CISE Senior Project - Suggestions, Midterm, Summer 2000

Students kindly contributed answers to the following survey, and the answers to various questions, along with suggestions and action items are listed below. Please feel free to email the instructor if you have further suggestions or comments.

1. What did you like about the Senior Project course?
   • Gain valuable group experience, opportunities to work one-on-one with knowledgeable professors, work on "real-world" problems.

   • Allows independent study and gives students good insight into project management issues, good practice with oral and written communication.

   • We are given plenty of specifics on what is expected of us.

   • Opportunity to be individually creative, see other projects.

   • Midterm presentations, specific details on deliverables.

   • Being required to produce a project plan.

   • The initial question session was really useful.

   • The class seems to be going well so far. Dr. Schmalz has been very helpful in providing the necessary course information. The Web page has been very helpful, and the professor has been very responsive to email requests.

2. What is wrong with this class, and what could be done to improve it?
   • Need more presentations [9 students said this!]

   • Need forum for more interaction among the students.

   • Specific feedback on presentations. Need a public speaking class for engineering in the curriculum.

   • Have some advisors to critique presentations. Have a podium so it's easier to have notes, etc. Need a remote mouse in the conference room.

   • Project management session needed for some students. Post project management details on Web for those who need it.

   • Would like to have midterm grades, so I know where I stand. Just the final grade is kinda tense.

   • Variable credit (maybe 1-4 credits).

   • Web site to sign up for presentations, because I live off campus and it is hard to get in here for parking. I am applying for highest honors and it has been difficult to determine exactly what the requirements are.

   ACTION ITEMS:

   • More presentations.
   • Forum for student interaction, to be established as a local newsgroup, also several meetings.
   • Project management session with details on Web.

     ACTION TAKEN: In Fall 2000 semester, we will have three presentations instead of two. Also, I asked the system administrator to establish a local newsgroup for students to interact. System staff created uf.cise.class.cis4914, which is local to UF news-servers. In Fall 2000, we will also have sessions in the middle of the semester and toward the end, to help students resolve time and effort management problems.

   • Specific feedback on presentations, some from advisors.
   • Podium and remote mouse.
   • Web site for sign-up, clarification of highest honors.

     ACTION TAKEN: In Fall 2000 semester, I will publish grades for the second midterm presentation. The first presentation will be used for practice. Also I have asked Dr. Wilson to get a podium and remote mouse in CSE/E404.

     It would be a good senior project to build a senior project Web site to monitor student progress, have a chat forum, etc. I will post this as an idea for Fall 2000 Senior Projects. Hopefully, this will be ready by Spring 2001 semester.

   • Need a public speaking class.
   • Class should be variable credit (maybe 1-4 credits).

     ACTION TAKEN: I agree, we need a public speaking class, and a better technical writing class. These need to be offered toward the end of the third year, so students will have the details fresh in their minds. Also, I agree that this should be a variable credit class. Unfortunately, there are many political problems (not in the CISE Department) that have mitigated against these changes being implemented quickly. However, I have asked the Curriculum Committee to consider your requests, and will bring these matters up at the faculty meetings this Fall Semester. That is about all I can do, as I am just a faculty member, not a political bigwig.

     One last comment - Some students expressed concern that the grading system for the course was too heavy on my evaluation of your presentations. Upon reflection, I agree. So, in the Fall Semester, we will have the grades weighted 50% advisor, 50% course supervisor. And, my grade will be comprised of a graded midterm presentation, graded final presentation, and graded final report.

Thank you for your suggestions and ideas! You highlighted some deficiencies that I was unaware of, and have provided valuable feedback that will help enhance the course for many semesters in the future.

Best wishes for successful completion of your respective projects!