Computational Thinking for Information Technology

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP Objectives This course will enable you to develop logical thinking skills, including: • Asking probing questions to uncover details of a problem • Clearly defining a problem • Evaluating the effects of design options • Deconstructing the problem into its component parts • Identifying the steps required to solve a problem • Measuring and evaluating solutions against the success criteria

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP Expectations In your first months here, you will learn new technologies, research cutting-edge technologies, prepare documents, create and deliver presentations, and design and develop websites for clients. These assignments may take you out of your comfort zone and push you to think in new ways. However, we are certain that the excitement of solving these challenges will more than make up for the difficulties you might encounter.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP We expect each of you to make the client’s needs your priority by contributing to your team and producing quality, finished products on time. We have worked hard to develop a reputation for excellence, and are currently the industry leader in consulting services in information technology. We hope to be the industry leader in the region within the next five years. I hope you will be an integral part of helping us reach that goal.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • We are committed to personal and professional integrity, honesty, and open communications with our clients. We seek long-term relationships with our clients. • The Community College and University IT (CCUIT) Division is responsible for providing consulting services for educational institutions systems. CCUIT is the largest division in the company and key to the company’s success.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Your role • Our excellent reputation is spreading. As a result, within the last year, we have seen a surge in the number of new clients seeking our services. In turn, this has allowed us to hire new employees such as you to help us to deliver these services. You have been assigned to the Community College and University IT Services Division. The division is primarily responsible for providing consulting services for educational institutions.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Since many of the clients you will be working for are new clients to the company, I would like to ask you to start building a good relationship with your client. Pay attention to customer service skills, communicate often, and most importantly provide your client with finished products that are up to our standard of excellence. • This is a fast-paced working environment. I hope you will enjoy and be up to the challenge. • Welcome aboard!

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview • The firm’s first task must be to begin to determine what you know about wireless networks already, what you don’t know, what you need to know, and how to fill the gaps. You must do this by suggesting ideas as a consulting team and then organizing and categorizing those ideas into a categorized brainstorm document. The categorized brainstorm must be submitted to the client within the client’s timeline and delivery method, for their review and approval.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Action Plan (cont.) • Then, begin to identify the gaps between what you know and what you don’t know. The client asks you to be thorough. Be sure to consider what else you might have missed. • Take a look at the results and notice the repetition of words or ideas. Begin to sort and group logically these ideas into a few descriptive but broad categories.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview • The client is exceedingly happy with your categories document. Excellent job! Your success has resulted in additional activity the client would like you to undertake. The client has decided that they would like you provide them with a written proposal for further research and exploration in one of four categories: • Wireless Standards • Wireless Network Components • Wireless Security • Wireless Management

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview (cont.) • Your consulting teams must break into four subgroups and align yourself with a one of the four client selected categories. This will ultimately result in four proposals being submitted to the client from the entire consulting team. To meet the needs of the client you must develop and deliver one of the four proposals within the client’s timeline and delivery method, for their review and approval.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Action Plan • At this point, your consulting firm will be divided into smaller consulting teams and each team will be matched to one of the categories determined in the sorting process. • Each consulting team will then take the brainstormed ideas for its assigned category and develop a proposal with justifications for investigation, testing and evaluation for the client.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Checklist for Submitting Proposal • The proposal must contain information required by your client to further investigate your particular category. Specifically, the written proposal must include but is not limited to: • Relevance and justification of your category as it pertains to addressing client needs • Questions you intend to research • Tests you intend to perform

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Debrief • Reflect on what you've learned about this task by discussing the following questions with your colleagues after you complete the project: • What does designing a wireless network mean to you? What do you know about this? • What are some of the issues surrounding wireless network access? What problems have you experience in the area of wireless network access?

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview • Now that you have completed your proposal on the categories, your project manager will assign a category for you to research. The next step is to: • Research the assigned category in detail • Determine the threats/limitations/advantages/costs etc. associated with the category • Explore and research a specific solution to the determined threats and limitations

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Deliverables • You need to research the assigned category in detail and identify the threats, limitations, advantages and costs associated with the category to properly design a wireless network. Therefore, you must develop a strategy to document your findings on the threats, limitations, advantages and costs. It is very important that the client understands the findings. The documentation you provide should clearly explain how you defined and determined the threats, limitations, advantages and costs.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview • I have discussed your findings with the client and they agree. They are looking forward to the solution(s) that will help them make their campus a wireless campus. You next task is to create technical documentation of the problem, solution and define a test plan checklist. • The document is called a "technical" document because it is not intended for the end user to understand. It is to be written in technical terms with attention to the small details of both the problem and solution.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview (cont.) • Do this by describing the problem in parts. Then describe the solution in relation to each part of the problem. Be as technically detailed as you can. Ask the squad manager or industry expert (client) more questions if need be. • You may take into consideration constraints of the resources (Time, money, Personnel, Network bandwidth, etc.).

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview (cont.) • Provide a technical document that clearly defines the parts of the problem in technical terms and the solutions to each part of the problem. It should also include a checklist for testing the solutions. The checklist points are: • Who will test • What will be tested • Where: in what environment (Windows, Mac) or (I.E., Firefox) and why • How results will be observed and recorded

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Overview • The solution you gave in previous task looks great! Now, does it work? The client would like to see written proof of your testing that shows your solution in action. You will find in the resources a template to start the process of documenting your solution from beginning to end. The document that you will provide to the client will contain step-by-step instructions in screenshots demonstrating that the solution is effective.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1.1 | 1.2 | TASK 2,1| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | TASK 3 | HELP • Debrief (cont.) • How did the testing process go from beginning to end? How did you start? What problems did you encounter? You were expected to screenshot the entire process….was it a challenge to document and test at the same time? Do you feel satisfied with the team’s test process? Do you feel satisfied with the team’s test documentation? What did you learn about the testing and documentation processes?

Computational Thinking for Information Technology