1. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20021 Your Group Project As much as possible, we want: Everyone should understand group’s design decisions Everyone contributes equally to project Everyone to do some design and coding work Assignments are designed to help you do this Advise we will give: We will give you some general starting advice here The TA for your group will help you with week-to-week advice We will have more to say about project management later

2. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20022 Do’s and Don’ts for Groups: General Don’t jump straight into code Don’t have 1 or 2 people do most of the coding; if you do, then the non-coders: Will not understand the code and/or design Will not be able to produce good hand-ins for assignments May be able to contribute to testing, but not debugging Will not be able to write a good user manual i.e. will not be able to contribute very usefully at all Do spend a lot of time and effort in designing the software This will result in documents that everyone in the group can follow Do resist the urge to code early, not till at least 1 month into the course (although you will have to build a prototype in Java for the GUI, start it early) Do get everyone involved in coding If design documents are good, everyone should be able to code

3. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20023 Dos & Don’ts for Groups: Meetings Setting up meetings: –Do try to find a meeting time that everyone can make regularly –Do meet at least once a week –Do add extra meetings if necessary –Don’t announce meetings on the spur of the moment –Do arrange meetings by email at least 24 hours before they happen, that way, everyone should know about the meeting –Do set an agenda (list of items to be discussed) for every meeting In the meeting: –Do go through each item on agenda or put them off until a later meeting –Do listen to everyone’s opinion on design decisions –Obnoxious people are not always wrong –Some quiet people may only speak if they think it is very important –Do keep minutes (see the cs2212 minutes web page for advice on what to keep track of)

4. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20024 Do’s and Don’ts for Groups: Dividing Up Work Do encourage members to do tasks for the group Encourage them early and often Make it clear what has to be done Do encourage members to set deadlines for finishing their tasks for the group However, do be a bit flexible on the deadlines Don’t let a member get away with Not coming to properly arranged meetings Not doing work Delivering work very late Delivering inadequate work Do record everything relevant to the project and to the performance of individuals, in the meeting minutes

5. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20025 Dos and Don’ts for Individuals: Meetings Setting up meetings: Do make clear when you can and cant make it to a meeting Do be flexible in meeting times; e.g. —Don’t insist on spending an entire 5 hour gap between classes at home If you cant make a meeting, send regrets, tell the group why you cant make it and give a reasonable reason why Do read your email at least once in every 24 hour period during the week, once over the weekend if possible Don’t forward your email to a commercial account unless your sure it works (check frequently) In the meeting: Don’t insist on your point of view at all costs Do speak up if you have a view you think should be heard If you feel a design decision is wrong: —Do try to explain why clearly and in detail —Do let your mind remain open to persuasion

6. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20026 Dos and Don’ts for Individuals: Project Work Do understand the design your group adopts Do volunteer to do tasks for the group Volunteer early and often Don’t avoid work up to the last stages of the project You may not be able to do a good job then, either Your group mates will be annoyed with you Do set reasonable deadlines for tasks Do your best to meet the deadlines

7. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20027 Dos & Don’ts for Project Leaders & Star Coders Don’t take on the bulk of coding yourself Doing almost all the coding yourself: —May show you are a good coder —Also shows you are a poor software engineer A good software engineer uses the resources of the whole team effectively Play to the strengths of your group members not the weaknesses! Do contribute usefully to group discussions Do explain your thinking to other group members Do put effort into creating clear design documents (Hand-ins) This will help everyone implement the project Do help other members of the group to do their tasks Be a teacher when necessary You might learn something from them too! Understand people’s schedules —i.e. I enjoy coding at night, so if you assign me something in the morning, expecting it for 4 or 5, it probably won’t happen. Whose fault is it???

8. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20028 CS 2212 Project Groups Group organization Group size Requesting a change Picking a meeting time Questions your group may have on the project specs

9. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 20029 Group Organization Remember your group number We will get each group member to find each other in this class Contact group members who are not in class: Look up their email using the finger command on Gaul Also, indicate on the sheet you hand back to your instructor, which members were absent today Submit your minutes online (see the website, there is a page to do this for you) Read over the project as soon as possible For each group, we will set up, on GAUL A group mailing list address A Unix file permission group

10. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200210 Group Size As much as possible, groups are 4, 5 or 6 people No distinguishable difference in work between a group of 4 and a group of 6 4 people: Fewer people to do writing/coding work BUT not as many organizational hassles 6 people: Less actual writing/coding work per person BUT more time taken up with organizational issues. Difference between a group of 5 and a group of 6 even more minor

11. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200211 Requesting a Change If you have a reason for NOT being put in a group we have put you in, then tell us by the assigned deadline If we agree with your reason, we will move you but you don’t get to pick the group you are moved too.

12. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200212 Group Meetings Start setting up group meetings right away Decide on three possible times during the week everyone can meet at (must be Monday to Friday between 8:30 and 6) We will have the T.A.s pick from those times and let you know who your T.A. is

13. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200213 Questions on the Project Include any questions you have in the weekly minutes that you submit online, the administrative TA will forward them to the instructors and the instructor will either reply or post the question on the project FAQ web page Check to the FAQ frequently for other groups’ issues

14. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200214 Hints from Teaching Assistants & Faculty For A Successful CS2212 Project Below is a list of quotes from T.A’s and professors about hints for a successful project in cs2212. PLEASE read this carefully and repeatedly throughout the term! Take ownership of your project, if someone has promised you code and you don't see the code, don't assume it has been done. Make sure everyone shows their work to everyone else in the group. Remember if you are too trusting, it is YOUR mark that is on the line as well as the person who didn’t finish their portion of the code. Address small issues immediately before they become major issues. If the group encounters a problem, let your T.A. know immediately. It can be difficult when dealing with peers to insist that they do their fair share, but if you don't all your other courses may suffer. It is your responsibility to see that the group works as a whole. If you don't take responsibility don't expect to have your mark adjusted at the end because a group member did not participate fully.

15. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200215 Check each other's work to be sure it is done correctly. Be helpful. This is a learning experience: whether you are learning how to help co-workers or whether you are learning how to improve the quality of your work. Working successfully with team members is an important real world asset and knowing how to learn from others will help you to be a success. Usually the successful groups are the groups that have created an environment in which everyone feels free to give input, ask questions or ask for help with a problem. Remember that compromises may have to be made. Not everything has to be done your way (“There are only two ways to do things my way or the wrong way”  is not a productive attitude) Attend lectures. You may think that they are unnecessary but lectures give added information and stress what you need to know. Work ahead of deadlines, or at least as soon as the assignments are given out. It's hard to do, but you'll be happy when you pass your acceptance testing because of it. I mean the obvious ones are  start coding early, and integrate early, but they never listen.

16. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200216 Utilizing the T.A.s you have available for advice on how to do things may also not be a bad idea. We make you take 2210 for a reason, so that you can learn how to make proper data structures. You should ask yourself early "how efficient is this". Do not program for the test data An unsorted Linked List is always inappropriate. I think the other hint is start early. It's difficult to take ownership in the last few days. TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR PROJECT Fill in the blanks: Take ______________ of your ____________

17. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200217 Ice Breakers I love east Indian food I love Chinese food I have been to Berlin, Germany I have been to Beruit, Lebanon Write down 2 statements about yourself, 1 must be true one must be false

18. 20 minutes CS 2212 - Winter 200218 Meet Your Group Click here for groups Get into your groups and: Do the 1 false, 1 true statement thing with your group, pick one that will stump the lecturer Find out from each group member where one of theirs grandparents worked and his/her occupation EACH GROUP WILL PICK ONE PERSON TO INTRODUCE THE GROUP AND TELL A COUNTRY WHERE THAT PERSONS GRANDPARENT IS FROM AND WHAT HE/SHE DID FOR A LIVING Fill in your schedule sheet (one for each group member and one for the lecturer). Pick 3 meeting times. Once you have handed me a schedule with 3 meeting times your group can leave.