From the Syllabus:
"Evaluation of the product
The evaluation of the product should refer directly to the success criteria in criterion A, feedback from the client/adviser, as well as any other appropriate feedback obtained."
| 5–6 | The product is fully evaluated against the success criteria identified in criterion A including feedback from the client/adviser. Recommendations for further improvement of the product are realistic. |
Mr Rayworth Instructions:
(An overall key point from past grading: Make sure you reference the client feedback. It has to be clear that what you are basing your recommendations on is from the client. Some of the recommendations could come from you alone, but in a perfect world all would come from the client. Just make sure that most of the recommendations are from the client. So either direct quotes, or references to an interview, for example.)
(An overall key point # 1 from past grading: Do make sure to paste in Stage A - Criteria for Success, don't just refer to it.)
(An overall key point # 2 from past grading: You are once again required to include a word count for the complete Criterion E.)
Step 1: Criteria For Success Table
Make a table, for example, in which you copy and paste your Criteria for Success. And then comment one way or the other about whether or not you achieved that criteria.
- If you accomplished any given criteria, there is no need to do a whole lot of commenting about it, but always try to write something beyond just "Accomplished".
- If you did not accomplish any given criteria, you for sure need to write a sentence or two explaining why you did not. This is a good and natural part of any big project like this; it is usually unrealistic to expect everything to have been accomplished perfectly.
- And if you went beyond what you had planned, or changed what was planned, this also should be explained and justified, and hopefully with respect to your client's wishes and needs.
Step 2: Build and Distribute the Program
Video of how to build the executable file for distribution from Netbeans.
(If you have trouble with this step, for now, then for Step 3, you can just take your laptop to your client and show them the product via running in Netbeans etc. But sooner or later, before upload to the IB, this needs to be done.)
Build and zip your dist folder of your program and either hand deliver it to your client, or e-mail it to them - and don't forget instructions to not change the locations of the files and folders within the dist folder (which you should re-name as your program's name).
And remember that with making the "Build", you first have to go to the Properties and select the main main method (probably the one in your GUI.)
Step 3: Get Feedback
Get feedback from your client. This is primarily what you will base your recommendations on, so that your recommendations are realistic, as required to get full marks for this.
Suggested Approaches:
Option 1: A Live Interview
If you can do this, it's probably best. But, still, do prepare some questions ahead of time, so it's just not "So what do you think?" sort of thing. (See below for ideas.) As with the other interviews, you may record the audio of your interview, but you need a written transcript as an appendix.
And with the live interview, run the program with them and watch how they use it and look for any problems with the way they do so.
Option 2: Via e-mail
If you were able to get the JAR application produced, you can e-mail both that and the video from Criterion D to show them how it works. And, after they have been given an opportunity to try it out a bit, you can arrange to interview them.
Along with this, you could also come up with some questions and e-mail them to your client. Maybe even have them answer according to a 1 to 5 scale. And in this case, you could even use your success criteria as the points they are evaluating you on.
Option 3: Zoom etc.
This, in fact, may be the best of both worlds. It offers convenience, but it's interactive. You could even include the screen recording or just the audio recording in your IA appendix.
Question to Consider
Whether over e-mail etc., or live, here are some things to consider investigating/asking.
- whether they think you have achieved the various criteria for success
- things they like best, or don't like
- was it like they expected; how so or how not
- things they would like improved
- ask them about particular ways particular things work
- recommendations for improvement, including how important those requests are, and possibly realistic they would consider them to be from their perspective.
Step 4: Recommendations for Improvement from the Client
From the Syllabus:
"The student will use the feedback and the evaluation of the specific performance criteria to recommend possible future developments to the product. These recommendations should explain the benefits of these developments."
Table form
One way to do this could be a three column table:
| Recommendation for Improvement | Benefits | Why/how Realistic |
|---|---|---|
| The client said that "blah, blah, blah, la, la la...". | This would be a great idea, since da, da, da.... | This is realistic, since it's something I've done before, and it fits right in with the OOP nature of my program. |
| The client had an idea that we could ".....".... | Super idea, because... | It would be difficult, but I'm pretty sure I could do it, as my friend did the same thing with their IA. |
Narrative form
You could also do this in a more in narrative form, like the exemplar.
For example:
The client said that "blah, blah, blah, la, la la...". This would be a great idea, since da, da, da....This is realistic, since it's something I've done before, and it fits right in with the OOP nature of my program.
Realistic
But one way or the other, you need to be sure the recommendations are realistic, and that both you and the client are involved in that determination.
One way to get a conversation about recommendations going is to go over your extensibility/To Do list with them, and get their feedback on those ideas. This will likely prompt other ideas and recommendations.
Referenced
****But a BIG THING**** here is you HAVE TO REFERENCE your conversation/interview with your client when you showed them the finished, or almost finished, product. Direct quotes, or footnotes, or something.
Appendix or in-document
In terms of where the interview appears, as before, you can make it an appendix, but there's always the option of keeping it right in your E document, at the bottom. Though if you choose that option, be sure to put a statement along the lines of "Interview Does Not Count in Word Count" by it.