Commercial Programming [Mid-Semester Feedback Session]

1. Commercial Programming[Mid-Semester Feedback Session] Rami Bahsoon & Andrew Howes

2. Bid for Preferences • The preferences for the lecturer with whom you want to write your FIRST report has to be submitted by Friday, Oct 28, 11:59 p.m • We won’t use the BOSS system, instead: • commprog.bham@gmail.com • Subject head: your ID • Body of your e-mail: Your preferences should be submitted in form of a comma separated list of the running number • Do not include any further information in your e-mail • Bid for ALL lecturers, • bidding for only one won’t gurantee receiving it • For example: 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 8, 7, 9; where 4 is your most preferred topic and 9 is the least preferred one for this example.

3. Bid for Preferences 2 Ian Batten      Fujitsu/UoB    Who watches the watchmen?3   Keith Braithwaite       Zuhlke Engineering      Agile projectsand estimates4   Gordon MacLachlan Imagination Technologies Group: Handling Device Fragmentation5    Ben Pearson     GE Capital      Project Inception6    Chris Brook     UBS     Investment Banking Technology7    Andy Pryke      The Data Mine  Mining Social Networks8    Jamie Knowles   Corso Ltd       Using Achitecture for Success9 Darren Self       Microfocus     Writing Programs That Will Last Forever: Future Proofing [Bidding for lecture 2 to 9].

4. Important Dates • Fri 28th Oct 2011 Submission of preferences for first report • Tue 3rd Nov 2011 Allocation for first reports • Thu 1st Dec 2011 Submission of first report, midnight (i.e. end of the day) • Tues 6th Dec 2011 Submission of preferences for second report • Fri 9th Dec 2011 Allocation for second report • Mon 10th Jan 2012 Submission of second report, midnight (i.e. end of the day). • There will be a penalty for late submissions of 10% for any 24 hours. No submission after 10 calendar days.

5. Report Structure • Abstract • Introduction: (explain the problem/question, what is part, what not, why is it relevant) [Less than 10% of the length]. • Main part(s): Explain approaches, compare them, stress advantages and drawbacks. Develop new ideas. The explanation should have a certain breadth and depth, should be sophisticated, factual. • Conclusion: Summarise your contribution, give an outlook of possible trends. Here you may give an opinion (again balanced and well argued). • References

6. Report Structure • Your essay must follow a story line, an inner logic • Describe facts and not opinions. Opinions should typically be only rare, mainly in the concluding section, and clearly indicated as such • Guest lecturers provides Initial material and pointers • ...But you need to collect further material – Research! • look only for trusted, quality, online and library references • Careful and foucsed research: read, comprehend,evaluate, praphrase, and cite!

7. Report Structure • A report should consist of 2000-2500 words (plus one page in the same document in the case of the EXTENDED version of the module). • Please adhere to your assigned report titles/topic • A brilliant report on a title other than this will earn ZERO! • A brilliant report that is on a topic covered by a speaker who supplied one of your assigned titles but that nevertheless does not address THAT SPECIFIC TITLE may also be severely penalised.

8. Evaluation Criteria • Is the problem/question well explained, supported by good examples? (1/6) • Is the argumentation and development sound/convincing/logical? (1/6) • Are there any new ideas in the description? Are they clearly distinguished from ideas of others? (1/6) • Is the report in depth? Does it show good understanding? (1/6) • Do the references show good background reading? Is everything properly referenced and acknowledged? (1/6) • Is the form of the essay appealing? Right length? Good layout, supported by good illustrations? Grammar and spelling okay? (1/6)

9. Evaluation Criteria • The criteria may slightly vary according to the topic • Markers will consider our criteria and look whether they are met • Very much/much/average/poorly/very poorly • Markers are very likely to be our Guest Speakers • It is important to leave a good impression! • Module tutors will then assign the final mark to ensure consistency across all reports

10. Evaluation Criteria • For students on the EXTENDED version of the module, the different points as well as the extra page will be worth 1/7 each: • MSc students have to discuss to which degree they think that the information they found in the context of their report can (or cannot) be trusted (1 additional page) • i.e. Is the evaluation of the reliability of the sources sound/convincing? (1/7)

11. Kind Reminders • We use plagiarism detection software on your submission. Plagiarising in this module brings our institution in disrepute with respect to our external speakers – Zero Tolerance! • Submissions of the reports is by the deadline via BOSS in form of one single PDF file, which conform to access technology (see http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_helpwithpdf.hcsp for further details) • Access technology: PDF can be transformed to HTML so that it can be read by blind people. • We may apply a penalty or even reject reports which do not conform.

12. Important Instructions- Please Read! • http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/internal/courses/comm-prog/2008/sample.pdf • http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/internal/courses/comm-prog/index.php?expand=students