Dissertation Completed!

My dissertation:
A Comparative Analysis of Teaching Environments for Java Programming.

An extract . . . . .

Abstract:

The aim of this report is to investigate some of the most popular pedagogical and development environments and to determine how successful they are in assisting novice programmers in learning Java programming and object-oriented principles. A set of criteria will be drawn from reviewed literature as well as careful consideration of the challenges facing novices. This report will document the literature, the criteria and summarise the findings of the evaluation.

This dissertation starts by considering computer programming and its role within Computer Science. It gives an overview of how programming has been taught and covers the various approaches and research in this area. The report then focuses specifically on how pedagogical environments have developed over the years. The dissertation then looks at a set of pedagogical environments and evaluates each of them against set criteria drawn from literature and research. This evaluation is undertaken against a background of two things. Firstly, acceptance that learning to program is a difficult task. Secondly, the nuances and principles of object oriented programming need to be conveyed to students. These factors ultimately determine the influence and contribution that each of the pedagogical environments might make in assisting novice programmers successfully master both Java programming and object oriented principles.

Key Findings:
Alice is an outstanding pedagogical environment, well suited to introduce novices to object oriented (OO) principles.
BlueJ excels in removing some of the complexity of the syntax of Java programming, allowing simple interaction with classes and successfully introduces OO principles.
DrJava is a useful lightweight development environment and one of its advantages is that it can be used as a plug-in to simplify the Eclipse environment.
Jeliot is outstanding in its ability to automatically animate Java programs without any additional input. It also has a useful pedagogical tool that can automatically generate questions about the code that is being animated.
jGRASP is both a pedagogical as well as a development environment which has many features including, UML and animation viewers, to assist novices.
Eclipse is easily the most professional development environment evaluated.


“We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.”

Marcel Proust.
http://www.quotationspage.com

Acknowledgements To:

Murray Wood, my supervisor, for constant guidance and encouragement as well as football banter.
Judi for her forbearance, understanding and words of encouragement, ‘Work hard.’
My Parents (Tom & Nancy) – without whom – let’s face it - I wouldn’t be here.
www.Somafm.com for keeping me sane and introducing me to some amazing new music.

Handed in Thursday 6 September, 2007. Hard to believe that I started both this course and this Blog 1 year ago . . . . how time has flown.

I Hit Strathclyde running - My 1st Blog entry

Dissertation; London; Photo's; Tour de France

Photo's - My Project Plan - rest devoted to Tour de France - 1)Fabian Cancellera - overall leader Yellow jersey; 2) David Millar - King of the Mountains (top with measles) 3) Robbie McEwan wins stage 4) peleton Goldhurst hill 5) Rochester Pipe Band - courtesy of Le Guardian & a cartoon of Brown who apparently wants to scupper the super casino blueprint . . .cartoon by Steve Bell

Let's start of with my project plan - this is my dissertation blueprint - and if you have a good look you'll see - I hit a milestone today - Literature Review and I am pleased to say I am more or less on target . . .Aha! your saying what the hell does that mean either you are or your not - I am!

What I've decided to do is to stretch my literature review across 2 chapters - 1st one being more general and the 2nd being specifically concentrating on IDE's and there own story - not sure may find there is a lot of overlap and end up with one big lit review chapter - my supervisor and myself will consider once we have it in some semblance of order . . .have to wait and see in the interim - I am very pleased to be more or less on target.



The approach I have followed is sort of a reductionist approach - there is so much to cover so keep trying to break it down into ever smaller parts - still not sure the sequence / flow is entirely correct and my criteria needs more work . . . brilliant article by Hristova on the generic errors / misconceptions students make in Java programming anyway . .I'll keep you posted . .

Extensive research - reading reading reading . . . . . read it a number of times - so often you basically know the article when you open it up . . . . this introduces you to the subject - take snippets as you go along . . . . eventually - independently you decide what your chapter should look like - slot what you have into the various categories - my chapter skeleton / outline - then takes shape - and its a matter of classifying everything into one of the identified sections within a chapter. Well that's how I am approaching it at the moment.

I realise now there is just no way I would have been able to cope with the O2 job and still keep on track with my dissertation . . .sad but true - I know I waste time but you can't just work all the time . . .

Anyway off to London this weekend - what did I say you can't just work all the time . . . lol - pushing it a bit - I am taking my notebook and will be working - yes, working whilst down in London - I will lose some time travelling but don't foresee a problem - might be different story last day before I hand in - OH woe is me why did I travel to London - as I say I am on target and have another weekend in August planned as well. Judi is attending a 3 day acupuncture workshop in London - so this is why we are really going down - I'm sort of tagging along and intend (as I said) working - although Sam & I will be out shopping on Sunday whilst Judi is on course - then we plan to have a celebratory barbecue as Sam (my daughter) has just bought a house in Ealing, London - (will save all those mad searches on the Internet for hotels . .lol) so willing be looking forward to seeing her and the house and Hud (her boyfriend) - now Judi no doubt will want my body in the evenings - to stick needles in to me that is - except she doesn't need needles - skilled in the martial arts - she'll be poking her fingers into me no doubt . . . there is only so much a man can take . . .


What else on the go . . . was reading an article describing 'The Political Brain by Drew Westen' For this is no partisan rant of the Michael Moore variety. Westen is a professor of psychology and psychiatry with a specialist's grasp of the science of the mind, not least the cognitive processes by which people absorb information. Through clear, repeatable experiments, rather than focus group hunch or vox pop anecdote, he establishes that "the political brain is an emotional brain". Voters make up their minds not by weighing the competing claims of different parties and deciding which best suits their interests, but by how they feel. They are not "desiccated calculating machines", as Nye Bevan famously cast Hugh Gaitskell, rationally estimating the likely utility for themselves or society by choosing policy A over policy B. Instead, they think with their guts.

Westen's evidence comes from his measuring of the brain activity of people assessing political information. The circuits that are activated are not those associated with logical reasoning but those that regulate emotion. Nor is this confined to the politically unaware or under-educated. Research shows that smart people think with their guts as much as anyone else.



It means that when politicians speak, they trigger a neural network of associations, positive or negative, and these associations owe more to emotion than reason. Indeed, some of these are all but hardwired, the product of thousands of years of evolution. The trick for politicians is to ensure they tap into the positive while associating their opponents with the negative.



More worrying still, Brown could easily be a British version of the Gore of 2000: in command of the facts, correct on all the big strategic questions, yet awkward with people and dull to listen to on TV. Meanwhile, Cameron maps easily on to Bush - a son of great privilege, born with a silver spoon, yet somehow able to present himself as an affable, regular guy.

Well that is probably not everyone's cup of tea . . . . hmmm!


Some photo's I took during the week - prepare yourself for some London photo's next week - might capture those prodding fingers . . .lol

Bowling old harbour

Read about the house - going for a snip in the states -
at £85m - 29 bedrooms - wow

Other links I came across this week:

Water Babies

Hilary Clinton - YouTube1

Hilary Clinton - YouTube2

Nanotechnology

Future of Digital Media

Blair; Brown; Flooding; Save Net Radio; Post; Grass; Mini-Me; Jeliot

Well there we are another week draws to an end - what have I been up to and what is happening in the world around me - hmmm! now let's see . . .

In the world around me it has to be the terrible floods down South - North East of England - the picture is of Worcestshire and as you can see they have flood defences in place - areas like Sheffield were not so lucky - supposedly the wettest June - I nearly wrote winter - but of course its Summer - I keep forgetting. Speaking of which I met Petr today and he is from Czech Republic - and I was asking him whether he liked Scotland and he said yes nice weather - I had to ask him again to make sure I had hear him correctly - but he says it is nice and mild here - never gets too cold he is used to -28 degrees in winter - 2m of snow etc., - so enjoys the mild weather in Scotland.

Blair - they finally managed to get him out of No 10 - kicking and screaming I believe - he has been interviewed by the police since leaving - cash for honours row continues. Brown now in power - can he be any worse - OK, I know I could rue the day I said that . . lol yes we'll see - I am not convinced by him yet - just a trifle too nervous and or controlled for my liking - anyway I hope he surprises us all but I am not holding my breath - the cynic that I am. As for making Blair special peace envoy for the middle east - give me a break - he doesn't stand a chance in hell - they have given hima big drum and set him loose in the field - and occaisionally we will hear a bloody noise - but he has no credibility on the ground and as Bush goes will loose all support in the end - I do not see a continued role for Balir like Clinton - Hilary stands a good chance of getting in - no don't even think of mentioning it to Cherie.

There is a major prblem facing Internet radio stations like congress in America - actually some large businesses in States are pressurising congress to pass a bill so that they have to pay millions in royalties . . to these businesses - Wednesday 27 June - all the Internet radios played no music in protest and played an appeal which repeated itself all day asking people in America to contact their congressmen to counter this bill - very annoying for the likes of me who just wanted to listen to music - but very effective at the end of the day . . . hopefully enough people contacted their congressment so that I can continue to listen to my favourite station.




Well I am still hard at work on my dissertation. It looks like the environments I will be having a look at are:

• BlueJ


• Eclipse


• DrJava


• Jeliot


• JGrasp


• Alice

Each has its own advantages - at the moment if I had to make a quick guess I'd say a hybrid of Jeliot & Alic in the very beginning because of what they both offer by means of visualisation and make the learning part fun to start with and BlueJ as the actual editor in the first year and probably migrating to Eclipse in year two - when the programs become more involved and students are more used to and understand things a lot better. But we will keep an open mind and see where things take us. Alice is a uique story-telling tool - whenre you compose a story by means of what is avaiable to you - but you are actually programming all the time. Jeliot actually illustrates all the algoritms and BlueJ gives you UML type diagrams and hide some of the complexity of the syntax from you.

I wanted to send some football tops to Arran, my son, (picture in right) for his birthday 15 July - walked over to the post office thinking I'll just insure it as they are notoriously bad in South Africa - when it comes to stealing the post etc., (apologies for generalising) - but blow me over when the postmaster said no problem but I can't insure as they are not prepared to take that chance - so I can send it but they won't insure the goods because there is a good chance it will not arrive on the other side. Turns out Jessila, my ex, knows of someone coming to Glasgow and she will ask them if they are prepared to take it for me - thank goodness - otherwise it would have to have waited until I go over in March next year.

I have been a BAD BOY - since last year I have been refusing to cut my grass - I went the whole of last year / season - I was working in Edinburgh remember - and I refused to cut it - I offered to pay if the housing would do it - they said OK but then backed out saying no they don't do that - anyway cut a long story short (that is what this is about) - the housing chapped on the door and told me that I am actually no longer in accordance with my tennancy agreement and they will have to write me up / send me somethign or just kick me out - not sure which - I half heartedly argued but in the end had to admit that I had had a good innings and Tuesday I got out there and cut me grass - its still a bit of a mess - takes a few cuts before it will start to take shape but it went from wiast height to ankle height - so I'll play the game now and try and more or less keep at this length.

Just back from the Bellsmyre Blue Chip Computer Club AGM - an excuse for a barbecue - I always enjoy one and tonight was no exception - nice to see everyone again - would not have know about it had Isabell not mentioned it to me recently. Some new faces - Jean's daughter amongst them . . . .

Went to Ndebele last week Saturday a South African shop where I can stock on Mrs Balls chutney - now to South Africans - Mrs Balls is to us what HP sauce used to be to the British or - vegemite is to the New Zealanders' - and to top it all according to Judi she is happy to have found them as they make a mean cup of coffee . . . we had breakfast there . . .

Some of the photo's I suppose need some explanation - opposite is a photo from the Guardian - ala a photo competition and it was about Australia and this Roo in a phone booth won it - looks as if he was just looking for some shade . . . probably just made a quick phone call - no doubt a blind date! Blair leaving Downing street - Blair being parachuted into save the Middle East (Steve Bell) - yeah right! Mini Me - is actually a Scottsih company WeeWorld - who advertised for Graduate programmers at our Dept at university - the rest is history - or rather Mini Me - some screen shots of my dissertation Java environments . . . Mont St Michel (Philip Plisson) - where I believe you really have to keep an eye on the tide - Mags reminded me of this - a place I'd really love to go to still - and will . . . . lastly flooding in Worcestershire.

iGoogle; New Dawn; Solstice;

Did you know you can personalise your Google home page - and yes this would be the general page for Scotland - raining - but it knows my post code and changes the picture accordingly to more or less reflect the current weather - it is linked to my weather setting on the home page - this woudl be the bus stop theme there are others .

Photo's - iGoogle; amazing photo from Guardian - just looks like one dog is looking at another; Groove Salad me Internet radio station & Summer Solstice - in keeping with the solstice and Stonehenge - I've included some, of my own, pictures pictures from Lewis - Callanish Stones - as well as bay which is right next to Butt's End - the split rock is on Harris.

Some links you may (or not) enjoy -
Guardian - pictures sent in by readers
flixxy video's - well worth checking out - I'll let you decide which one's to watch . . .

My favourite Internet radio station the Groove Salad channel - it is great for background music for me whilst busy writing my dissertation - allows me to think without being obtrusive - its always on in the background - sometime listening for 12+ hours at a stretch - well go away and come back again sometimes . . .

Today is the summer solstice at the moment outside I am hearing loud peels of thunder and it looks like it may pour at any time.









One of yon email questionnaires - sent to me by Benita:

1.What time did you get up this morning? 08:45!!!

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds I suppose - not really keen on either but if I must choose

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Exiled (Korean / Chinese - Johnny To film)

4. What is your favorite TV show? Heroes - love it - reinforces my belief that anyone can do anything

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? try to vary it - corn flakes or toast cup of coffee

6. What is your middle name? John

7. What food do you dislike? trifle - can't really think of anything else

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Malomobo - Pele Pele

9 What kind of car do you drive? Nissan Micra

10. Favorite sandwich? Peanut butter & Apricot Jam

11. What characteristic do you despise? Intolerance / Ignorance - People who just blindly lash out but don't really know anything - bias

12. Favorite item of clothing? new pair of jeans I just bought

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Croatia - Dubrovnik; Mexico - Cancun

14. Favorite past pet? Whiskey - Cat

15. Where would you retire to? House on a cliff with lovely sea views - on one of the islands in Scotland

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Den Anker Cape Town; Kubhla Khan last year & of course Judi spoilt me rotten this year

17. Favorite sport to watch? Foooootball!

18. Furthest place you are sending this to? New Zealand

19. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? I have no control over other people

20. Person you expect to send it back first? Entirely up to them

21. Favorite saying? In my opinion . . . or albeit

22. When is your birthday? 17 March

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Hoots mon! - A night owl

24. What is your shoe size? 8,5

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Expecting news very soon which may fundamentally change my life - study related

26. What did you want to be when you were little? Interior Designer; Journalist - hey I would still like to do both . . .lol !

27 What is your favorite candy? Kinder Bueno

28. What is your favorite flower? vygie - Portulaca grandiflora

29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? handing in my completed dissertation towards the end of August; Pat Metheny - next weekend Friday; Barcelona vs Hearts 28 July; 23 Sept Scotland vs New Zealand - Rugby World Cup

30. What is your full name? Andrew John McKenzie

31. What are you listening to right now? http://somafm.com/ - Groove Salad

32. Do you wish on stars? Yes

33. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue

34. What is the weather right now? Its About 15 degrees - sun struggling to come through and it is of course the Summer Solstice

35. Last person you talked to on the phone? Judi

36. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes – I do

37. Favorite soft drink? Diet Coke

38 Hair Colour: Dark Brown

Hang hang on what's going on 'ere then - 39 has made a break for it ?????

40. Favorite day of the year? Not sure - no one specific day - a number of them

41. What was your favorite toy as a child? minuature soldiers - used to get those boxes with different armies . . .

42. Summer or winter? Depends where you are - I enjoy the warm weather when we get it here in Scotland

43. Hugs or kisses? Kisses . . (but like hugs . . .I'll never forget when I was active in teh unions and was fired by Telkom - it was a joke initially but almost 2 months later I was still not back in company and had no money coming in - mortgage to pay etc., - Anyway long story but I was re-instated as if I had never been fired - Geoff Blomkamp came up to me when I walked back in at work and gave me a hug - well I could have cried right there . . . but I was a man - I should have!)

44. Chocolate or Vanilla? I agree vanilla ice-cream - but I am partial to a wee bit of chocolate now and again>

45. Do you want your friends to email you back? Naturally!!

46. When was the last time you cried? When I thought about my story about being hugged . . .

47. What is under your bed? thank goodness I have no space otherwise it would be full of rubbish

48. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Sharon we were at school together - lost touch then met up again

49. What did you do last night? watched the new Pirates of the Caribbean - a pirate copy of course

50. Favorite smell? freshly brewed ground coffee - a barbecue (nostalgia).

51. What are you afraid of? losing belief in myself and in my ability to do whatever I set my mind to

52. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn? Buttered & a wee bit of salt

53. How many keys on your key ring? about 5!

54. How many years at your current job? student for the last 8 months

55. Favorite day of the week? depends - don't really have one

56. How many towns have you lived in? 2 Cape Town & Glasgow - can I count Dumbarton as 3 now??

57. Do you make friends easily? My initial reaction Yes, I can speak to anyone - but now I'm thinking friends? I still think yes

58. How many people will you be sending this to? Not sure some will not be impressed - think I have nothing better to do . . . .lol - yes that was you I was thinking of Judi

59. What is your pet peeve? People who just think about themselves - not a care in the world and often oblivious to the fact

60. How many friends will actually send a response to this Questionnaire? we will see how many friends we have . . .lol

PhD Apps; Dissertation; Dinner; Geordie's Myre;

Pictures - most of them Harvie Nichols - shop windows - and if you look carefully they are self-portraits as well. Connor decided my mop of hair was the place to be and sat on / made himself comfortable for a wee while - until mike left the kitchen and took Connor with him - otherwise he might still be on my head. Firth of the Forth in the background.

Well the last bit of my title comes from an old song - an old folk song - I don't know it - can't really recall it but these words have been going round my head the last day or two . . .something about mucking about in Geordie's mire (just a bit of poetic licence in the title . . .) - what does it mean - not sure - I don't know - well now your probably baffled . . . . ???? Don't ask me I'm only the piano player so to speak . . .

Last week was a funny week - I was still struggling to find my feet - my topic for the dissertation had been allocated and I had decided enough 'faffing around' - I voted for it i.e. my first choice - I was lucky enough to be allocated the topic - loads of people were given there 2nd and even 3rd choice - or that's what they are saying - so who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth - where have I heard that line before . . . lol - so I decided to knuckle down and run with it . . . .

I started by reading the book Writing your Dissertation written by Derek Swetnam that I had bought and found it to be a useful introduction to getting started. Plenty of useful tips and pointers / things to guard against and watch out for. Armed with this I was able to draw up a projected plan with rough guides as to when I should hopefully have finished various sections of my work - so I have a number of milestones and I will have to try and stick to them - my first milestone should be towards the end of next week . . . I foresee a lot of hard work between now and then . . .

I have set up my first official meeting with my supervisor and will discuss focus and structure with him on Tuesday - this will become a weekly event - to ensure that I stay on track.

I have sent off an number of applications now for my PhD
1) University College Dublin - OJAX++
2) Loughborough University near Leicester - Health Care tracking
3) Glamorgan University (near Cardiff) - Computing Education & Learning
4) Paisley University - Games-Based Learning
and await feedback. Its a big step - it will be a lot of work - I believe if I don't do it now I will never get round to doing it . . . so I am highly motivated to continue studying now that I have started . . .

Judi had some things on the weekend so never saw her - Sunday morning though she phoned me and invited me over for dinner - which I accepted - she had cleared the kitchen and she & I had a lovely candlelit evening - the boys drifted in and out once or twice but basically we were left to our own devices and it was quite a change - we are usually left to our own devices - it was just nice and I was made to feel very special . . . a lovely evening.

Monday night my computer drop-inn class and I found out that Alan has a doctorate - which was quite amazing - we have spoken about football once or twice but never really connected - he obviously has a passion for football and come to think of it seemed to have extensive knowledge of Rome - just shows you how prejudicial we are some times and now when he told me he has a doctorate I suddenly saw him in another light - I immediately respected him academically and for the first time perhaps saw Alan the person as opposed to Alan the person who checks up on me as to whether my time-sheets are up to date and my class register has been filled in etc., . . . a lesson there I think.

So not the most exciting week . . . and most of my weeks from now on will be head down and hard work . . . all necessary to get me where I need to be - if only our results would come out now - interested to see how my software construction went . . . more Java . . . not to mention Artificial Intelligencia . . lol

Nearly forgot went for my O2 interview with the agency Randstadt - turned out to be a bit of a waste of time - they phoned me and interviewed me telephonically on Monday afternoon and by the time I got to them 14h30 on Wednesday all - yes all the positions had been filled ????? They are now talking about end of July beginning of August before they will take anyone on again ????
Anyway I had time to kill before the interview and went into Borders as the interview was in Buchanan Street anyway - I even had a suit and tie on - wow first time in ages . . . didn't even wear one for my Mum's birthday . . . anyway went for coffee at Borders and on the way a book jumped off the rack at me the Secret by Rhonda Byrne well to cut a long story short - you probably will go to the web site (link) but it is all about your thoughts creating your own destiny and to prove it all after the interview I was telling Judi about the book and I was telling her about its all about thinking it and it will manifest itself and low and behold what happened - in the middle of Buchanan Street - I found £5 - amazing don't you think - you be the judge of that.

So long folks!

All roads lead to

Rome of course - Once the centre of the World as we knew it . . . Lots to see - and do - too many restaurants to try out - but almost without a doubt somewhere that I will return to . . . .

I've taken loads of photo's - need to just sift through and decide which are the best - if I had to choose just a few that is - will post a few more on webshots as well - will post link as well.

Rome Photo Album - click here

Had to leave my window as shown in last week's blog whilst I was away as the earliest they could do it was on Tuesday - no good for me as I explained - took some of my more valuable possessions i.e. my computers to my Mum's for safe-keeping and hoped and prayed for the best . . . . and it was fine.

I know I should just be getting on with my dissertation but for one reason or another I am finding it very difficult to get any direction at the moment - what has happened is we had to vote for topics that we wanted to do and also we are awaiting our marks to hear whether we are able to continue to Masters level - now I obviously do not have a crystal ball but I would assume that I have achieved the minimum of 50 % and more 1st attempt for each exam and or assignment or project - what am I waiting for basically:
a) Project Methodology
b) Software Construction
c) Designing Usable Systems
d) 2nd part of e-Commerce
e) Artificial Intelligence

once we have these marks we would know ourselves where we stood - but need confirmation that we have been nominated to continue with our dissertation. Then secondly we had to vote for our topics - I voted for one - and chose another 3 as back up in case my first choice was not available - I have subsequently got another topic and seem to be oscillating between my top two which are all about teaching Java programming and now my new option which is about the visualisation of search results . . . I need to make my decision as I am going to apply for PhD studentships and in my opinion the topic could be quite important in this regard.




So I just feel I am in limbo at them moment as I don't know what is happening one way or another - when I had my exams - no problem I could sit here and study non stop for days . . . but at the moment I'm just seem to be tredding water . . . . lol - Oh well, I imagine it will all change within a very short space of time as soon as the results become known. - Needless to say I'll keep you posted.

Some useless - interesting information - according to my new source www.petrolprices.com
---------------------------------------------
Station : Dunglass Service Station, Dumbarton Road, Milton, Dumbarton
Brand : Esso
Distance: 2.81 miles
Price : 95.9p
Updated : 03-06-2007
---------------------------
This is the cheapest petrol around here . . . . penny wise pond foolish they say . . .

Blackness; A week of deadlines - DUS; MedioPlus; Java;

Well its another week and as promised here are a few Blackness photo's - OK technically they were not taken this week - don't tell anyone though . . . went for a walk with Mandy, Zack (our canine friend - a wee bit overweight - so he needed the walk - I can't talk) Judi & I - was a lovely neck of the woods - don't know it so it was a novel experience for me. Photo's: above me the famous Blackness Castle; Blackness the village & Marina; Judi after the walk; lovely colour from the flowers; looking out across to the Forth Road & Railway bridge; a tree trunk in the woods; Blackness Castle through the trees (as seen from the other side); my walk mates leading the way (me & my camera - continually stopping to click here and there) - A solitary tree that caught our eye.


Well its another week behind me - the end of the semester fast approaches - its been a hard week - 1 research paper - 2 presentations & 1 practical assignment with detailed report - I thought the report was a formality with the focus being on the code - but then I reread the spec - guess what it says a brief description of your program 10 pages I nearly died . . .on the spot . . .so bottom-line I never got the program to work - I think I was close - I know your saying a miss is as good as a mile . . .but I'm getting ahead of myself - that all happened on Friday - lets get back to last weekend . . .
Well Judi and I had discussed things and decided, realistically I had far too much work for us to see each other last weekend - she would end up feeling guilty and God forbid I didn't make any of my deadlines . . . a treacherous slope and easy to say its fine I'll manage . . . in retrospect as much as I didn't like it it was the correct decision - there is just no way I would ahve been able to cope - I worked last week solid - I was off the whole week - went in once for a meeting and that was it . . .

Anyway this week kicked off with AI on Monday - it was revision class and shhh! but some of it is actually making sense - I think if I now took the course again it would all fall into place - sadly that will not happen and my exam is on May 2nd - next weekend is looking more and more like another weekend where Judi & I will only see each other briefly . . . . Monday afternoon met with my e-Commerce team mates - they all showed up this time and I was able to share with them what my vision was and the presentation . . . all in prep for our initial presentaion for Tuesday . . . I nearly fainted when Murvin told me he had not started his DUS research papaer which had to be handed in the next day . . .I told him I had been working on it solid for a week and the formatting alone had taken me 1/2 a day - so I wished him good luck.

Tuesday morning - after a long night preparing the said research paper for hand-in was the launch of MedioPlus - our e-Commerce online music / tv / film / sporting & corporate and special events company - presentation was not flawless - but went down well . . . basically need some more work - everyone presented and all involved - meeting Monday next week to finalise material for hand in on Tuesday and sort out presentation . . . . Afternoon went well - was a wee bit nervous and at last minute PowerPoint played up on Mac . . .some of the slides images went a weird blue colour instead of white . . . . Murvin did not make it and by Friday was still working on it and had not handed in . . . we were given a mark out of 18 for research paper & out of 7 for presentation . . . Murvin did not do either so must have lost the 7 marks already . . .Oh well each to their own . . .

I was totally exhausted and knew I still had to finish my prgramming and write my report for Friday moring hand-in . . . couldn't work Tuesday evening - I contacted Murv and asked if he would help me on Thursday with program - he agreed and it was Wednesady evening before I was able to start report - to cut a long story short finished report Friday morning 10h30 and handed in - as I was saying code does not work but most of it is there - justhope what is there and my report pull me through.


Wednesday was just AI and Peter turned up with model answers - which sometimes left me more confused . . . that's AI for you - I did ask manay a question and received many an answer - sometimes when you don't know enough you can't ask meaningful questions . . .

Anyway - next week - have e-Commerce final presntation and hand-in portfolio which documents each week and how idea developed . . . Friday - presentation for Research Methodology + Essay and inbetween study for AI exam - hope to answer an old AI exam paper and hand it in for marking . . .

That was the week that was my life . . . - Judi here for the weekend - thank goodness . . . . lol - I missed her. . . .

Cyber Twin - Second Life - Hard at Work . . believe it or not

This week's photo's - lets see - starts off in Gourock / Port Glasgow - a memorial to old viking ship - what looks like a customs boat on patrol ?? - then it's further along the coast to Wemyss Bay - lots of nostalgia for me - my Gran had a B&B in Rothesay and this was where we always got the ferry across . . .funny how certain things stick in your memory - rushing down this wooden walkway for the ferry . . . then its Largs ferry - the church of Scotland & a yacht at sea - the view from the MacDougall Brisbane bridge over a river full of rocks - then its back into Glasgow the Doulton fountain and & an old carpet factory built in the architectural style of a Venitian Palace - don't ask me??? (next week Blackness) -

OK - always experimenting - that's me - with IT and new software, that is Judi . . try this out - see what you think - look's promising . . . . feedback welcome . . .

After a bit of messing about - I have now chosen the picture of Roy (Rutger Hauer) from the BladeRunner film - he was a replicant in this film (If you haven't seen it - do yourself a favour and get it) basically a robot - one of my all time favouite films and it has stood up well to time . . .

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Its been a busy week for me in terms of study - and I've being doing plenty of it - Judi & I agreed not to see each other that's how serious it was . . . lol. SO what have I been doing well I have a research paper to present on Handheld & Mobile Internet Browsers for Designing Usable Systems - seems to ahve taken forever to get it together . . .anyway its finished - that's for Tuesday - I have a presentation for e-C0ommerce - my iMedio idea - the all singing all dancing Internet based company for legal high quality music / films / TV / Sports & Corporate events - a £2.5m budget to get us going but once we are up and running there will be no stopping us . . . Apart from this just (OK only just started AI - found great material on Wikipedia ) also Java to be handed in on Friday that still needs quite a bit of work - and I am also working on my Research Methodology - assignment due in on 27 April - AI exam is just around the corner and I need a lot of work there still - I estimate about 10 days solid study needed there - which I am not going to get but hey! I will make it . . .its a purely theoretically based subject . . .but I am on it.

Other development this week was signing up for my Second Life avitar . . .that is the cartoon type picture that is me (Woodruff) taken in Second Life . . . I'll keep you posted of this as it goes along - I am looking at doing my dissertation on this - possible developing an online training presence and developing the material for this - could do it as a pilot for some company and then evaluate its effectiveness - I'll need to start working on that as soon as possible - makes sure I know what I am doing and then take it from there . . . get a technology based company that is willing to get there staff to undertake some training in this environment - loads to learn and research still . . .just round the corner though.






















The last part of What the rest of the World knows about South Africa

Q: Does it ever get windy in South Africa? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK)

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.


Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? (USA)

A: Depends how much you've been drinking or sniffing.


Q: I want to walk from Durban to Cape Town - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)

A: Sure, it's only two thousand kilometres. Take lots of water.


Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in South Africa? (Sweden)

A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Thats all for this week . . . .