A Computing Services 'how-to' app/portal - whether it be intended for student
use, or help desk use - could have a significant effect on business
operations.
INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
- Operational: Internally, operational stakeholders consist of students and Computing Services personnel; namely, Technical Analysts and Technical Analyst Assistants. On one hand, it could make their jobs easier; but on the other hand, it could make their jobs less important. For students - if done right - it could make their academic lives more convenient.
- Executive: Internally, executive stakeholders consist mainly of the CIO and her associates: the President and Vice President(s). They may care in that it could help or harm business operations.
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
- Operational: Externally, operational stakeholders consist mainly of prospective students: they want to know how easy it is to find out how to employ tech services at HPU, to do whatever they may need to. If they knew that such a system existed, it might help to make their decision to enroll at HPU an easier one.
- Executive: Externally, public figures and business leaders in the community who may have ties to the
board of trustees may have stake in such a project, for it could improve the perception of
the university and Hawaii in general. *** well, maybe it wouldn't matter that much, but still... ***
Jabari Brooks' Software Engineering Blog
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Stakeholders: HPU Student Degree Planner
INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
- Operational: Internally, current students would probably be the most interested in the successful completion of this project, since the system is intended primarily for their benefit. This group also consists of Computing Services Division personnel, who would become the administrators of the system. Also, academic advisors and other HPU employees in other divisions could use the system in some capacity. It could make their jobs easier, but it could also make their jobs less important.
- Executive: Internally, the HPU President, Vice President, CIO, and possibly some other executives would be interested in this project. They may feel that such a system would improve business operations at HPU. Alternatively, they could feel that such a system would somehow harm business operations at HPU. It could be - in their view - that a degree planning system would only serve to pacify and coddle students, who really should just take more initiative in directing their own educations.
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
- Operational: Externally, prospective students (whether they be high school, transfer, or exchange students) would probably have the most interest in the project; it would instill a confidence in them, that they could attend HPU and be well cared for. In addition, HPU recruiters and high school guidance counselors could also be interested in the project; they could use the system as a selling point to attract more students.
- Executive: Externally, individuals and groups involved in law, finance, and business in general, or with ties to the HPU Board of Trustees could be regarded as having stake in a project like this. In the past few years, there has been much talk about long-term, strategic planning at HPU. Those involved in such planning may be interested in a project like this; they could view the project as having a significant impact on the overall value of the HPU experience.
- Operational: Internally, current students would probably be the most interested in the successful completion of this project, since the system is intended primarily for their benefit. This group also consists of Computing Services Division personnel, who would become the administrators of the system. Also, academic advisors and other HPU employees in other divisions could use the system in some capacity. It could make their jobs easier, but it could also make their jobs less important.
- Executive: Internally, the HPU President, Vice President, CIO, and possibly some other executives would be interested in this project. They may feel that such a system would improve business operations at HPU. Alternatively, they could feel that such a system would somehow harm business operations at HPU. It could be - in their view - that a degree planning system would only serve to pacify and coddle students, who really should just take more initiative in directing their own educations.
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
- Operational: Externally, prospective students (whether they be high school, transfer, or exchange students) would probably have the most interest in the project; it would instill a confidence in them, that they could attend HPU and be well cared for. In addition, HPU recruiters and high school guidance counselors could also be interested in the project; they could use the system as a selling point to attract more students.
- Executive: Externally, individuals and groups involved in law, finance, and business in general, or with ties to the HPU Board of Trustees could be regarded as having stake in a project like this. In the past few years, there has been much talk about long-term, strategic planning at HPU. Those involved in such planning may be interested in a project like this; they could view the project as having a significant impact on the overall value of the HPU experience.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Make-believe Project Management Database
Problem Description:
My imaginary friend Luke has a fake Project Management
Company; he needs me to build a database with a friendly GUI that he can use to
keep track of his projects, his clients, and other related information.
System Requirements:
System Requirements:
Using this system, the Project Management Company staff
should be able to add, delete, or modify all aspects of the underlying database. The system should be accessible from the
internet. Advanced programming / SQL
knowledge should not be necessary for the staff to use the system.
Business Benefits:
As the backbone of the Project Management
Company, this system would have a significant and positive effect on operations; Luke
and his staff would be able to efficiently handle more projects, and make more
money.
Brainstorming Idea: HPU Computing Services Knowledge Portal / Student FAQs
Problem Description:
In the HPU Computing Services Division, there has been a stalled
effort to develop some type of consolidated knowledge portal for students to
help themselves in accordance with the most frequently asked questions about
how to do various tasks pertaining to computing services. For example, students often ask about such
things as how to get their hpu gmail onto their smartphones, or how to scan
documents with the printer/scanner in the lab.
Some parts are in the planning phase, but the overall project is far
from completion.
System Capabilities:
This web portal would incorporate text, pictures, and video
into hyperlinks that would explain whatever issues students need help
with. Students should be able to access
this web portal through the hpu website or through hpu pipleline. Behind the scenes, Computing Services
personnel should be able to modify content as needed.
Business Benefits:
This new system would streamline HPU-IT business
operations; it would result in increased productivity and save countless
man-hours.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Brainstorming Idea: HPU Student Degree Planner
Problem Description:
Oftentimes,
HPU students fall behind and don't graduate/progress as early as they could because
of confusion about what courses must be taken in which semesters in order to
progress as quickly as possible. And sometimes,
academic advisors fail to advise students on the best course of action to take in general. I propose that an application be developed to
help students quickly build an accurate an feasible degree plan, all the way
out to graduation.
System Capabilities:
This system must know about or be able to handle:
The entire HPU course catalog (or maybe just a few specific
majors?)
Whether a course has prerequisites
Whether a course serves as a prereq for another course
Whether a course can be taken concurrently
Whether a substitute course can be taken
Which / how many of HPU's semsters will the course be
offered in, and which formats (sections)
The difficulty / commitment level of the course (not all
courses are equally challenging)
Adjustments in a student's degree plan, due to dropped courses, etc.
Business Benefits:
The system could increase student retention and graduation
rates, and overall customer satisfaction (it could improve HPU's reputation).
Why Are There So Many Programming Languages, And Which Should I Learn?
A
Google search for "the history of programming languages" produces a
number of notable links describing the development of the many programming
languages that have been created throughout history. For example, a Wikipedia entry titled "Timeline of programming languages" lists dozens and dozens of the languages that
are considered to be merely 'important'. But why are there so many, and which ones should
I learn (can't I learn just one)? Unfortunately,
the answer to the question of why there are so many languages doesn't seem
clear; but I think we can at least answer the questions about which languages I
should learn.
According to Bjarne Stroustrup,
the creator of C++: "…nobody should call himself a professional if they
knew only one language…", and that "…3 to 5 languages is a good
number (to learn)…" (Big Think, YouTube).
Bjarne cites C++ 'of course', Java, and 'maybe' Python as being very
important to learn, and he also mentions JavaScript, Ruby, C, and C# as being
other relevant and related languages.
Aside from Bjarne Stroustrup's personal views, JobsTractor.com compiles a monthly list (Jobs Tractor language trends) which ranks programming languages in order of most job postings advertised on twitter. Java, PHP, Objective C, and Java(Android) are consistently ranked in the top four, with Java and PHP battling for 1st place. Ruby has also been in the top 10 for at least the past 18 months or so, and it ranked as high as 5th place back in November 2011.
So, in accordance with these
findings (and after having learned about Java, and now Ruby); I'm
thinking that the next best language to learn will be PHP. As the authors of our textbook have noted,
Ruby is powerful and easy to get along with (I see
what they mean after doing much of the codeacademy exercises). Regarding PHP, our
classmate Kevin pointed out in his post that PHP is most-used for (and was made
for) web server development (almost 80% of web servers; PHP = 'Personal Home
Page'). Seeing as how we're learning
about how SaaS is the future, I'm going to have to learn more about web development anyway.
Friday, September 6, 2013
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