives. Indeed, even with project
management software, IT projects often wind up taking longer (much longer) than planned and costing more than
budgeted.
While no two projects are exactly the same, the issues that can affect — and potentially jeopardize — them are
often quite similar. And even good project managers can make mistakes when wrangling a big, complex project —
or when being bombarded with change requests..
ENG315 Professional Scenarios
1. Saban is a top performing industrial equipment salesperson for D2D. After three years of working with his best client, he receives a text message from Pat (his direct manager) assigning him to a completely different account.
Pat has received complaints that Saban gets all of the good clients and is not a “team player.”
Saban responds to the message and asks for a meeting with Pat to discuss this change. Pat responds with another text message that reads: “Decision final. Everyone needs to get a chance to work with the best accounts so it is fair. Come by the office and pick up your new files.”
Moments later, Saban sends a text message to Karen, his regional manager and Pat’s boss. It simply reads, “We need to talk.”
2. Amber, Savannah, and Stephen work for Knowledge, Inc. (a consulting company). While on a conference call with Tim Rice Photography (an established client), the group discusses potential problems with a marketing campaign. Tim Rice, lead photographer and owner of Tim Rice Photography, is insistent the marketing is working and changes are not needed.
Amber reaches over to put Tim on “Mute” but accidently pushes a different button. She immediately says to Savannah and Stephen that the marketing campaign is not working and that “…Tim should stick to taking pretty pictures.”
Tim responds, “You know I can hear you, right?”
3. James shows up to work approximately five minutes late this morning, walks silently (but quickly) down the hallway and begins to punch in at the time clock located by the front desk.
Sarah, the front desk manager, says, "Good morning, James," but James ignores her, punches in, and heads into the shop to his workplace. Sarah rolls her eyes, picks up the phone, and dials the on-duty manager to alert her that James just arrived and should be reaching his desk any moment.
4. Paul works for the website division of SuperMega retail company. He receives an email late Friday afternoon that explains a new computer will launch at the end of next June and it will be in high demand with limited stock. Also contained in the three-page-message is that customers will be able to preorder the item 30 days before launch according to the production company. Paul is asked to create a landing page for consumers who are interested in learning more about the product.
By mistake, Paul sets up a preorder page for the product that afternoon (well in advance of the company authorized period) and late Friday evening consumers begin to preorder the product. Sharon, Vice President of Product Sales at SuperMega, learns of the error Saturday morning and calls Paul to arrange a meeting first thing Monday morning. Sharon explains to Paul on the phone that the company intends on canceling all of the preorders and Paul responds that the company should honor the preorders because it was not a consumer error. After a heated exchange, Paul hangs up on Sharon when she in.
ENG122 – Research Paper Peer Review InstructionsApply each of .docxchristinemaritza
ENG122 – Research Paper Peer Review Instructions
Apply each of the following questions to the paper you’ve selected to read. Provide thorough and thoughtful answers so the author can easily and appropriately revise.
Who is the main audience of this paper?
What is the main idea presented herein?
What information does the reader need to know about the idea for it to make sense?
Are examples clear and appropriate?
Is evidence or support for any claims provided?
Is the topic appropriate to the writing assignment? Does it need to be more general? More focused?
Are writer’s points organized in a logical way?
.
More Related Content
Similar to Chapter 9 Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set Th.docx
The world is moving aggressively towards being digital. This makes is important for you to adopt effective Digital Transformation.
Learn more:- https://bit.ly/3dwViEI.
Outcome Engineering 101: Five Guidelines to Delivering Products that Create I...Cognizant
It’s time to shift to an evolved, technology-empowered design mindset. As technology informs design, and good design arms technology to become most effective by engaging with users, the two now sit at the top of the product development pyramid to co-create success.
Turn your customer's needs into successful it projects it-toolkitsIT-Toolkits.org
Every IT project is driven by a business requirement. For an IT project manager, the hard part is translating that business requirement into an end product that fully meets that business need.
COVID-19: The future of organisations and the future of technical communicationEllis Pratt
The COVID-19 coronavirus is having a huge impact on people and organisations. With so many things that could be about to change, how should technical communicators respond? What’s your plan for the future?
In this presentation, we looked at:
How organisations might change during and after the COVID-19 lockdown
What that means for technical communication, and how you can come back stronger than ever
What technical communicators can do to help, and how you can deal with this crisis
How other technical communicators responded when we asked them for their views
How Project Management Tools Enable Improved Customer ExperiencesOrangescrum
Smart teams and successful agencies use project management tools to bring both their clients and teams together on one platform for better customer experience. visit, https://blog.orangescrum.com/
The Future of Contact Centers Artificial IntelligenceJim Iyoob
It is not possible to have your company everywhere all the time, right? But today’s customers want it fast, they want it good and they want it their way. Your customer will leave you if it’s not their way; you can expect up to 95% of them to tell their friends, family and co-workers about their bad experience. Matt Rocco and I have put in a lot of work together to write “The Future of Contact Centers”.
201207 Tech Decisions: 5 Keys to Fast Successful New Deployments.pdfSteven Callahan
Article reviews how to deal with the deluge of new technological options and the aspects of a strategy for quick, high quality implementations of emerging technologies. Based on company success stories, article lays out what will work.
Deliverable 2 - Using Visuals to Enhance Viewer PerceptionCompet.docxtheodorelove43763
Deliverable 2 - Using Visuals to Enhance Viewer Perception
Competency
Analyze and interpret perceptual elements of visual media communication to identify effective visual messages.
Scenario
You have been hired by a large law enforcement agency to analyze the images used on advertising billboards in both urban and suburban regions. The billboards visually display a new campaign message to improve neighborhood safety.
During your analysis, you find that the images used on billboards in the urban areas are exactly the same as the images used in the suburban areas. Both images show parents happily talking with law enforcement officers while children run over green lawns having a fun balloon fight. You decide that these images are not sending proper perceptual messages. You decide to create a visual analysis video for the law enforcement agency to share with the administration
For the video visual analysis, you realize you will need to find two new images that are quite different from one another. One image will be used on the urban billboard, and the other image will be used on the suburban billboard. In your video presentation, you will compare and contrast how each image utilizes the following:
1. Compare and contrast the visual elements of cultural familiarity. Explain why it is important to use culturally familiar visuals that are quite different in the urban and suburban billboard images. Include specific visuals in your visual analysis.
2. Identify specific visual examples of the following cognitive elements: memories, experiences, and expectation. Compare and contrast how urban and suburban viewers may be affected differently by those specific cognitive visual elements.
3. Explain the difference between urban and suburban viewers' emotionally engagement with each of the billboard images.
4. Identify visual semiotic codes in both images: metonymic, analogical, displaced, and condensed. Discuss the importance of using these codes. Include specific visuals in each part of your visual analysis.
As you outline your ideas for the video, you decide to record your verbal analysis while analyzing the two visuals in less than seven minutes for added clarity.
/
FEATURE
8 common project management mistakes — and how to avoid them
IT executives and certified project management professionals reveal the most common reasons projects get derailed and
what project managers can do to keep them on track.
By Jennifer Lonoff Schiff
CIO |
JUN 28, 2017 3:00 AM PDT
So many projects, so much mismanagement. That's the refrain of many IT executives. Indeed, even with project
management software, IT projects often wind up taking longer (much longer) than planned and costing more than
budgeted.
While no two projects are exactly the same, the issues that can affect — and potentially jeopardize — them are
often quite similar. And even good project managers can make mistakes when wrangling a big, complex project —
or when being bombarded with change requests..
Similar to Chapter 9 Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set Th.docx (20)
ENG315 Professional Scenarios
1. Saban is a top performing industrial equipment salesperson for D2D. After three years of working with his best client, he receives a text message from Pat (his direct manager) assigning him to a completely different account.
Pat has received complaints that Saban gets all of the good clients and is not a “team player.”
Saban responds to the message and asks for a meeting with Pat to discuss this change. Pat responds with another text message that reads: “Decision final. Everyone needs to get a chance to work with the best accounts so it is fair. Come by the office and pick up your new files.”
Moments later, Saban sends a text message to Karen, his regional manager and Pat’s boss. It simply reads, “We need to talk.”
2. Amber, Savannah, and Stephen work for Knowledge, Inc. (a consulting company). While on a conference call with Tim Rice Photography (an established client), the group discusses potential problems with a marketing campaign. Tim Rice, lead photographer and owner of Tim Rice Photography, is insistent the marketing is working and changes are not needed.
Amber reaches over to put Tim on “Mute” but accidently pushes a different button. She immediately says to Savannah and Stephen that the marketing campaign is not working and that “…Tim should stick to taking pretty pictures.”
Tim responds, “You know I can hear you, right?”
3. James shows up to work approximately five minutes late this morning, walks silently (but quickly) down the hallway and begins to punch in at the time clock located by the front desk.
Sarah, the front desk manager, says, "Good morning, James," but James ignores her, punches in, and heads into the shop to his workplace. Sarah rolls her eyes, picks up the phone, and dials the on-duty manager to alert her that James just arrived and should be reaching his desk any moment.
4. Paul works for the website division of SuperMega retail company. He receives an email late Friday afternoon that explains a new computer will launch at the end of next June and it will be in high demand with limited stock. Also contained in the three-page-message is that customers will be able to preorder the item 30 days before launch according to the production company. Paul is asked to create a landing page for consumers who are interested in learning more about the product.
By mistake, Paul sets up a preorder page for the product that afternoon (well in advance of the company authorized period) and late Friday evening consumers begin to preorder the product. Sharon, Vice President of Product Sales at SuperMega, learns of the error Saturday morning and calls Paul to arrange a meeting first thing Monday morning. Sharon explains to Paul on the phone that the company intends on canceling all of the preorders and Paul responds that the company should honor the preorders because it was not a consumer error. After a heated exchange, Paul hangs up on Sharon when she in.
ENG122 – Research Paper Peer Review InstructionsApply each of .docxchristinemaritza
ENG122 – Research Paper Peer Review Instructions
Apply each of the following questions to the paper you’ve selected to read. Provide thorough and thoughtful answers so the author can easily and appropriately revise.
Who is the main audience of this paper?
What is the main idea presented herein?
What information does the reader need to know about the idea for it to make sense?
Are examples clear and appropriate?
Is evidence or support for any claims provided?
Is the topic appropriate to the writing assignment? Does it need to be more general? More focused?
Are writer’s points organized in a logical way?
.
ENG122 – Research Paper Peer Review InstructionsApply each of th.docxchristinemaritza
ENG122 – Research Paper Peer Review Instructions
Apply each of the following questions to the paper you’ve selected to read. Provide thorough and thoughtful answers so the author can easily and appropriately revise.
Who is the main audience of this paper?
What is the main idea presented herein?
What information does the reader need to know about the idea for it to make sense?
Are examples clear and appropriate?
Is evidence or support for any claims provided?
Is the topic appropriate to the writing assignment? Does it need to be more general? More focused?
Are writer’s points organized in a logical way?
.
ENG 115
ASSIGNMENT 2: STANCE ESSAY DRAFT
Due Week 7 and worth 100 points
For your next assignment, you will write a stance essay. A stance essay takes a position on a topic and argues and supports that
position with evidence. Consider your topic:
· What possible positions/arguments are there?
· What position resonates with you? (Which position do you believe is correct?)
· What are your main points?
· What are the counterpoints? Are you ready to dispute them?
· Do you have enough evidence to effectively support your argument?
For the stance essay, your personal voice (your perspective) should come through. This is just like assignment 1, except you should
maintain a formal tone.For this essay, you will need to support your points with credible sources. You’re ready to take a position on
the topic you have been writing about!
Important note: Stance Essays DO incorporate research exclusively from the WebText. DO NOT use outside sources. If you have
written a Stance Essay in a previous course, please reach out to your professor to see if you can re-use it. You are not permitted to
use ANY paper from an unrelated current or past course.
INSTRUCTIONS:
You are required to use your WebText to draft your essay in the templates!
Compose a three-four (3-4) page paper in which you do the following:
1. Use third person point of view (POV) and the appropriate voice and tone throughout your paper.
a. Did you use third person pronouns? (he, she, they, their)
b. Does your personality carry over in your writing? Are your word choices personal and consistent?
c. Is the tone formal? Does it express your attitude about the topic?
2. Write an introduction paragraph, which includes your thesis statement. It is suggested that this paragraph contain 5-7
sentences.
a. Does your introduction include solutions or approaches on the topic?
b. Does your thesis statement include three supporting reasons that clearly express your stance on the topic?\
c. Is your thesis statement clear and concise?
d. Does your introduction provide a preview of the rest of your essay?
3. Write a supporting/body paragraph for each of the three (3) points/reasons from your thesis statement. It is suggested
that each paragraph contain at least 5-7 sentences.
a. Do your body paragraphs support each point of your thesis with relevant examples or statistics?
b. Do you address the opinions or concerns that your audience might have?
c. Did you paraphrase, quote, or summarize properly to avoid plagiarism? Did you comment on each quotation? Do
you limit quotes to no more than 25 words.
4. Write with logic and with transitions throughout your paper?
a. Are your ideas consistent and well-organized, i.e., chronological order or order of importance?
b. Do your ideas flow from one sentence to the next and one paragraph to the next, in the order presented in your
thesis statement?
5. Write a conclusion paragraph. It is suggested that thi.
ENG 510 Final Project Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric .docxchristinemaritza
ENG 510 Final Project Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric
Overview: For the final project, you will be creating a writer’s toolkit in which you define, analyze, and apply storytelling elements, literary conventions, and
themes that you can use for future work. In Milestone Two, you focused on applying a deliberate point of view. In this milestone, you will analyze the other
techniques found in your chosen texts.
Prompt: Your analysis should include an in-depth evaluation of both the classic and contemporary texts’ treatment of the storytelling elements of narrative
structure (conflict, crisis, and resolution) and character development. In support of your analysis, you will assess the authors’ choices and literary techniques. In
addition, provide a rationale for the authors’ incorporation of literary conventions of the time period, supporting your stance with research. Lastly, you should
evaluate how the text uses these elements to create its intended theme or meaning. You may submit revised portions of this milestone for your final project.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Classic Work
A. Analyze the classic text for the core storytelling elements—narrative structure (conflict, crisis, and resolution), along with the character
development choices employed by the author. How does the author use the elements to create their own distinctive style?
B. Determine how the author’s choices relate to relevant literary conventions of the time, providing a supported rationale for the relationship. In
other words, what does the author’s adoption or skillful rejection of conventions say about the strategic communication of his or her story
concept?
C. Evaluate how the text uses the storytelling elements to create its intended theme, providing supported rationale.
II. Contemporary Work
A. Analyze the contemporary text for the core storytelling elements—narrative structure (conflict, crisis, and resolution), along with the character
development choices employed by the author. How does the author use the elements to create their own distinctive style?
B. Determine how the author’s choices relate to relevant literary conventions of the time, providing a supported rationale for the relationship. In
other words, what does the author’s adoption or skillful rejection of conventions say about the strategic communication of his or her story
concept?
C. Evaluate how the text uses the storytelling elements to create its intended theme, providing supported rationale.
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Milestone Three should be 3 to 4 pages in length, with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at
least three sources cited in MLA format.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Classic Work:
Storytelling Elements
Analyzes the classic work for core
storytelling elements—narrative
structure (conflict, cris.
ENG-105 Peer Review Worksheet Rhetorical Analysis of a Public.docxchristinemaritza
ENG-105 Peer Review Worksheet: Rhetorical Analysis of a Public Document
Part of your responsibility as a student in this course is to provide quality feedback to your peers that will help them to improve their writing skills. This worksheet will assist you in providing that feedback. To highlight the text and type over the information in the boxes on this worksheet, double-click on the first word.
Name of the draft’s author: Type Author Name Here
Name of the peer reviewer: Type Reviewer Name Here
Reviewer
After reading through the draft one time, write a summary (3-5 sentences) of the paper that includes your assessment of how well the essay meets the assignment requirements as specified in the syllabus and the rubric.
Type 3-5 Sentence Summary Here
After a second, closer reading of the draft, answer each of the following questions. Positive answers will give you specific elements of the draft to praise; negative answers will indicate areas in need of improvement and revision. Please be sure to indicate at least three positive aspects of the draft and at least three areas for improvement in reply to the questions at the bottom of this worksheet.
Rhetorical Analysis Content and Ideas
· How effectively does the thesis statement identify the main points that the writer would like to make about the public document he or she is analyzing?
Type Answer Here
· How successful is the writer’s summary of the public document under study?
Type Answer Here
· How effective is the writer’s explanation and evaluation of the rhetorical situation, genre, and stance?
Type Answer Here
· How persuasively is evidence used to support assertions and enrich the essay?
Type Answer Here
· How effectively does the essay’s content support the thesis by analyzing the document and evaluating its effectiveness according to strategies from chapter 8 of Writing with Purpose?
Type Answer Here
Organization
· How effectively does the introduction engage the reader while providing an overview of the paper?
Type Answer Here
· Please identify the writer’s thesis and quote it in the box below.
Type Writer's Thesis Here
· How effectively do the paragraphs develop the topic sentence and advance the essay’s ideas?
Type Answer Here
· How effectively does the conclusion provide a strong, satisfying ending, not a mere summary of the essay?
Type Answer Here
Format
· How closely does the paper follow GCU formatting style? Is it double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman font? Does it have 1" margins? Does it use headers (page numbers using appropriate header function)? Does it have a proper heading (with student’s name, date, course, and instructor’s name)?
|_|Yes |_|No Add optional clarification here
· Are all information, quotations, and borrowed ideas cited in parenthetical GCU format?
|_|Yes |_|No Add optional clarification here
· Are all sources listed on the references page in GCU format?
|_|Yes |_|No Add optional clarification here
· Is the required minimum number of sources li.
ENG 272-0Objective The purpose of this essay is t.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 272-0
Objective: The purpose of this essay is to make an analytical argument about connections across texts, time periods and cultures, and to situate this argument within the context of the existing critical discourse. You will need to select 3 primary texts to actively analyze in order to develop an argument of your own; you should make an argument about, not simply summarize, the primary texts.For the primary texts, choose one (1) work from each of the three (3) columns below.
Prompt:Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book of 1961, To Kill A Mockingbird is set in small-town Alabama, 1932. Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck) is a lawyer and a widower with two young children, Jem and Scout. Atticus Finch is currently defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Meanwhile, Jem and Scout are intrigued by their neighbors, the Radley’s, and the mysterious, seldom-seen Boo Radley in particular. The story features a number of “mockingbirds”—those who are scorned by society unfairly, and makes timeless insights about the nature of humanity and what it means to be human.
Option 1:Reflect on the film’s assertions, and then construct a thesis and write an essay that directly cites from a minimum of three (3) different texts considered in in this class, a minimum of one from each of the three columns below.
Option 2:With Lee’s story in mind, discuss and reflect on the following questions. What are the basic rights and liberties of a human in a social democracy? What effect does dehumanization have on the victim and the perpetrator? What is society’s role in facilitating the happiness and prosperity of its members? What role does conformity and blind adherence to tradition play in perpetuating inequality? Your response should directly cite from a minimum of three (3) different texts considered in ENG 272, a minimum of one from each of the three columns below.
· The essay must be 4-6 pages (1000-1500 words), typed, double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 pt. font with 1-inch margins. Include your name, the course #, the date, and an original title on the first page (standard MLA format). You are to use no sources other than the assigned texts from the table below; therefore, a Works Cited page is not necessary!!!!
The Enlightenment
Revolutions
Modernity
Kant-“What is Enlightenment?”
Descartes-“Discourse on Method”
Diderot-Encyclopedie
Wollstonecraft—“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
Paine-“Common Sense”
Paine-“Age of Reason”
Jefferson: Declaration of Independence
Jefferson: “On Equality”
Declaration of Sentiments
Declaration of Rights
DeGouges: The Rights of Woman
Douglass: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Kafka: Metamorphosis
Whitman: “Song of Myself”
Selected Dickenson poems
Wordsworth: “The World is Too Much with Us.”
Assignment: How does the Critical Race Theory apply to the study of dismattling the
school to prison pipeline.
1. 6-7 pages
.
ENG 360 01 American PoetrySpring 2019TuesdayFriday 800 –.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 360 01 American Poetry
Spring 2019
Tuesday/Friday 8:00 – 9:15 St. Mary’s B1
Brandon Clay
Course Description:
ENG 360 is a survey of a selection of American poetry and poetics from the Puritan era to the present, showing the effects of the Romantic revolution on an American Puritan tradition and the making of a national vernacular for poetry. Students will study poetic technique and read authors such as Bradstreet, Taylor, Freneau, Emerson, Longfellow, Poe, Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, Robinson, Dunbar, Crane, Stein, Sandburg, Stevens, Williams, Pound, H.D., Moore, Eliot, Millay, Hughes, Cullen, Zukofsky, Auden, Roethke, Bishop, Berryman, Brooks, Lowell, Plath, Glück, Levertov, Ginsberg, Merrill, Kinnell, Rich, Pinsky, and Collins. This is a writing intensive course and it meets literature requirements for graduation.
Course Learning Outcomes:
· To become familiar with the history of and different styles of American poetry
· To develop an understanding of the historical and social frameworks in which poems are written
· To understand different critical approaches to the interpretation of poetry
· To refine the critical and analytical skills used in verbal and written discussions of poetry
· To develop an enjoyment of and appreciation for poetry
Prerequisite:
ENG 142, earning a “C” or better.
Required Text(s):
Lehman, David, ed. The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006.
Expected Student Behavior in Class:
All students are expected to behave in a professional and courteous manner to both the professor and other students in class, and to follow the procedures as outlined in this syllabus for this course. If the professor deems that a student has failed to adhere to this standard, the professor shall make a report to both the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, and the Dean of Students. Please follow all policies as written in the 2018-2019 Student Handbook.
Preparation and Active Class Participation:
Students are required to read all works for the course. Assignments must be read prior to the class in which the particular work(s) will be discussed. Papers must be written in MLA format, using and citing quotations from primary and/or secondary sources. Written work is due at the beginning of class on the due date specified on the schedule below. Major writing assignments will be submitted electronically using Moodle and Turnitin.com. Some written work may also be turned in as a hard copy. Use white paper and 12 point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins. All papers must be stapled and (per MLA format) include name, class title, instructor name, and due date in upper left hand corner.
Note that Student Performance counts for 15% of the final grade (complete grading system described below). This is defined as how a student conducts him/herself in the class, and refers specifically to attendance, lateness, manners, and respect towards professor and fellow students. A student can expect to receive a.
ENG 4034AHamlet Final AssessmentDUE DATE WEDNESDAY, 1220, 1.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 403/4A
Hamlet Final Assessment
DUE DATE: WEDNESDAY, 12/20, 11:30 PM
At the end of the Hamlet unit, you will have two choices to earn 100 points. These choices replace the final essay test that was in the course originally. You can choose only ONE of the following options, and the due date remains the same. These activities will be graded just like the test would have been, meaning there is no chance to redo or revise the assignment. However, this will be taken into consideration when I grade them.
No matter what option you choose, it must be completed in a Word document and labeled or titled so that it is clear to your teacher which option you chose. On your document, write it as a heading, like this:
Your first and last name
Date
Name of the option you chose
Models of each assignment can be found in class announcements.
Option #1: RAFT
A RAFT is a writing assignment that encourages you to uncover your own voice and formats for presenting your ideas about the content you are studying. In this design, you have a lot of freedom to choose what interests you.
· R = Role of the writer: Who are you as the writer?
· A = Audience: To whom are you writing?
· F = Format: In what format are you writing?
· T = Topic: What are you writing about?
The process:
1. Use the chart below to choose two characters from the ROLE column. Your goal is to write in the voice (Role) of YOUR CHARACTER.
2. Using the knowledge and understanding that you have gained throughout the reading and viewing of Hamlet, choose a related Audience, Format, and Topic from the chart below.
3. As you craft your creative writing assignment, be sure the character’s personality and motivations are evident. For instance, you could choose Ophelia (role), Hamlet (audience), blog entry (format) and betrayal (theme). Then you will write a blog entry from Ophelia’s point of view with Hamlet as the intended audience focused on the theme of betrayal.
4. Next, repeat this process for a different role, audience, format and theme.
5. Please see the model below (pg. 8) to understand what to do.
6. If you are unsure of what a particular format is, the best thing to do is look up examples online.
· YOU MUST CHOOSE TWO CHARACTERS FROM THE ROLE LIST AND COMPLETE TWO DIFFERENT RAFTS. THEY WILL BE WORTH 50 POINTS EACH AND MUST BE AT LEAST 200 WORDS EACH.
· To clarify, this means two different roles, two different audiences, two different formats and two different themes.
· You may use some words from the play, but if you do they MUST be exact and put in quotation marks. The goal, however, is to use your own words. No outside sources are to be used for this assignment.
· You can choose to write about a particular scene or event, or the play as a whole.
· You are in the voice of the character, so if you choose the role of Ophelia, then you will become her (first person POV) and reflect her personality and motivations in your writing.
Role
Audience
Format
Theme
Choose the role that you .
ENG 3107 Writing for the Professions—Business & Social Scienc.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 3107: Writing for the Professions—Business & Social Sciences
Rev.6.26.18
Project 2: Memorandum
Your Strategies for Recommendation Report
OWL Draft Due Date:
Final Draft Setup Requirement:
• Polished, properly formatted, 2-page memorandum, that begins with a standard
memo heading section that contains To, From, Subject, and Date
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Single-spaced lines
• 1st or 3rd person point of view
WHAT: Write a 2-page memorandum (memo) addressed to your course instructor as its
intended audience. The goal of your memo is to persuade your instructor to approve your
strategies for constructing your Recommendation Report, where you will identify a problem
within a specific company or organization and persuade a specific audience to take action.
You must use the Rhetorical Structure outlined in the HOW section below.
NOTE: Rather than draft a shorter version of your Recommendation Report, describe what you
intend to do to create your Recommendation Report as written below.
HOW: BRAINSTORM: Here are some suggestions from Contemporary Business Communications
(Houghton Mifflin, 2009) to prompt your thinking about possible topics for the
Recommendation Report as you develop this memo assignment (the term "ABC company" is a
generic name and cannot be used for the assignment):
• comparison of home pages on the Internet for ABC industry
• dress policy for the ABC company
• buying versus leasing computers at ABC company or university
• developing a diversity training program at ABC company
• encouraging the use of mass transit at ABC company or university
• establishing a recycling policy at ABC company
• evaluating a charity for corporate giving at ABC company
• recommending a site for the annual convention of ABC association
• starting an employee newsletter at ABC company
• starting an onsite wellness program at ABC company or university
• best online source for office supplies at ABC company
• best shipping service (e.g. UPS, USPS, FedEx)
• most appropriate laptop computer for ABC company managers who travel
ENG 3107: Writing for the Professions—Business & Social Sciences
Rev.6.26.18
RHETORICAL STRUCTURE: Use the subheadings in bold below in your memo.
• Description: What problem or challenge will you address in your Recommendation
Report? Provide an overview in two or three sentences, explaining why the memo has
been written. Why is the problem/challenge important to address?
• Objective: What should your audience know and do/change as a result of your
Recommendation Report?
• Information: What evidence will you will need to gather to support your
recommendations in the Recommendation Report? Where do you think you will find
this information? How will this information help you persuade your reader of your
recommendation? (Do not conduct any research for this memo assignment, just
describe your research plans.)
• Audience: Who is .
ENG 271Plato and Aristotlea Classical Greek philosophe.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 271
Plato and Aristotle
a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician
student of Socrates
writer of philosophical dialogues
founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world
Plato (@427 [email protected] BCE)
a genre of prose literary works in which characters discuss moral and philosophical problems, illustrating a version of the Socratic method (learning through open ended, critical thinking questioning)
The Republic is one of Plato’s Socratic dialogues
Socratic dialogue
a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC concerning the definition of justice and the order and character of the just city-state and the just man.[
The Republic
Allegory: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. An extended metaphor.
In Book VII of The Republic, it follows the “metaphor of the sun.” In it, the sun symbolizes illumination or enlightenment.
Ideas are the highest form of knowledge—not physical sensations
Explores the philosopher’s role in society (they are best for leadership roles)
Knowledge is freedom
Those with knowledge are obliged to share it
The Allegory of the Cave
The Allegory of the Cave
Greek philosopher and sage
student of Plato
teacher of Alexander the Great
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
335 BCE: the earliest-surviving work of dramatic theory and the first philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory.
Key terms:
Mimesis or "imitation", "representation"
Catharsis or, variously, "purgation", "purification", "clarification"
Mythos or "plot"
Ethos or "character"
Dianoia or "thought", "theme"
Lexis or "diction", "speech"
Melos, or "melody"
Opsis or "spectacle"
The Poetics
Theogony and Metamorphoses
eng 271
Jf drake state technical college
Hesiod
Hesiod was a Greek oral poet generally thought by scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer
The invocation of the muses
Muses dancing on Mount Helicon. Hesiod claimed he was inspired by the Muses to become a poet after they appeared to him on Mount Helicon. His poetry was partly an account of heroes and divinities, such as the Muses themselves, and included praise of kings.
Theogony
“the generation (or birth) of the gods”
The Theogony concerns the origins of the world (cosmogony) and of the gods (theogony), beginning with Chaos, Gaia, and Eros, and shows a special interest in genealogy.
The creation myth in Hesiod has long been held to have Eastern influences, such as the Hittite Song of Kumarbi and the Babylonian Enuma Elis. This cultural crossover would have occurred in the eighth and ninth century Greek trading colonies such as Al Mina in North Syria.
Chaos, Gaia, and Eros
Chaos (Greek χάος khaos) refers to the formless or void state preceding the creation of the universe or cosmos in the Greek creation myths, more specifically the initial.
ENG 315 Professional Communication Week 4 Discussion Deliver.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 315: Professional Communication
Week 4 Discussion: Delivering Bad News Messages
Delivering Bad News Messages
In the Chapter 7 reading, you learned about inductive and deductive methods of reasoning and communication. Share an example of a "bad news message" either from the text or from an online article you've seen (provide a link, please, if you choose the latter option). Explain whether you believe inductive OR deductive reasoning would be more effective to share that bad news with others and why.
After you have responded to this starter thread, don't forget to reply to at least one classmate to meet the minimum posting frequency requirement.
Student Response:
Erica Collins
RE: Week 4 Discussion: Delivering Bad News Messages
"They never gave me a fair chance," That's unfair," "This just can't be." In this case I will have to go with inductive reasoning after reviewing in some ways they are so similar to one another. Inductive reasoning is more based on uncertainty and deductive reasoning is more factual. In this case the conversation is more of an assumption.
I would think deductive would be more effective to share because deductive focus more on facts. Deductive Reasoning is the basic form of valid reasoning in my words accurate information that can be proven. Inductive reasoning is the premises in which the premises are viewed as supplying some evidence for truth. In my words this seems more of an opinion until proven. Tom me they are similar you have to really read to understand the difference of inductive and deductive reasoning.
ENG 315: Professional Communication
Due Week 4 and worth 150 points
Choose one of the professional scenarios provided in Blackboard under the Course Info tab, (see next page) or click here to view them in a new window.
Write a Block Business Letter from the perspective of company management. It must provide bad news to the recipient and follow the guidelines outlined in Chapter 7: Delivering Bad-News Messages in BCOM9 (pages 116-136).
The message should take the block business letter form from the posted example; however, you will submit your assignment to the online course shell.
The block business letter must adhere to the following requirements:
Content:
Address the communication issue from the scenario.
Provide bad news from the company to the recipient.
Concentrate on the facts of the situation and use either the inductive or deductive approach.
Assume your recipient has previously requested a review of the situation via email, letter, or personal meeting with management.
Format:
Include the proper introductory elements (sender’s address, date, recipient’s address). You may create any details necessary in the introductory elements to complete the assignment.
Provide an appropriate and professional greeting / salutation.
Single space paragraphs and double space between paragraphs.
Limit the letter to one page in length.
Clarity / Mechanics:
Focus on clarity, writing mechanics, .
ENG 315 Professional Communication Week 9Professional Exp.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 315: Professional Communication
Week 9
Professional Experience #5
Due at the end of Week 9 and worth 22 points
(Not eligible for late policy unless an approved, documented exception provided)
For Professional Experience #5, you will develop a promotional message. This can be an email, letter, info graphic, image, or any other relevant material that answers the following question:
Why should students take a Professional Communications course?
Instructions:
Step One: Choose the type of file you want to use to develop your promotional message (Word document, PowerPoint, etc.) and open a new file in that type and save to your desktop, using the following file name format:
Your_Name_Wk9_Promotion
Example: Ed_Buchanan_Wk9_Promotion
Step Two: Develop a promotional message that is no more than one page to explain why students should take a professional communications course.
Step Three: Submit your completed promotional message file for your instructor’s review using the Professional Experience #5 assignment link the Week 9 in Blackboard. Check that you have saved all changes and that your file name is follows this naming convention: Your_Name_Wk9_Promotion.
In order to receive credit for completing this task, you must:
Ensure your message is no more than one page.
Provide an effective answer to the question of why students should take a professional communication’s class.
Submit the file to Blackboard using the Professional Experience #5 link in the week 9 tab in Blackboard.
Note: This is a pass/fail assignment. All elements must be completed simulating the workplace environment where incomplete work is not accepted.
The professional experience assignments are designed to help prepare you for that environment. To earn credit, make sure you complete all elements and follow the instructions exactly as written. This is a pass/fail assignment, so no partial credit is possible. Assignments that follow directions as written will receive full credit, 22 points. Assignments that are incomplete or do not follow directions will be scored at a zero.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Plan, create, and evaluate professional documents.
Write clearly, coherently, and persuasively using proper grammar, mechanics, and formatting appropriate to the situation.
Deliver professional information to various audiences using appropriate tone, style, and format.
Learn communication fundamentals and execute various professional tasks in a collaborative manner.
Analyze professional communication examples to assist in revision.
ENG 315: Professional Communication
Week 9 Discussion: Professional Networking
Part 1:
Professional Networking
Select ONE of the following:
Discuss three (3) reasons for utilizing professional networking during the job-hunting process. Note: Some potential points to consider include: developing a professional network, experiences you had presenting your resume at a job fair, or inter.
ENG 202 Questions about Point of View in Ursula K. Le Guin’s .docxchristinemaritza
ENG 202: Questions about Point of View in Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Wife’s Story” (284-287), Alice
Walker’s “Olive Oil” and Meron Hadero’s “The Suitcase” (both in folder) 7 questions: 50 points total
Read everything carefully. This is designed to provide a learning experience.
Writers often use one of these three types of narration:
First-person narration uses “I” because “one character is telling the story from [his/her] point
of view.” In other words, we step into the skin of this character and move through the story
seeing everything through his/her eyes alone. To best illustrate first-person narration, choose
parts of the story that show the character revealing intimate thoughts/feelings, something we
can see only by having access to his/her heart & mind. This is a useful point of view to show a
character’s change of heart, to trick a reader, and/or to make the reader realize that s/he
understands more than the narrator does.
Third-person omniscient narration: “The narrator sees into the minds of any or all of
the characters, moving when necessary from one to another.” In other words, the
narrator is god-like (all-knowing) with the ability to report on the thoughts of multiple
characters. To best illustrate omniscient third-person narration, choose parts of the
story that show characters’ private thoughts/feelings revealed only to us, not the
others. This can be a very satisfying point of view because we know what is on many or
all characters' minds and do not have to guess. This is a useful point of view to show
how events impact characters in the story.
Third-person limited narration “reduces the narrator’s scope to a single
character.” In other words, the narrator does not know all but is rather
limited to the inner thoughts of one character; however, this narrator can
also objectively report on the environment surrounding this character. To
best illustrate third-person limited, choose parts of the story that
illustrate this character’s thoughts/feelings that are only revealed to
us, not to the others; additionally, choose parts of the story that show
objective reporting of events. This is a useful point of view for stories
that highlight a dynamic between a character and the world.
Each story this week uses a different type of narration.
“The Wife’s Story” uses first-person narration: the story is told from the point of view of the
wife.
1) Quote a part of the story that proves it is written in first-person narration. To earn
full points, choose wisely. To best illustrate first-person narration, choose a part of
the story that shows the wife revealing an intimate thought/feeling, something we can
see only by having access to her heart/mind. To earn full points, achieve correct
integration, punctuation, and citation by using the format below. (8 points)
Highlighting is just for lesson clarity.
Quotation Format
The wife reveals, “Quotation” (#)..
ENG 220250 Lab Report Requirements Version 0.8 -- 0813201.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 220/250 Lab Report Requirements
Version 0.8 -- 08/13/2018
I. General Requirements
The length of a lab report must not exceed 10 typewritten pages. This
includes any and all attachments included in the report.
The font size used in the body of the report must not exceed 12 pts.
The lab report must be submitted as a single document file with all of
the required attachments included.
[Refer to Exhibit #1]
Reports submitted electronically must be in the Adobe PDF format.
For any videos submitted (online students only):
They must have a minimum video resolution of 480p.
The maximum length for any video submitted must not exceed 5
minutes.
Due to their large file size, the video files must not be sent as
email attachments.
They can be uploaded to cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, One
Drive, etc.). The link to the video file can then be submitted
via email.
II. Required Attachments
MultiSim simulation screenshots
The only simulation software that can be used for any lab
assignments in this course is MultiSim.
[Refer to Exhibit #2]
The simulation(s) shown on the lab report must show the same
types of measuring instruments that were used to perform the lab.
[Refer to Exhibit #3]
The illustration(s) included in the lab report must be actual
screenshots of the circuit simulation.
[Refer to Exhibit #4]
All screenshots of circuit simulations included in the report
must show the values being measured.
[Refer to Exhibit #5]
The screenshot(s) must be included in the body of the report.
They must be properly labelled and referenced in the lab report.
Printouts from MultiSim are not acceptable.
[Refer to Exhibit #6]
Raw Data
A copy of the original hand-written data sheet that you used to
record the data must be included in the lab report.
[Refer to Exhibit #7]
If the data is recorded on the lab assignment sheet, include only
the portion of the assignment sheet that you wrote your data on.
[Refer to Exhibit #8]
III. Lab Report Requirements
Equipment Documentation
The lab reports must include the make, model, and serial number
of lab equipment used in performing the lab. The equipment
includes
● Multimeters
● Capacitance and inductance testers
● Oscilloscopes
● Function generators
● Power Supplies
[Refer to Exhibit #9]
Lab Procedure
The lab procedure that you used must be documented in the report
as a step-by-step process. Bullet points or numbers must be used
to identify each step.
[Refer to Exhibit #10]
Data
Data must be shown in tabular format and all headings must be
clearly labelled along with the proper units of measurement.
[Refer to Exhibit #11]
No more than 2 to 4 decimal places are required for the showing
of data values. The use of engineering notation and/or metric
units of measurement is strongly recommended.
[Refer to Exhibit #12]
Showing ca.
ENG 203 Short Article Response 2 Sample Answer (Worth 13 mark.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 203: Short Article Response 2
Sample Answer
(Worth 13 marks)
ENGL 203 -Response Assignment 2: Sample Answer
1
Writing a Short Article Response (3 paragraph format + concluding sentence)
Paragraph 1:
Introduction
Introduction (summary) paragraph
· include APA citation of title, author, date + main idea of the whole article
· Brief summary of article (2 to 3 sentences)
· Last sentence is the thesis statement –
o must include your opinion/position + any two focus points from the article you have chosen to respond to
Paragraph 2:
Response Paragraph 1
Response to your first focus point from article #1
Paragraph 3:
Response Paragraph 2
Response to 2nd focus point from the article # 2
Paragraph 4: (optional)
Conclusion
Restate your thesis in slightly different words with concluding thoughts/summary of your responses
Length
300 to 400 words
*No Quotations, please paraphrase all sentences
A Response to “Access to Higher Education”
First sentence: APA Citation + reporting verb + main idea of whole article
In the article “Access to Higher Education,” Moola (2015) discussed the possible factors affecting one’s choice in attending higher education. Many people believe that the dramatic rise in college tuition is the main cause of inaccessibility to college. However, parental education backgrounds and their influence on children, admission selectivity categories in universities, unawareness of student aid opportunities, and coping with personal and social challenges are all having effects on a person’s option regarding their enrollment in colleges. Several negative consequences may occur if tertiary education is considered as a right such as negligence of studies and decrement in pass rate. While it is true that higher educational institutes admit students based on certain criteria, one could argue that it is unfair that universities prefer the wealthy, and those who are academically excellent.
Summary sentences (2 to 3)
Student Thesis: 2 focus points + opinion/position phrases (one positive, one negative)
Firstly, this article overlooked the fact that financial aid is not available for everyone and student loans have to be paid back. The author suggested that if university fees are not affordable, students can apply for academic grants and loans. However, scholarships and academic awards are distributed on a highly competitive basis, and therefore, only students who meet the eligibility requirements can benefit from them. Student financial aid does not cover all fees as well, and students awarded grants have to find other sources of financial aid to cover university fees and living costs. Many universities have a limited number or do not offer merit-scholarships at all, making it difficult for low-income students to be enrolled in their institution. Moreover, student loans usually carry interests that will keep increasing until repaid, resulting in large numbers of fresh graduates getting into debts.
Topic sentence: 1st focu.
ENG 130 Literature and Comp ENG 130 Argumentative Resear.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 130: Literature and Comp
ENG 130: Argumentative Research Essay
Background:
You have completed research on August Wilson, his life, and his plays.
You have completed reading/viewing Fences by August Wilson.
You have read the resources on Conflict in this unit.
Prompt (what will you be writing about):
Which conflict does Wilson use most to drive (bring forth, move forward) all the other
elements of the story?
Choose ONE that you feel is more apparent and easier to defend than the others.
o Troy vs Society
o Troy vs Himself
o Troy vs Family
o Troy vs Death
Helpful Notes:
Thesis:
o Your thesis is the response to the prompt question plus the supporting areas
that you will be using to defend your argument. Be sure to have a thesis that
clearly states which conflict you feel is the most important and drives the other
conflicts.
o Your thesis could begin with, “In the play, Fences, August Wilson uses the
conflict of __________ to drive the other conflicts and elements of the story as
evidenced by….
Sources and evidence:
o Be sure to use things that you have learned about Wilson’s life and his writings.
For example, if you are analyzing Troy and his father’s conflict, you could bring
in information that you researched about Wilson’s relationship with his own
father.
o Include direct quotations from the play. To cite a direct quote from a play, the
format is:
“quotation” (Wilson,1985, act #, scene #, line #).
OR
As Wilson (1985) writes, “quote” (act#, scene #, line#).
o Use at least three outside sources. Two of them could be from your previous
research essay. Be sure to include all of these in your reference page.
Requirements:
Length and format: 3-4 pages.
The title page and reference page are also required, but they should not be factored
into the 3-4 page length of the essay.
It should also be double spaced, written in Times New Roman, in 12 point font and
with 1 inch margins. Essay should conform to APA formatting and citation style.
Use the third-person, objective voice, avoiding personal pronouns such as “I,” “you,”
“we,” etc.
Use APA format for in-text citations and references when using outside sources and
textual evidence.
Skills to be assessed with this assignment: creating effective thesis statements,
incorporating research, analyzing rhetoric.
Please be cautious about plagiarism. Make sure to use in-text citations for direct
quotes, paraphrases, and new information.
Argumentative Research Essay Rubric
Does Not Meet
Expectations
0-11
Below
Expectations
12-13
Needs
Improvement
14-15
Satisfactory
16-17
Meets
Expectations
18-20
Introduction Introduction is not
present.
Background details
are a random
collection of
information,
unclear, or not
related to the topic.
Introduction is
attempted and
explains the
background, but
may lack detail.
Introdu.
ENG 132What’s Wrong With HoldenHere’s What You Should Do, .docxchristinemaritza
ENG 132
What’s Wrong With Holden?/Here’s What You Should Do, Holden…
Spring 2019
Your next project will involve gathering, recording, and analyzing information about
The Catcher in the Rye
.
The goal is to provide the reader with a better understanding of the novel’s main character, Holden Caulfield.
Think about his behavior in terms of cause and effect.
Your essay should focus either on reasons for his behavior (What’s Wrong With Holden?), or the results of Holden’s choices (Here’s What You Should Do, Holden…).
If you choose the latter, include a section that presents advice/guidance (kind of like Old Spencer).
Make sure to use research to support your ideas!
Here are the requirements:
1. 3-4 sources (books, articles, interviews, media, etc.)
2. A 2-page summary of the novel
3. A short essay (2-3 pages) that incorporates the information you gathered and supports some type of causal argument.
4. An MLA “Works Cited” in the essay (it doesn’t count as a page).
.
ENG 130- Literature and Comp Literary Response for Setting.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 130- Literature and Comp
Literary Response for Setting as a Device
Essay ENG 130: Literary Response for Setting
Sources: Choose one of the stories that you read in Unit 2/Setting Unit
“To Build a Fire” by Jack London
“The Storm” by Kate Chopin
“This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Alexie
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
Prompt (What are you writing about?):
How does Setting affect/contribute to the plot of your chosen story?
Note: Remember that Setting is not only the place in which a story occurs. It is also mood,
weather, time, and atmosphere. These things drive other parts of the story.
How to get started:
Choose a story from this unit and discern all the elements of the Setting.
Decide in what three ways the setting contributes to the plot of your chosen story.
Formulate a thesis about setting and these three areas.
Mini lesson on thesis statements:
If you were writing about Star Wars, a sample thesis might read:
The setting in the Star Wars movies contributes to the desperateness of the
Resistance forces, provides a vast space for action and conflicts to occur,
focuses on how advances will affect society.
Broken down, this thesis would read:
The Setting in the Star Wars movies:
a. contributes to the desperateness of the Resistance forces (write
a supporting section with text examples)
b. provides a vast space for action and conflicts to occur, focuses
on how advances will affect society (write a supporting section
with text examples)
c. focuses on how advances will affect society (write a supporting
section with text examples)
Ask yourself, what is the setting of my story and how does it affect the plot
in the story?
For example, it is apparent that in London’s “To Build a Fire,” you would
devote a supporting section to how the weather conditions drive both the
conflict and the character’s actions.
After you have made connections to the three areas that setting affects, then
form your thesis. Here is a template for your thesis:
The Setting in author’s name and title of the story, contributes to first way
in which the setting affects the story, second way in which setting affects
the story, third way in which setting affects the story.
Instructions:
Read through all of the instructions of this assignment.
Read all of the unit resources.
Select one of the short stories to write about.
Your audience for this essay is people who have read the stories.
Your essay prompt is: How does Setting affect/contribute to the plot of your chosen story?
Your essay will have the following components:
o A title page
o An Introduction
o A thesis at the end of the introduction that clearly states how setting affects the story
o Supporting sections that defend your thesis/focus of the essay
o Text support with properly cited in-text citations
o A concluding paragraph
o A re.
ENG 130 Literature and Comp Literary Response for Point o.docxchristinemaritza
ENG 130: Literature and Comp
Literary Response for Point of View as a Device
Essay for Eng130: Point of View/Perspective
Sources: All of the short stories and plays you have read so far in this course.
Prompt (what are you writing about?):
Choose any of the literature that you have read in this course and choose one of the
following options:
a. In 3 pages or more, write an additional part of the story from a different character’s
perspective (example: write from Fortunatos’ perspective as he is being walled up
in to the catacombs, or perhaps from the perspective of Mrs. Hutchinson as she
prepares food on the morning of The Lottery).
OR
b. In 3 pages or more, write an additional part of the story from a different point of
view than that in which the story is written (example: write from the 1st person point
of view of the man in “To Build a Fire” as he realizes he is going to freeze to death,
or perhaps from the first person point of view of Cory in Fences as his father
blocks his dreams of going to college. Let the reader know what is going on in
their minds).
Note: Take a moment to email your instructor with your creative plan so that you know you
are on the right track.
Instructions (how to get it done):
Choose any of the short stories or plays you have read in this course.
Write a 3 or more page response in which you write an additional part of the story
from a different character’s perspective or a character’s different point of view.
Your audience for this response will be people who have read the stories.
Requirements:
Your response should be a minimum of 3 pages.
Your response should have a properly APA formatted title page.
It should also be double spaced, written in Times New Roman, in 12 point font and
with 1 inch margins.
You should have a reference page that includes the piece of literature you chose.
Please be cautious about plagiarism.
Be sure to read before you write, and again after you write.
Rubric for Point of View Response
Does Not Meet
Expectations
0-11
Below
Expectations
12-13
Needs
Improvement
14-15
Satisfactory
16-17
Meets
Expectations
18-20
Content
Writing is
disorganized or
not clearly
defined and/or
shows a
misunderstanding
of the task.
Writing is
minimally
organized. Use of
different
perspective is
underdeveloped.
Writing is
effective. Use of
different
perspective is
basic and
requires more
creativity.
Writing contains
related, quality
paragraphs. Use
of different
perspective is
effective
Writing is
purposeful and
focused. Use of
different
perspective is
highly effective
and thought
provoking.
Vocabulary/
Word Choice
Word choice is
weak.
Language and
phrasing is
inappropriate,
repetitive or lacks
meaning.
Dialogue, if used,
sounds forced.
Word choice is
limited.
Language and
phrasing lack
inspiration.
Dialogue, if used,
.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Group Presentation 2 Economics.Ariana Buscigliopptx
Chapter 9 Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set Th.docx
1. Chapter 9
Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set
The success of any IT project is determined at the very
beginning of the project life cycle,
when the IT staff meets with the business clients to gather the
requirements. But IT's
track record with this important phase is similar to its history
with project management
itself: abysmal. Requirements have been gathered for decades,
but most IT
organizations have yet to discover a consistently successful way
of sitting down with
business clients, discussing their needs, and translating those
needs into a useful
system, enhancement, customization, or software package
selection.
In fact, according to some statistics, poor requirements
gathering is the cause of about
70 percent of today's technology project failures. That's because
passing along one bad
requirement is akin to throwing a stone into a pond and
watching how far the ripples go.
According to some calculations, each badly defined requirement
results in 10 bad design
statements, which then can multiply to 100 incorrect coding
statements. Even if that's
an exaggeration, you can easily see how poor requirements
negatively affect application
integrity, maintenance costs, and client satisfaction. This is true
whether you're looking
to build a custom system, buy a new software package, or
2. enhance an existing system.
Skipping requirements gathering is like building a house
without a plan. For example,
I've seen companies buy software that didn't meet their business
needs, mainly because
they wanted to save time on the requirements step. When they
tried to modify the
package to meet their needs, they discovered they didn't know
the requirements. They
sadly concluded that the step they skipped really did need to be
done to make the
package useful.
I often see organizations turn to yet another vendor tool or
methodology in their
attempt to improve this situation. But just as with project
management, IT is facing a
problem that requires less of a scientific fix and more of a
mind-set change that
emphasizes the up-front work of really communicating with
business clients to discover
what they need.
From what I've seen in my 24 years in the IT profession and
from working with clients
across the country, this is a mind-set change that's way past
due, as business leaders
grow increasingly frustrated with the gap between what clients
need and what IT
delivers. I learned about the importance of good requirements
throughout my varied IT
career, which included stints in analysis, development,
production support, project
management, and relationship management. It became clear to
me that to have success
3. in any of these roles, it all starts with good requirements.
Everyone who has to read and
use them appreciates them, they increase productivity and
quality, and they add
accountability. Finally, a good requirement is measurable
because either the end
product delivers on that requirement or it doesn't.
Specifically, I learned two critical things about gathering
requirements:
1. Always figure out and then describe what the problem is and
what specifically is needed,
because there are many solutions to a given problem.
2. Don't come up with a solution before you know what the
requirements are. There are just
too many people who want to tell you how to do your job.
How many times has your IT staff rushed through the client
interview stage to jump into
what they consider to be the real work, designing and
programming? And when they do
spend time with clients, are they really listening? Or are they
busy trying to relate what
they hear to something they're already familiar with, like
another system they've
recently built or a platform they're comfortable with?
Sometimes they might hear just a
little bit and immediately determine that what the clients want
simply can't be done,
instead of asking more questions to verify their understanding.
To better understand the problem, imagine you're a bridge
4. designer, and a client comes
to you, describing his need to get over a body of water so he can
cross from one
landmass to another. You'd start designing a bridge, right?
Well, what if you were in the
submarine business? Or in the airline industry? Or a tunnel
engineer? The point is that
the client simply needs to get from one piece of land to the
other, and whether that's
best done by bridge, submarine, balloon, or dirigible can only
be determined by an
unbiased third party who knows how to unlock the client's real
needs and expectations.
How many times a day does the client need to go back and
forth? How quickly does he
expect to be able to accomplish it? How many other people need
to do the same thing?
Do they all have to move at the same time?
And it's not as though business clients are any better at this. In
fact, today's more
technology-savvy clientele often come to IT with a solution
based on a recent article
they've read or a conference they've attended. Then the IT staff
think it's up to them to
implement that solution rather than backing up and finding out
what the client's real
needs are.
No tool or methodology can resolve these problems. It's a
matter of changing the IT
professionals' mind-set and helping them develop new skills so
they can see things
through the eyes of the client, establish a rapport, ask the right
questions, actively listen
to the responses, ensure understanding, and accurately translate
5. those needs into a
written document. Also keep in mind that the ability to quickly
and effectively capture,
validate, and control client requirements doesn't apply only to
project managers and
business analysts. These are essential survival skills for anyone
working in today's IT
environment of lean staffing and crunch-mode projects.
When IT leaders become more aware of the skills gap that exists
in their own
organizations, they can transform their organizations'
requirements-gathering cultures
and help individuals develop the necessary skill sets,
independent of any particular
vendor's tool or methodology. When they affect this type of
change, the results can be
astounding. I know—I've seen it.
Recently I worked with a client who had two project teams that
were trained to do
requirements gathering. The first team adopted the techniques;
the second team did
not. The first team delivered its project on time and on
schedule, with high client
satisfaction. The clients, who were geographically dispersed,
were enthusiastic about
how well the project team understood their needs and
communicated its progress. The
second team was over budget and behind schedule and
constantly heard complaints
from their clients. To paraphrase one of the client responses,
“We don't know what we're
getting or when.”
The What, Not the How
6. I think of the requirements-gathering process as a journey, with
plenty of precarious twists and
unexpected turns along the way. If you're a skillful driver, you
can stay on track and arrive at
your destination. But poorly negotiating the curves or taking a
wrong turn can result in a lot of
wandering along unpaved roads that lead nowhere.
Unfortunately, a successful arrival requires a
skill set that most IT professionals don't have, from what I've
seen in my work with IT
organizations. It's the job of the IT leader not only to become
familiar with the optimum route to
requirements-gathering success but also to teach his or her staff
how to navigate.
The first and most important skill is steering the client
interview toward the what, not the how.
From the hundreds of projects I've worked on, I can say that the
failure to do this is the biggest
downfall of most IT professionals. In their zeal to get to what
they consider real IT work, many
project managers and business analysts start shaping the
solution to the client's needs (the how)
7. before they really understand what those needs are in the first
place (the what). But as soon as
they do this, it's a guarantee that they're veering from the right
path.
Let me explain it this way. Do you have any 8- to 12-year-olds
in your life: neighbors, nieces or
nephews, sons or daughters? If so, you may have heard them say
how much they really need a
cell phone. But have you ever asked them what they intend to
do with this electronic device they
seemingly can't live without? If so, you've probably heard
answers like “Talk to my friends”
(have you ever been on the other end of an 8-year-old's phone
conversation?), “Let my parents
know where I am” (how far do 10-year-olds really travel these
days?), or more likely,
“Download a cool ring tone,” “Take pictures.” By pressing
further, you might uncover that it's
not really a cell phone the tweeners really need at all; what
they're really after is a sense of
independence, of feeling like a grown-up, of keeping up with
the latest technology rage—all
things that can be achieved in a variety of ways and not
necessarily with a cell phone (which
8. they're bound to lose or at least lose interest in after showing it
off for a few days).
Fortunately, talking with clients is usually not like talking with
a 12-year-old, but the common
thread is that you can't automatically assume that the solution
clients say they need is really the
optimum one. Arriving at that requires digging underneath the
surface, steering the client toward
describing not how she wants something built but what she
needs to accomplish. Remember,
your goal is to figure out what the client needs from the new
system or modification or software
package—not how she wants it to be built or designed. In other
words, project managers,
business analysts, and others need to learn to leave the how to
the designers and consider their
job to be getting to the what.
To understand this better, let's go back to the client who needed
to cross the body of water. If he
came up to you and said, “There's a river over there. Can you
build me a bridge?”, that's a how.
But if you ask him, “What do you need to do? What is your
goal?”, he might answer, “I need to
get to the other side.” That's the what. And when you get to the
9. what, you realize there are many
options for the how, whether it's a bridge, a tunnel, a ferry, or a
submarine.
In other words, you don't want to design answers; you just want
clients to tell you what they
really want. There can be many solutions and many designs to
fit a client's needs, and that should
be left to the designers to figure out, not the requirements
gatherers.
By asking what instead of short-circuiting the process by
starting with the how, you can air out
many other designs and approaches, some of which might be
better than the how the client
comes to you with.
A typical example from my experience is a client who brings me
a screen or a report with a new
column added and says, “This is what I want!” By questioning
what the client needs with the
column, I might find that the information is derived; for
example, formulas need to be defined,
the data don't exist anywhere in IT (they're on a client's
spreadsheet), or the information is
10. readily available somewhere else, like in another report or on an
application not currently used
by the client.
I was working with an IT organization that related the following
example of falling into
the how trap. Its business clients brought in modified
screenshots showing how they needed the
system to be changed. The IT organization worked with the
clients to spec out the changes and
sent it offshore for development. When the newly modified
screens were returned for testing,
someone in the IT organization asked why a new set of screens
was developed to handle
functionality that already existed! It turns out that the business
clients were unaware that there
was an existing functionality that would work just fine.
The Importance of the Interview
The second fork in the road that can throw requirements
gatherers off course is the mistake of
taking client requests at face value. Far too many IT
organizations take on the role of order
taker—listening to what clients want and unquestioningly
delivering it to spec—only to discover
11. the final result doesn't serve the business needs at all. This is
such an easy trap for IT
professionals to fall into that it was discussed in more depth in
Chapter 5.
Clients don't always know how to communicate their needs, and
it's now up to IT to lead the
way. And the way to do that is by developing strong interview
skills, which is yet another
Achilles heel for many IT professionals. From what I see in the
IT organizations I work with,
most IT staffs approach the client interview as an item to
complete as quickly as possible rather
than as an opportunity to build rapport, establish a partnership,
and really understand what the
business is trying to accomplish. It's the IT leader's job to
sensitize the IT staff to the importance
of the interview and teach them how to take advantage of this
prime time with the client.
Good interviews don't just happen. It's good to ask a lot of
questions, but you don't want to come
across as disrespectful or annoying. It's important to steer the
clients toward talking about what
they want, but you don't want to appear arrogant or negative.
There are many fine lines that need
12. to be walked, and the only way for the IT staff to keep its
balance is to develop communication
skills.
One of the most common interview problems I see is that the
interviewer becomes frustrated
with the interviewee, especially when she thinks the interviewee
doesn't know anything. I have
heard statements such as “Can I talk to X, who knows
something about the problem?” without
realizing that she has just insulted the person she is addressing
(usually management).
Above all, a satisfying interview requires establishing a rapport
with the person or people with
whom you're partnering, which means allowing the conversation
to naturally flow beyond a
discussion of work and technology. Such camaraderie will go
far when you inevitably run into
conflicts, confrontations, and other difficult conversations with
the client in the future. The idea
of establishing rapport is so important that we've also discussed
it in Chapters 5 and 7.
For the purposes of requirements gathering, however, there are
some specific ways to open the
lines of communication. One idea is to encourage the IT
13. organization to conduct its interviews in
the client's office, which will help set the client at ease. This is
important because an intimidated
https://jigsaw.vitalsource.com/books/9781118824528/epub/OPS/
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or defensive client won't be inclined to open up to the
requirements gatherer. This also gives the
IT professional the chance to look around the office for
personal mementos such as photographs
that reveal something about the client's personality or life
outside work. These are easy
conversation starters that can encourage a natural flow of
communication and benefit the IT staff
when it gets down to the business at hand.
Because this doesn't come easily to many IT professionals, they
need to be encouraged to ask
about the client's golf game, his whitewater rafting trip, or her
marathon training and listen for
interests that they share. Such tidbits can be used for further
conversation starters when IT
14. professionals see the client again in the hallway or at their next
meeting. Most people enjoy
talking about themselves to people who seem truly interested,
and that's what establishes human
connections.
It is estimated that 55 percent of communication is nonverbal. I
remember being in a client's
office when IT called to get some information. The client said,
“Okay” but rolled his eyes,
frowned, and let out a groan. The caller heard, “Okay,” but to
anyone present in the office, there
was obviously an issue to be discussed and resolved.
Do note, however, that if any individuals on the IT staff don't
feel capable of engaging in this
type of rapport, it's probably better for them to try another
tactic, like talking about the weather
or something else of general human interest. The last thing you
want is for the IT professional to
come across as a phony who ritualistically asks the same
question about the same photograph
with no genuine interest in the client's answers. Similarly, if the
client's office reflects nothing
personal, that should be taken as a cue to the person's more
bottom line–oriented personality, in
15. which case the IT professional should stick to the business at
hand, such as asking, “How are
sales?” or “How's business?”
Another common interview mistake is for requirements
gatherers to fail to establish a common
language between themselves and the client. IT professionals
need to be sensitized to
understanding that first, there is indeed a difference in
terminology in the two worlds, and
second, they need to be proactively encouraged to adopt the
terminology of the business client.
They can't be too proud to ask for definitions—acronyms in one
industry can mean something
else entirely in another industry, or even in another division of
the same company. Problems
occur when you persist in using the jargon of your own world or
when you assume you
understand the client's terminology.
In fact, you may discover that different business clients are
using different words to mean the
same thing. In those cases, the IT staff can serve as a bridge
between clients, encouraging them
to agree to a uniform vocabulary for a particular project or
16. initiative and clearly defining that
vocabulary in a project glossary or dictionary. When everyone
agrees on the terminology, it
eliminates the room for confusion.
I came across the same acronym that means two different things
in two different business areas
of a company I'm working with. Since IT deals with the entire
company, this can lead to
confusion when team members change or requirements are
passed on to designers. It also causes
issues for new employees, contractors, and offshore developers.
Here are some additional tips on helping the IT organization
improve its interview success:
clients will have to be
interviewed, so it would be wise for the requirements gatherer
to do some research ahead of
time on what pieces of information are necessary and who is the
most likely source for that
information. For each person she interviews, she should know
her objective. She doesn't, for
example, want to waste someone's time talking about general
17. ledger concerns if that's not that
person's area of work.
requirements gatherer manage his time
during the interview. He may arrive with 10 questions, but if the
person turns out to be a
treasure trove of information, it might take half an hour to get
the answer to the first one. If he
still has 9 to go, he can determine, in partnership with the
client, whether to move on or plan
another meeting.
r
concentrates on asking questions rather
than making statements or not responding at all, she'll avoid
two common errors that I see IT
professionals make: making assumptions and forming
arguments. If she has even a shadow of
a doubt about whether she understands something, she should
ask for clarification or otherwise
check her understanding. It's better to play stupid than to
misunderstand. And if she doesn't
agree with something the client says, she should respond with a
question. She's not there to
18. argue; she's there to find out what the client needs.
understanding is to use visual aids, such as
mock screens, reports, or models. It's important for the
requirements gatherer to emphasize to
the client, however, that the prototype is not the end product but
is simply a tool to ensure that
everyone is in agreement. Too often, when the IT staff draws a
mock screen, the client is
surprised when the actual screen doesn't turn out that way. One
way to avoid this is to never
leave the prototypes behind with the client.
requirements gatherer should make
sure he recaps his understanding of what he heard in the
interview, explain the next steps, and
express appreciation for the person's time.
Communicating through Pictures
A third wrong turn that I often see IT professionals make along
the requirements-gathering path
is to begin writing up the requirements before ensuring that they
and the client are on the same
page. All too often, after the client interview, the requirements
19. gatherer disappears, sometimes
for weeks, writes up the requirements, and then presents a fully
written document to the client for
feedback. When the client finally gets back to the IT
professional—usually after a lengthy time
lag—with changes, the process repeats itself, stretching out the
back-and-forth review period for
several months, with many lengthy lulls. At one company,
requirements documents are rewritten
an average of seven times before they reach final-copy stage!
This approach is time-consuming
and absurd, and in the end, the chances of getting it right are
slim to none.
Note that this is not what an iterative approach should look like.
A healthy iteration means that
the work is being done, reviewed with users, and quickly
corrected in hours or days, and this
process is repeated until the document is correct or complete.
That's different from writing a full-
length document, publishing it, and continually making
adjustments to it for months.
To achieve a healthy iteration, I suggest inserting a picture-
drawing phase into the process before
jumping into the document-writing phase. Call them models,
20. context diagrams, event analyses,
or anything you wish—the idea is to create a clear
communication tool that's easy for both IT
and the client to see how everything connects and what's in and
out of scope.
I've seen this method work on numerous occasions. In one case,
a senior IT vice president had
bought a software package to replace an existing antiquated
application. He thought it solved the
business needs and would be easy to install. There were no
requirements. The development team
was certain that the project would be a failure but was unable to
communicate that upward.
Within an hour, we drew a context diagram to show all the
system interfaces that had to be
developed to communicate with the new package. There were 57
system interfaces that would
have to be designed, developed, and tested, and this did not
include installing the package,
loading the data, or ensuring that the package met the client's
needs.
Two hours later, after reviewing the context diagram, the senior
vice president canceled the
21. project, saying he hadn't realized how big an effort it would be
to install and that we would need
to get the requirements done before purchasing a new package.
A picture on one page
communicated what the development team had been trying to
tell management for two months.
In another case, I was involved in a large IT effort to build a
new regulatory business process.
We used modeling to first define the existing processes and then
modified the existing processes
to accommodate the new process.
The first day was difficult, because the clients couldn't
understand why we were drawing pictures
and not writing requirements. But by the second day, they had
begun to fully utilize the modeling
approach, with comments such as “Take process X; modify this,
this, and this; and it will do
what we need to do.” We were also able to establish and
document a common business language
definition.
Because most people can draw or model more quickly than they
can write, this new step
effectively minimizes the lull between initial interviews and the
22. feedback loop, which keeps the
discussion fresh and as close to real time as possible. Also,
most people are more responsive to
pictures and diagrams than to a wordy document, which makes
it easier to pull clients into a two-
way, engaging conversation instead of the arm's-length,
removed, and disconnected type of
communication that written documents promote.
Diagrams also make it easier for clients to see and explain
what's wrong or missing in the system
or process that IT has modeled. With a long written document,
by the time many clients and IT
staff get partway through it, they can barely remember what
they read in the first half. But with a
picture, the client can immediately see and discuss what's right
and wrong.
If the IT staff does a good job with the initial interview and the
iterations that follow from the
picture-drawing stage, they'll find that when they actually write
the requirements document,
they'll need to revise it only once or twice at most. That's
because everybody involved has agreed
to the ideas and thoughts behind the document, used a common
language, and has given
23. feedback up front.
A word of warning: You may see so much success with picture
drawing that you're tempted to
go right to the prototyping phase without writing a requirements
document, or perhaps writing
requirements only for business logic. However, this is a
dangerous approach. While I have seen
IT management push the idea of skipping written requirements,
the risk is significant. Consider
how vulnerable you'd be if key staff members left the
organization because of turnover, or a
decision was made to use offshore development. The lack of
written requirements is a production
support nightmare, and this is especially true when
enhancements are requested. Also, without an
agreed-upon set of requirements, there is no baseline
established to manage change.
Writing a Solid Requirements Document
As we near the end of the requirements-gathering journey,
there's a fourth fork in the road that
can throw IT professionals off the requirements-gathering path:
writing the actual requirements
24. document. Let's go back to the points made at the beginning of
this chapter. Since requirements
are what designers use to design, testers use to test, and so on,
one mistake in the requirements
document has a negative ripple effect, and we end up delivering
something that doesn't fill the
client's needs. We end up with patchwork new applications, a
high level of postimplementation
defects, low client satisfaction, requests for enhancements, and
budget and schedule overruns—
and that's if we succeed!
The goal is to write a simple document that is clear and concise.
It should be easily understood
by IT and the business, from senior management to the staff,
with no ambiguity. I once worked
for a CIO who said, “If I can understand it, then you've done a
great job of writing the
requirements.” In other words, write it for someone who doesn't
know what must be done.
In writing the requirements document, it's important to hold the
power of words in the highest
esteem, especially with something that requires the language
precision that requirements
25. documents do. This is essential, so it's important for
requirements writers to be as accurate as
they possibly can, which might mean learning some new skills
in written communications.
There are several language tricks you can pass along to
requirements writers to ensure precision
in the document. Here are two:
1. The power of must. Make ample use of the word must. It is
one of the most powerful
words in the English language, because when you use it, there
are no two ways about the
statement you're making. “X must do Y,” plain and simple, 100
percent of the time, no
exceptions. It's not the same with words like should and shall,
which imply an
undefined maybe, an unnamed exception to the rule. Those gray
areas are exactly what
lead writers of requirements documents into trouble.
Unlike its cousins should and shall, must exposes the exceptions
and forces people to
define them. When clients read a must statement, they're likely
to respond, “No, actually,
that shouldn't happen under these specific conditions.” This
helps us capture what's so
26. easy to miss—the exceptions to the rule.
When you say, “X must do Y,” someone will find an exception,
even if it's as obscure as
“except when there's a blue moon following the harvest moon
on the fifth month of an
odd year.” And those are the things that all too often just don't
make it into the code.
Here's an example. At one company, a project team wrote a
document with zero defects
traced back to the requirements phase. That's because through
computer modeling, 37
defects were exposed, all of which were instances in which each
shall was changed to
a must. When these changes were brought to the client, eight
statements were flagged as
having multiple exceptions.
2. Watch out for and. As much as you can, try to eliminate any
stray ands from your
document, because their presence indicates that you've
combined two thoughts that
should be separate from each other. The whole idea is to keep
the statements simple, and
when it's time to design code for the statements, it will be much
easier if the designer
27. understands that there are two distinct thoughts, not two
thoughts rolled into one.
Requirements should be expressed in short simple sentences
with their associated
exceptions. Much too often, I see one-sentence paragraphs that
describe multiple
requirements, which confuses everyone involved.
Conclusion
If IT professionals want to improve their project success rate,
the first place to look is at the very
beginning of the project life cycle: the requirements-gathering
phase. This is not a phase to speed
through and check off as soon as possible; it's an opportunity to
establish a partnering
relationship with the client and use all the communication skills
you can muster to truly
understand what the client needs.
For years, organizations have tried and failed to improve their
requirements-gathering process,
using the new tools being promoted or the methodology of the
day. But despite all their efforts,
they find themselves running into the same obstacles, falling
28. down, and wondering yet again
why they can't get it right.
That's why some IT leaders are beginning to try something
different. They're taking the path of
establishing a new mind-set among their organizations to
approach their projects differently and
embark on the requirements-gathering journey with their
compasses pointed in the right
direction. With the right skills in hand, they can traverse the
winding path and take all the correct
turns.
When you help your staff members improve their
communication and interpersonal skills, they
become more insightful interviewers. It's only then that IT will
stop building expensive bridges
to nowhere and start helping its clients walk on water.
Top 10
Techniques for Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-
Set
10. Establish rapport.
9. Communication is the key.
8. Interview the right people.
29. 7. Talk in the business language and use pictures (models).
6. Don't assume—ask.
5. Don't solve the problem before you know what it is.
4. Requirements are short, concise sentences.
3. Use the power of must—exceptions will kill you.
2. What is a requirement, not how.
1. Give the people what they want.