27 Defining the hardware, software and testing strategy [Component 1, B3, Create an initial design] Introductory activities Students think about which software products they are familiar with and which ones could be used to develop a user interface design. Students consider which other software products available to them in school would be better to use. Main session activities Students are introduced to the different technical requirements they should consider when starting a project, such as what hardware and software they are going to need. Students work in pairs to select one piece of software that can be used to create smartphone apps. Students research the system hardware requirements of their chosen software and what peripheral devices can be used to operate it. Students give examples of how they can use each peripheral device within the software. Students work in pairs and discuss the software requirements for the homepage given in the GameExchange123 project brief. Students are introduced to test strategies and what they include. For example, how testing will be carried out, how much time should be spent testing, who will be involved, what methods should be used, how errors will be fixed and when tests will be completed. Students work in pairs and discuss other features that could be included in the test strategy. Plenary activities Students explain how to identify the software and hardware requirements for a project. Students explain the term ‘test strategy’. Students identify the features included in a test strategy. GameExchange123 case study (see Appendix A). Word-processing software for students to record their findings. 28 Preparation for assessment: recap of Learning aim B Introductory activities Teacher recaps topics covered in Learning aim B. Main session activities Students practise for assessment independently, suggested activities below. Suggested activity 1: students use the most appropriate project planning to plan the different parts of the project outlined in the project brief. Word-processing software for students to record their findings.
Newton, R., Project Management Step by Step: How to Plan and Manage a Highly Successful Project (2nd edition), Pearson, 2016, ISBN 9781292142197 – this book gives useful information about the basics of project management, how to create comprehensive, realistic and manageable project plans and how to resolve issues effectively. Journals Project Management Journal (Project Management Institute) – contains useful information about different project management tools and real-life case studies of small and large projects that have been completed. Also gives information that contributes to the failure of success of each project. User Interface Design Principles for Interaction Design (The MIT Press Journals) – contains useful information about the diversity of users and how the needs of users differ dramatically for people of different generations. Videos Search YouTube for the following videos. 9 Old Baby Using iPad – a video showing a baby using a tablet computer, which helps students to discuss what age they think people start to have a deeper understanding of how user interfaces work. Introduction to UIA: Microsoft's Accessibility API – a useful video showing how to make use of different accessibility features for different user needs. UI Design Process: From Sketch to GUI – a useful video showing how initial ideas are created through sketches and then how they are transformed into an effective user interface. Project Management – Critical Path – Example 1 – a video showing an introduction on how to construct a critical path diagram. How to draw a Gantt Chart in less than a minute – a video showing an introduction on how to construct a Gantt diagram. How to create a PERT chart – a video showing an introduction on how to construct a PERT chart.