CST 300 Week 8

CST 300 Week 8

Part 1

Here are some review of fellow student's videos:

Central Coast Solutions Long video

This video topic is well covered and the presentation is clear. The quality of the research is very good. The quality of the video is good for an amateur video. The video is engaging and interesting but there is no moving media in the video.There is evidence of team work as multiple speakers can be heard in the video. The video is appropriate for a professional audience.

Abalone Associates Short Video

This video topic is well covered and the presentation is clear. The quality of the research is very good. The quality of the video is very well put together. I liked the use of interjecting the speaker's videos throughout the presentation. The video is engaging and interesting with its subtle background music. There is evidence of teamwork through the videos produced by the team members. The video is appropriate for the general public.

Abstract Factory Long Video

This video topic is well covered and the presentation is clear. The quality of the research is extensive and good. The quality of the video is extremely professional. It is clear that there is talent behind the video. The video is extremely engaging and interesting through its use of embeded videos, music, and excellent flow. I do not see too much evidence of teamwork. The video is appropriate for a professional audience.

Part 2

This class has helped me to articulate my goals. I had an idea of what I wanted to do with my Computer Science degree. This course solidified my passion of getting into game development with the industry analysis paper. It also gave me a framework of what I need to be working on for the next 2 years. 

The course provided excellent lessons in how to effectively communicate with fellow group members on future projects. Our team was able to set weekly meetings every Sunday on Google Hangouts. We then colaborrated through email and Google Docs. To make our collaboration more effective, everyone should read the assignments before the scheduled meetings and make sure to make all meetings. When this is not done it can provide strain on the group.

Xtreme Videos on Unity 3D Game Engine

Here are links to the videos our team, Xtreme, collaborated on. The videos are about the Unity 3D Game Engine.

Xtreme short video on Unity

Xtreme long video on Unity

CST 300 Week 7

CST 300 Week 7

Part One

During our team meeting on October 9, we were able to each come up with a topic for our final video project. We then randomly chose which topic would not make the cut as our team has 4 individuals. We then met on October 16 to discuss planning for the video project. Our topic is the developing in 3D on the Unity Game Engine. We met as a group on Google Hangouts. During the meeting we compiled two outlines on Google Docs. One outline was for the short video and then the other outline was for the long video. We then divided up the outline so each of us could work on a section of it. Mokhlis would create a script and slides for the introduction and conclusions. Ryan would create a script and slides for how developers use the engine. I would create a script and slides for examples of Unity in use. Joel would then be the narrator in the final video. We plan to meet again on October 20th and 22nd to finish compiling the video. We plan on making our video a powerpoint presenation. The process is smooth; however, it is necessary for all group members to attend meetings to make the process even more efficient.

Part Two

In viewing some Ted Talks videos, it is clear that an effective presenation lies in confident presentation coupled with communication skills. The speakers rarely use words such as "um" or stutter. They are confident in their presentation and appear to have rehearsed it before. In review of the readings and other videos, here are some key take aways I got from them. One is to know your audience. A speech for the same topic may be completely different for two different audiences. Another is to not clutter your powerpoint with too much information or animations. The presentation should be simple and easy to follow.

CST 300 Week 6

CST 300 Week 6

Part 1

During our team meeting on Sunday we were able to discuss possible capstone ideas. Joel and I were interested in developing a game. Mokhlis had an interesting idea in developing an intelligent tourist system. Ryan is interested in developing an application related to education. Other than game making, I found the intelligent tourist system stood out to me as I would be interested in that as I love to travel and explore new places.

Part 2

I found the career guide to be a good refresher on how to go about entering a career in Computer Science after I graduate. This year my focus is on networking. I hope to attend a developer conference or two to begin networking in the field. I believe I am "professionalized" as I have been working in the banking industry for over 10 years. Banking and professionalism go hand in hand. The job offers section was helping in providing feedback to not accept the first job offer and to also ask for more money.

The key first step in the application process is researching employers. I should make a list of potential employers and research each of those employers individually to gain a clearer understanding of each organization and what they are looking for. Otterjobs is a good first start in finding potential employers. I plan to bookmark this page and visit often during my last year of study. To gain employer contacts I plan to attend game developer conferences and build a network there. As far as an internship, I am not sure as this is a good option for me unless it has a good salary as I am currently making a pretty good salary. If a good opportunity for a paid internship arises, I will definitely pursue it during my last year of study. I have attended job fairs before and found them not to be successful for me. Personally I have found networking and direct contact to be effective in searching for a job.
Our team came together on Sunday to pick topics for our final presentation projects. We chose as topics: intelligent tourist systems, unity game engine, and programming in education. Next week our peers will vote on which topic for us to work on.
The readings on Python was a good refresher as I hadn't worked with it since December of the previous year.
It felt good to update my resume for my "dream job" as it felt attaining it more tangible.

CST 300 Week 5

CST 300 Week 5

Part 1

Comment on Teamates Goals 1

Comment on Teamates Goals 2

Part 2

3 Possible Capstone Ideas
1. Design and develop a computer game
2. Create an emergency contact website that authorities may use to quickly contact designated family
3. Develop instant messaging/ email application in which the user's draw messages to each other

Part 3

I found the tips for creating a youtube video not particularly helpful. This is not because it was not put together in a good manner but rather that I have found youtube to be intuitive and did not need a tutorial to figure out how to use it. This may be helpful to others who may have never done video editing before or struggle with the concept.

The information regarding internships was informative. It gave me some tips that I was unaware of and helped me to think if an internship is write for me. It would be hard to give up my current job for an internship now as I have a well paying job that supports my family; however, one closer to graduation may be beneficial as it can help me to get a foot in the door of the industry.

I also found the information for graduate school good but at this time I do not see myself attending graduate school as it may put a burden on my family. I did briefly look at SMU Guildhall which is a grad school in Computer Science for game development. The program looks fantastic but I just don't think I could attend grad school and not work at this time. Perhaps things will change 2 years from now.

The explanation regarding inference and assumptions was quite succint. An inference is an interpretation of an assumption. It also gave some insight on how to think critically by examining personal assumptions and infering ideas around them.

CST 300 Week 4

CST 300 Week 4

Part 1

My educational goal: To complete the program with a 4.0 GPA in the program by Summer of 2018 and retain enough knowledge to score in the 85th percentile or higher on the ETS Computer Science test.

Part 2

My career goal: To gain a position as a software developer no less than 3 months after graduation within the video game or financial industry with a starting salary of at least $60K annually.

Part 3

In review of the ETS® Major Field Test for Computer Science, I feel confident in taking the test in 18 months. I browsed over the sample test and was able to get 8 out of 16 right. Considering I have 18 months of pure immersion in Computer Science I feel confident I can increase this to a 90 percentile or higher.

Part 4

In reading the article The 7 Career Goals You Need to Succeed, it is clearly important to write down your specific goals if you wish to succeed in your career. A key first step is self assessment. You need to look at where you are now and where you want to go. Another important step is to track your accomplishment so you can re-evaluate how you are doing at working towards your goal and tweak what needs tweaking. It is also important to set personal goals as well so you don't get overworked by focusing just on your career. 

This week I learned about the 5 types of claims. These are claims of fact, definition, cause, value, and policy. I also was reminded of the importance of equally representing logos, ethos, and pathos within a argumentative paper. 

The article on bias argumentation was informative. It provided the three most common fallacies in presenting arguments and why they are common. It also set as a reminder that the mere knowledge of these fallacies when presenting an argument can lead a presenter to provide arguments without these fallacies as they are more prone to think with an open mind.

The article on soundness vs validity gives a solid background in examining my sources for my ethics paper. It allows me to examine an argument to make sure it is a valid and sound argument that may be used in my paper.

My ethics paper has to do with the effects of moral choices in video games. During my research, I learned the exact opposite of what I assumed. It had been a while since I had looked at this topic in depth and found it was easier to find articles regarding the positive effects, or lack of negative effects regarding immoral acts and violence in video games than finding articles showing negative effects with regards to this. It seems that recent studies have shifted the mindset from how I remember this conversation 10 years ago; however, there is still a thriving debate for both sides.

CST 300 Week 3

CST 300 Week 3

Part 1

In reading the article Managing Time for Success in College at https://www.uwgb.edu/tutoring/resources/managing.asp , I would agree that time management is one of the most important resources. This is especially true when it comes to studies. I have incorporated many of these ideas already in my study plan. One thing I do differently is I write down important items on the calendar and tend to leave off less important items as these can be adjusted to other time slots. I liked the idea of visualizing where you will be after graduation to help stay engaged in studying. I have always found myself to be a night owl, so setting my study times during the night is only natural for me. One distraction that I have found while studying in this course has been that when I was doing research for my paper, I would tend to get interested in an idea and then spend more time than is necessary looking at it and end up going of in a tangent. I think study breaks would help with this as I can re-evaluate what I am doing and refocus on what I need to study.

Part 2

I have learned that project managment is an essential tool working on team projects. Without a solid plan and management of that plan a project can go astray quickly. There are four phases of the project life cycle. These are study, design, development, and operation. Ethics also is important as we are the future leaders in the industry. I learned that ethics, morality, and law all have different meanings and what may be legal in one situation may not be ethical or moral in another. I was able to work on my final draft for my industry analysis. It's amazing on how the revision process can really make your paper better even when you feel your draft was a solid paper.

Part 3

In review of the article What every computer science major should know at http://matt.might.net/articles/what-cs-majors-should-know/ , I would agree with the article. The writer has a clearer understanding of what is necessary to learn for a computer science major than I have currently as I have never worked in the industry. A computer science major should attain both knowledge and skill as this is a technical field. A portfolio is the number one way to show off skills attained during an individuals studies. There were many terms in this article in which I did not know what they meant. I plan on saving this article to my favorites and refer back to it as a reference of the terms and skills I have learned and what will be needed outside of school to read up and practice.