Computer Design Learning Project

 

Assignment Description

This information technology (IT) project permits students to design a “Dream Computer System” for handling your information processing and communication needs.  Students must design the computer system using the four-step process for building a computer.  The methodical procedure utilizes the basic guidelines of buying and/or upgrading PCs, including the completion of a thorough processing needs analysis, budgeting justification, a software analysis and hardware comparisonS.  The project report about your computer system should obviously take into account component comparisons and specifications, as well as compatibility vs. processing performance and economic, operational and technical capabilities.  The report also should include the problem-solving logic of selecting parts based on processing needs, parts specifications, corresponding prices and application memory requirements.

 

Project Skill Self-Assessment

During the process of the creating your “Dream Machine” you need to complete a series of Self-Assessment Journals to analyze the progress on your project and the development of the skill areas required to successfully create your computer system.  As you work to create your system, you should also assess and develop action plans for improving the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for developing a “Dream Computer” that meets your information processing requirements as determined from a needs analysis.

 

Assessing Learning Skills

Twenty specific information technology learning skills are listed on Page S-11.  When you start this project refer to the Learning Skills list and record the 4 skills you anticipate using during the first few weeks of the project; you, of course, will use other important skills later to successfully complete this project.  Your analysis of the skills used in preparing this computer design project will provide you with the feedback you need to build an effective and efficient computer system for handling your processing needs.

 

Implementation of Action Plans

As you progress in creating your own computer system, you will find that the self-assessment process of developing and implementing detailed action plans will help you become more efficient in information processing and computer design efforts.  Your use of Self-Assessment and the Learning Process Methodology for improving your computer design and analysis skills will also help you improve your problem-solving abilities and build on the general IT concepts taught in this course.

 

Value of the Project Self-Assessment

The real value of your project depends on the effort and thought you put into the preparation and implementation of your short- and long-term action plans written on each self-assessment journal.  Therefore, on a periodic basis, you should analyze your strengths, areas of improvement and insights in relation to your project progress in analyzing processing needs and designing effective computer systems.

 

Requirements of the Computer Design Learning Project

Your Computer Design Learning Project should generally include the following information:

 

1.       Introduction points out your general reasons for choosing this project and what you expected to accomplish.

2.       A needs analysis of your current and future computing (hardware and software) requirements.

3.       Detailed criteria and specifications of computer development process – including needs processing, plus a present itemized budget and future budget, software comparisons and comparisons and selection of hardware components.

4.       Description of the actual learning process you used in developing your “Dream Computing Machine.”

5.       Identify the most important skills you learned from doing this project and explain how you can use these skills to your advantage in the future.

6.       Summary discusses your ability to self-assess the development of the learning skills you used in designing your computer system.

7.       A Start-Up Self-Assessment Journal and at least 5 Project Self-Assessment Journals.

8.       A list of resources used in creating your system.

 

Some Critical Thinking Questions

What role did language development, understanding of the four-step computer design process and other terminology play in the development of your own computer system?

 

Why did you want to create your own computer system and what learning skills were most helpful in computer design and analysis?

 

What Learning Process Methodology steps did you use in recognizing and understanding the buying or upgrading of your computer system?

 

What action plans and skills did you incorporate into the development of your computer system, especially when you got frustrated?  What insights or new understandings did you learn about yourself in the process?

 

Requirements of Your Computer Design Learning Project Portfolio

You must use a word processing application to write your project report.  You may also integrate information from some other applications -- Internet browsers, spreadsheet, database, presentation, email and your selected applications -- in preparing your report.  Since the quality of content of your report is the most important, no suggested length guideline, requirement or limit of pages for your Computer Design Learning Project is provided.  However, in many cases the extra pages for charts, graphs, illustrations, computer-produced results and a reference (bibliography) page exceed the report.  Please use a 12-point type size and double-space the lines with a half-inch indent at the beginning of the paragraphs.  The use of subheads is suggested for appropriately separating topics and improving readership.

 

Special Note: Be sure to include your Self-Assessment Journals as an appendix with your project report in addition to other references.  The evaluation of your Computer Design Learning Project requires that your graded journals be included in your Portfolio.  Self-Assessment Journals that are not reviewed and dated by your lab instructor during the assessment process (weekly) will not receive credit during the grading process.  The report grade will be based on the criteria listed below:

 

Evaluation of Self-Learning Project Progress Report

Progress Criteria

Outline of development plan

10

 

Report on project and skills progress

10

 

Research support – results, illustrations, resources and 3 Weekly Self-Assessment Journals

10

 

Instructor Project Feedback Interview

5

__

 

 

35

 

Evaluation of Computer Design Learning Project Report

Project Criteria

Level of thought and analysis

10

 

Overall quality of content – project planning and implementation

10

 

Effort on the Project

5

 

Quality of writing the Project Report

5

 

Completeness of the Project Report

5

 

Results, illustrations, resources and bibliography

5

 

 

 

40

Self-Assessment Criteria

Your level of effort and diligence throughout the self-assessment process

10

 

Your ability to self-assess project and skills performance

10

 

Your commitment to improving your growth through self-learning

5

 

Primary referencing of information in the Self-Assessment Journals

5

 

 

 

30

Journals

Start-Up Self-Assessment Journal

2.5

 

5 Weekly Self-Assessment Journals (Each worth 5.5 points)

27.5

 

 

 

  30

Total Points

 

100

 

NOTE: As is the case with ALL of your assignments in this class, you should keep copies of ALL of your self-assessment journals.  Your copies not only will serve as backup in case of loss during the evaluation process, but more importantly you use your Self-Assessment Journals in formulating weekly action plans in becoming a self-grower learner and as research resources for writing your Computer Design Learning Project Report.