CONTENTS
2. Constraints
3. Choices
Project management methods
Lifecycle
Development methods
Support tools
Target Environment
System Outline
5. Implementation
Development Environment
User Test and Evaluation
Maintenance Environment
Developers Training
6. Implications
Timescale & Task Deadlines
Cost
Appendix 1. User
Needs Analysis
1. INTORDUCTION & SUMMARY Back
to top
The overall objective of the project is too develop a quality multimedia tool which will aid in the teaching of critical thinking skills to undergraduate and sixth form students. It will enable students to learn the concepts behind critical thinking, and then learn and apply the skills involved.
This product will be widely disseminated by the 'Quaternary Science Review Board' who will market this as a commercial product to universities and sixth form collages.
The target audience will consist of mainly students in the 16-21-age range; however, there may be exceptions, for example mature students and other more general users.
This plan sets out the technical issues for the 'Developing a Questioning Mind' project and how the successful completion of this project will be achieved.
The plan will progress through six stages:
2. CONSTRAINTS Back
to top
The constraints set out by the client and the type of multimedia project that is required are as follows:
The target audience will be A-level and undergraduate degree students, wishing to progress to a higher cognitive level of understanding through critical thinking.
The product must be useable by the target audience both within the classroom and in the home environment.
The nature of the product must ensure that it is a self-contained resource, although links to the web for further information may be a useful feature.
Time constraints on the product developers are a key consideration when planning the technical development of the project.
3. CHOICES Back
to top
Project management methods
Isolating discrete tasks within the project as a whole and establishing their relative associations with one another and resources available will maintain project control, this will allow task deadlines to be established and monitored throughout the project development, with recovery plans set in place to allow the project be brought back on track before absolute deadlines are reached.
When discrete tasks have been identified, the critical path for the project can be defined allowing progression of the project into the structure of timescales defined by the plan.
Engineering notebooks and database techniques will be used to monitor and log man-hours and progress of the development; these will also be formally logged on a project 'Job sheet' in accordance with ISO 9001 Quality assurance guidelines.
Lifecycle
Two development methodologies will be used for the 'Developing a Questioning Mind' multimedia product implementation, waterfall and prototype. Using the waterfall methodology a logical step-by-step structure will be created, which the used the prototyping method to add flexibility to the development process.
The prototyping lifecycle will allow the cross correlation of the development with the user needs, ensuring that the development is intimately matched with the users specification. The exploration of possible designs and user interfaces with the user in the prototyping lifecycle will allow any functional or design problems to be ironed out before full scale development is undertaken.
Development methods
This multimedia application will be developed entirely in-house, using Digitalquill's multimedia studio. Although there is a wide range of development tools to choose from, Macromedia Director 7 has been chosen as the development package for the job.
The project will aim to use widely available current technology to develop an interesting and functional, yet unique multimedia package utilizing text, images, animation, video and audio where necessary.
Support tools
The project management will be supported by a software management package, the one which is available for use is Microsoft Project 98, this package will be utilized to assist in the task definition and division, and to aid in the holistic planning of the complete project.
Due to the developers' situation, multiple computers may be used on the development project, raising issues of file currency problems; therefore the project will be stored in a single location on a server and accessed over the network. If files must be taken away from this location it will be recorded on a log sheet and the briefcase features in Microsoft Windows will be used to ensure file currency is upheld.
Target Environment
The target environment is two fold, firstly the classroom and secondly the students home environment. The multimedia application will be delivered via CD-ROM to a multimedia computer. The typical hardware specifications will be supported and both PC and Macintosh are to be supported.
System Outline
The system outline and structure will be based around the six stages of Blooms Taxonomy of education and will be formulated to fit in with an NEAB (?) AS Level course on critical thinking.
Although no true user requirements have been carried out at this stage some assumptions can be made, these include:
4. RISK ANALYSIS Back
to top
| Nature of Risk of Uncertainty |
Likelihood (score 1-5)
|
Impact (score 1-5)
|
Likelihood/Impact
(score 1-5) |
Action Required |
| Client Withdraws. |
1
|
3
|
3
|
Progress as planned. |
| Scheduling problems due to other
external time constraints. |
3
|
2
|
6
|
Monitor progress; use discrete
tasks and a structured timetable along with a defined recovery package. |
| Technical Difficulties with Software. |
2
|
2
|
4
|
Not a significant problem, will
be mitigated by contacts in Macromedia discussion groups and research. |
Content Definition Issues. |
3
|
3
|
9
|
Could be a problem due to the complexity
of the subject matter, however sufficient research should provide an adequate
solution to any problems faced. |
| Budget Overrun |
2
|
4
|
8
|
Very limited budget. Very limited
outlay. |
5. IMPLEMENTATION
Back to top
Development Environment
Development will be carried out in Digitalquills multimedia and design studios' where access to computers, storage, scanners, AV Digitization & photographic equipment and access to the Internet are all easily available.
The development process has been scheduled so that the implementation of the project will be built around five standard steps comprising:
Arrangements will be made to evaluate and test the completed product by a range of real users including A-level and Undergraduate students. This will be achieved by using a small number of users in a focus group, observation sessions, performance evaluations and a more widely distributed questionnaire.
Finally, due to the nature of the product a unique user evaluation method will be built into the content of the multimedia program, allowing the users to put into practice what they have learned throughout the learning package and critically analyze the product it's self, this analysis will then be e-mailed back to the developers.
Maintenance Environment
The Multimedia product will be built to a sufficiently robust standard and of sufficient quality to minimize the need to any maintenance; however, Macromedia Director 7 supports features allowing functionality to be built-in for product updates to be issued if necessary.
Developers Training
All pre-requisite skills are present for the completion of the technical development of the product. The content of the multimedia product will require some additional research by the developer.
6. IMPLICATIONS Back
to top
Timescale & Task Deadlines
Contract to be approved
Thursday 28th October 1999
Progress Review Thursday 6th January 2000
Literature Review Thursday 22nd June 2000
Feasibility Review Thursday 29th June 2000
Draft Report Thursday 29th May 2001
Demonstrator Thursday 19th June 2001
Final Report Thursday 4th September 2001
Viva Thursday 17th September 2001
The final deadline for the project is therefore Thursday 4th September 2001, any deviation form this deadline will result in accruing a very heavy penalty.
Cost
The cost implications for this project are potentially huge, however the in-house nature of the development process will ensure that these costs are kept to a minimum.
Appendix 1 Back
to top
User Needs Analysis
User needs analysis for 'developing a questioning mind', a multimedia CD-ROM product designed to aid in the development of skills needed for the cognitive process of critical thinking.
User Groups
Educators - Teachers and lecturers. This product will aid their teaching tasks, by providing a multimedia-learning environment where students can develop their skills.
Learners - Students, primarily science at an undergraduate level, although this product may have application to other sectors of education, such as a-level and some areas of Art based disciplines.
Stakeholder - As this product is being developed in conjunction with the 'Quaternary Science Review Board' possibly as a commercial product.
Users
Age - Undergraduate
student, will be above the age of 18 unless in special cases. May also have
an application at A-level standard, which could be ages 16 - 18.
Disabilities - All are possible, although some universities may have
entry requirements that need to be passed.
Educational Level - A-level, or equivalent vocational qualification/experience.
Linguistic, Cultural and Social Background - All cultural and social backgrounds. Will speak English to adequate level, due to being on a course in a UK University.
Experience and Familiarity with other relevant Technology - One would hope that they would be familiar with the technology, using mouse and keyboard. Many will have used multimedia products such as Encarta and others.
Knowledge of tasks and Jargon - Will be very limited. May understand the concept (rightly or wrongly) but may not be aware of it's complexity, its skills or its application. No knowledge of academic educational jargon.
Motivation and Discretion - May not be highly motivated (typical student), however, may rather sit in front of a computer screen than in a lecture theatre. Whether they have discretion is a debatable point, no in that they have to complete the task for their degree, however, they do not have to be studying at all, there one could argue that they do have discretion.
User Tasks
The user may be trying to achieve the following tasks:-
Develop skills in critical
thinking/analysis
- Understand the concepts
- Learn the rules
- Look at examples
- Learn the reasons why CT is important
Gain a more in-depth grasp
of academic science
- Find out what can be questioned
- Find out how CT develops science
Develop skills in 'reading'
- Analytical reading
- Realising author and their own bias
Understand the foundations
of 'good' science
- No right answer
- Open minds
Understand the inadequacies of current 'science'
Try out their critical thinking skills
Environment
Classroom based environment, hopefully single user to a computer, and possibility of some sort of network communication. This application will also be used in the home environment.