ARMPD - Lecture No.30( Risk Management)

Risk Management

Topics of Discussion

•       What is a Risk?
•        Types of Risk
•        Risk Continuum
•        Risk management process
•        What proactive steps which can be taken to avoid it. 

        Activities in Class      

                                     

         -  Discussed The term risk and the types of Risk

         -  Discussed some situations where people take Risk in order to achieve some objective.                              

         - Discussed about the Risk management Process.

 

     Reflection of the Lecture

     Today’s lecture was all about Risk Management. The lecturer explained that Risk taking is a part of every human endeavor. If people aren’t risk takers we wouldn’t have evolve and industrial revolution would have never occurred without it. When the lecturer asked us to define the term risk I came up with my own definition to define it. I presented my definition as “A Risk is an action which has a positive or a negative outcome”. I learnt that there are 3 types of Risk which exists. Namely, Risk detection, avoidance and acceptance. These 3 steps are common for any action taken as a risk by human. Risk management is important for students when it comes for assignments and exams because there is a limited time frame which you need to stick into and within that time frame the appropriate outcome should be delivered. Therefore it is important for all students to manage the Risk.  Figure 31 explains about the Risk management cycle which is applicable for any type of Risk. When a person wants to take a Risk and if he/she follows the above cycle Risk management could be achieved at an optimum level. I also learned how to identify a specific Risk. This lesson I taught today isn’t only applicable on projects but our day to day operations where we try to achieve goals through risk taking.

ARMPD - Lecture No. 29(Software Development Methodologies)

Software Development Methodologies

Topics of Discussion

•          What is a software development methodology
•          Types of methodologies
•         Benefits and drawbacks of methodologies
•      Importance of using a methodology.

Today the lecture was about software development methodologies and i was looking forward to see how the lecture is gonna be carried out because it was done by another lecturer. 

Software development methodologies are important when it comes to creation of software. No matter what the methodology you choose it is important to follow the steps in each methodology in order to achieve the desired outcome. However the developer should choose the appropriate methodology according to the requirement.

Although these methodologies have been learnt in brief in previous modules until The lecturer explained each an every methodology in detail I didn’t have a clear picture of the benefits and drawbacks of each methodology. 

Reflection of the lecture

The lecturer explained that software development methodologies are developed in order to cater to more projects and it doesn’t mention only about a system but also it talks about the process as well. For example if you need to prepare a cake you need to follow a process and you cannot avoid steps in the process. If you do avoid the steps then the cake will not be a success. However in methodologies there are certain steps that can be done simultaneously and there are certain steps that should be done in a sequential manner.above shows about the SDLC which has been evolved around the methodology. I also learnt about the things to consider when selecting a methodology such as scope, Deliverables, Constraints, User involvement and the nature of the project. Overall It was a very successful lecture which contributes majorly towards our final year project.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 28 (Project Management part 2)

Project Management part 2

Today's lecture was an extension of the previous project management lecture. In the project management part 1 lecture we discussed 

• what is a project?
• what is project management?
• Four Phases of Project Management
• Defining Goals
• Project Management Triangle
• How to manage a Project?.

The lecturer carried out the lecture further after discussing the above areas. Today he explained us the importance of breaking down the project into tasks and allocating time and resources to each task. 

The project plan should consist of the following

- How the project is going to be carried out

-  The deliverable of the project 

- The duration of each sub-stage\stage

- Scheduling (Gannt chart, PERT charts and Critical path analysis)

- Tools and techniques

- Change the calendar to reflect time you work on your project.

To allocate time resources to each of the tasks we need to do proper scheduling through a Gannt chart or a PERT Chart. He gave us an activity to do in class. He gave an scenario and asked us to prepare a PERT chart and find out the Critical path, Earliest Starting Time and Latest Finishing time.

After finding the answers to the above he explained that Critical path is the all nodes with 0 slack. Meaning these activities cannot be delayed at any cost. However non critical activities can be slacked or be delayed if necessary.

Next he explained what can be expected from a Project Manager or a Project Supervisor

- Regular Meetings with the Lecturer

- Advice about planing your project

- Advice about the Research Area and resources to find information

However he also explained that students should not expect the supervisor to work for them. 

Reflection of the lecture

Today's lecture was a extend of the previous lecture which we did on Project management. Comparing with the previous lecture in the second lecture there wasn't much areas to cover however from the areas we covered today i got a very thorough knowledge about what should be expected from a Project Supervisor in our Final year. This was very important as students make a negative relationship with the supervisors at the start of the project by not knowing what they should be expecting from the supervisor. It is very important that all students should build a positive relationship with the Project Supervisors and not give them a bad impression. Another important area i refreshed from today's lecture was PERT Chart which is used for scheduling. When relating my idea to the previous lecture of Time Management the important lesson i learned was not to waste time and be more Organized. PERT chart is ideal for Project Scheduling and it will help to manage the time  in a better way. After preparing the PERT chart i got to know that the Critical Activities should not be delayed at any cost which is very important. However another important area i learned today is to manage the project plan. It is a very vital factor in project management. Overall the lecture gave us wide knowledge about Project management and i hope to implement these techniques i learned in my Final year projects.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 27 (Project Management)

Project Management

Today's lecture was about Managing the Projects. The lecturer asked us to explained what Project is before moving into project management.

What is a Project?

A Project consist of a particular Time Frame, Budget and  the ultimate objective of a Project is to work towards the goals and achieve it.

What is a Project Management?

Next we discussed what Project Management is. According to mpug :

" Project management is the science (and art) of organizing the components of a project, whether the project is development of a new product, the launch of a new service, a marketing campaign, or a wedding. A project isn't something that's part of normal business operations. It's typically created once, it's temporary, and it's specific.  A project consumes resources (whether people, cash, materials, or time), and it has funding limits".

 In the discussion we found out that Project Management has four processes.

1. Initiation stage
2. Planning Stage
3. Executing  Stage
4. Monitoring and controlling  Stage
5. Closure 

Initiation

In this stage the project manager explains to his/her team what the project is and what the users hope to achieve by undertaking the project. Initiation stage includes project deliverable meaning the outcomes of the project.

Planning Stage

In  the planning stage the project manager lists all activities and task related to the tasks including how the tasks are related, duration of each task will and how each task is tied to a specific deadline.

Executing  Stage

In this stage project manager is aware of how much resources and budget the project has been allocated. He will assign the resources and allocate the budget to various other tasks in the project.

Monitoring and Controlling  Stage

The project manager is the person in charge of updating all the project plans to reflect actual time elapsed for each and every task. The project manager is able to identify how well the project is progressing overall by keeping up with the details of progress.

Closure

In the stage the project manager and business owner combines the project team and those who have an interest in the deliverable of the project(stakeholders)

Project scope and Feasibility was the next topic we discussed in class.

Project scope will clearly identify the boundaries meaning what the project will do and will not do while Feasibility study checks whether the project is worthwhile to pursue. Under Feasibility 

- Operational Feasibility

- Economic Feasibility

- Schedule Feasibility

Defining Goals/Aims

The goals should Consist of SMART factors discussed in the previous lectures.

Once a project has started the PM has to monitor the  changes and check the impact on planned time, cost and quality of the product

The project management Triangle

In the project management Triangle there are 3 main important factors.

- Scope

- Time

- Cost

The project managers have to balance these 3 constraints if they want to get a positive and a quality deliverable out of the project. If u increase scope you might want to adjust the cost and time according to it in order to balance it so that it will not go out of shape.

Then we discussed about how to  manage the projects. Under that we discussed few important point such as 

- identify what activities your going to perform

- Work to series of check points(time to time check quality assurance)

- Control project

- Ensure projects scheduled at earliest possible date with least drain on resources.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 26 (Our Field Trip To Virtusa)

Great Memories and Experiences in Virtusa 

 

Today's lecture was conducted in a different place, in a different way. Our lecture Mr.Eranjan Padumadasa organized a field trip to Virtusa one of the software developing giants in the globe. first of all my heartfelt  gratitude goes to him for organizing such thing for the benefit of the students. It was my dream to go to Virtusa but i never got a chance because we need to get special permission to enter. Finallly i got the opportunity to participate in this special occasion and i would like to share my experience with you guys.

First of all i would like to share some information i gathered about the Virtusa Company background. There were a couple of lectures conducted by the employees at virtusa and the information was gathered from that fashion

Virtusa is a US company but they have branches located in Asia and in Europe. The organization consist of more than 6000 World Class Professionals within the organization and 89 active clients who give significant amount of business to Virtusa.  The companies aim is to achieve its 40 billion Rupee revenue target in year 2015

They believe that the above target is within their reach because they can bid a 100 million project because of the large size of the company and any client would have confidence if they go through the company profile of Virtusa. Also the company has a good family culture their employees work as a whole unit/family to achieve their goals where coordination is the key. These are some of their main strengths i identified in Virtusa. Here are some of the other main information i gathered during lectures,

Operating Income - 23.9 million

Compound growth rate - 10 year revenue 32.47%

Loyal Customers - IBM, Standard Charted, National Geographic, British Telecom

Awards - HRM Award, Forbes 2011 award and many more

Some of the CSR activities done by the company 

1. Virtusa provided a total of 21000 campus training hours across Sri-Lanka
2. They have build a system for S.Joesph and they made it open source and its completely free of charge. Meaning it is free for the schools for them to use. This is one of their main CSR activities conducted.

when looking at the above statistics it is clearly seen that Virtusa is one of the biggest companies in software Development and I m glad to make a Visit for such a company and its a privileged. The Following is a project done by the company to British Telecom.

Name - Telecom Fault Management

Technology used - i phone, android, blackberry mobile software

                             Java, WS02 ESB

User Experience - Traffic fines on your mobile.

Social media used by the company

- Vingio

- VT

- Yammer

Some of the Benefits to the employees in Virtusa

Library

Food Court

Gymnasium

Dinner and transport after working. 

According to one of the employees who conducted the lecture in Virtusa :

Virusa is growing and it need more leadership, more teams, more people therefore everyone has a chance to go up the ladder. Goal is to gain 80% of the leadership skills within the organization and  it gives opportunities for the future employees who are willing to join the company.

Then next employee who was an expert in the Business process management(BPM) came in and explained us about the BPM  process and the technology  and languages used in the environment.

 According to him BPM process is

"Adding value to customer and  employee reducing cost, improving quality. it all comes under the BPM."

The lectures were concluded by another lecture conducted about the Phillips Fall tracker  project for patients done by Virtusa which is one of their main projects in recent times which brought them significant amount of profits to the company. 

Finally the field trip came to a success and if i were to rate the success i would say it is a 100% success for all the students because from what i heard they have enjoyed the trip and filled their minds with lots of knowledge throughout the trip. The Credit goes to our lecturer for arranging it. THANK YOU 

Reflection of the lectures

The experience i gained today from the trip to virtusa cannot be expressed in words because it was a once in a lifetime experience we got during our campus life. i learned many things from the lectures conducted in virtusa such as the company background, where it stands among the competitors, their clients , the corporate information (which cannot be gained even through their website if you visit) such as market growth, profit target, their family culture of the company, BPM process and the projects they have conducted successfully, the working environment, the technology they use to develop software, their organizational structure and how an employee is guided through the career path. This information cannot be accessed if this trip wasn't organized therefore it was a major success for all students. I am hoping to finish my degree with a first class and join virtusa and take on my career from their onwards. 

ARMPD- Lecture No. 25 (Harvard Referencing)

Harvard Referencing

Harvard referencing is an very important topic for individual who engage in academic projects especially  university students. It has been established to prevent students and other individuals from violating the copyrights and work done by other people. 

let us look at the difference between citation and referencing

(source : https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/tutorial/whatis1.html )

Citing

When you refer to another author's work in your work you must cite your source by providing the last name of the author and the year of publication.

Referencing

At the end of your work, under the heading References or Bibliography, write a full description of each source you have cited, listing them in alphabetical order by the author's last name.

Importance of Citing references

(source : https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/tutorial/whyis.html)

1. support your arguments and give your work a factual basis
2. protect yourself against charges of plagiarism
3. demonstrate to assessors or critics that you have carried out the necessary research
4. allow the reader to locate the material you consulted.
5. Accuracy and completeness are important. Keep track of all your sources throughout your research process.

It is important to learn the proper citing techniques so that you can include it to the project or the research which will show some sort of professionalism in your documentation. A reference is used to acknowledge someones work. If your referencing something there should be at least one citation for it otherwise don't use it.

Some of the statements that can be used in  proper citation is as follows,

• As stated by ABC(2012)
• According to ABC(2012)
• As per ABC(2012)
• In accordance with ABC(2012)

Golden Rules that we should follow.

- Don't always stick to one particular phrase to introduce a reference

- Have a variety or a mixture of these phrases

- Do not quote more than 3 lines.

- Always paraphrase

- If you have a multiple authors this is the way to cite it 

    (John,1999; Peter,2000; James,2009).

- Try to avoid anons

- If you are guessing something then 

   2012 C

- When Citing Interviews you need to mention its a personal communication

   ex - Pers.comm

Reflection of the lecture

Today's lecture discussed about the different Harvard referencing and citing methods individuals have to use when using someone else ideas. It is important to use the correct method of citing and referencing because it will protect from violating copy rights and other unethical activities. Today i realized the fact that i had many loop holes in referencing my previous module documentation and i found out that was the main reason for loosing some important marks. I also realized i should be more professional in preparing my documentation and conducting correct referencing and citing methods according to the Harvard system adds more value to the documentation.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 24 (Interview Skills part 2)

Interview Skills part 2

Today the lecture started off in a different manner. There were two lectures Mr Eranjan and Ms Manesha and the class room setting was arranged like a real interview environment. The two lecturers and two student candidates in class acted out a scenario in a way the other students in the class understands what exactly happens and what question they ask at a interview. some of the questions they asked were as follows,

- First of all tell us a little bit about you ?

- What will be your goal in another 5 years time?

- Tell us some of the strengths and weaknesses you have in you ?

- Why do you want this job?

- Why are you a good candidate for this job?

- What do you know about the organization?

- How much Salary you are willing to earn?

The lecturer explained us the importance of facing these question in a proper manner. If u fail to answer the questions in a proper manner it will give a bad impression of you to the interviewers which will lead to more negative points for your interview resulting in you losing out. Therefore he gave the answers for some of the above questions mentioned above so that we will get an idea of how to answer them. I have faced more than 2 interviews but i didn't have a in depth knowledge about the interview skills. However now i understand how important it is and i understand how to face the above mentioned questions in a  interview. Thanks to my lecturer.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 23 (Interview Skills)

Interviews

Why do employees want to have an interviewing session?

-To see the communication flow.

-To find out certain things which are not presented in the CV.

-To find out the personality of the person. etc.

TYPES:

Mostly interviews are one-to-one based talk. Sometimes the interviewer can me more than one person and their objective is to rate the interviewee. Eye contact should be there with whom the question is asked or not to show that what you say is true. Interviews also can be conducted in panels. We also need to challenge our selves to get the “Smile of approval” from the panel.

GROUP INTERVIEWS

An informal Q and A session is conducted where certain candidates are chosen. Here in this type of interview, the candidates are expected to ask questions to one of the chief workers who are conducting this session. The questions should be more successful, and also should ask queries in such a way that you are a positive and enthusiastic person to the company.

Informal chats.

:::::Chronological interviews

This type of interview basically gets the full picture of the candidate asking questions such as based on the life events. Starting from the school age the group chosen for higher secondary, later path chosen to study in college and if there are any changes in between they would ask to explain why with reasons.

:::::Criteria based interviews

Seek for evidence where the candidate passes their criteria (company’s) based on their expectation from the candidate who is being interviewed.

As computing students, the lecturer also said that we would be tested based on the technical skills.

:::::Telephone interviews

In this type of interview, the candidates are being short listed. Its a good way of getting to know the communication skills of the interviewee via telephone call. Certain things need to be followed when engaged in a telephone interview,

A time needs to be set based on the availability of the interviewee.

The surrounding needs to be quiet while attending the telephone call.

Dress up in a formal way such that when the interviewee speaks over the phone a professional tone can be got via the phone call.

Don’t take the call when you are relaxed or lying on a couch, if so it can turn into a casual interview.

How are you being JUDGED?????? :::::

Only if you know your self well, based on that your answers can be given out easily. This thus creates a good impression to the person who is interviewing you.

Certain facts which need to be followed:

• Check availability: Confirm then and there if you can make it for an interview.

• Show enthusiasm: If the interviewee happens to get two interviews to attend on the same day, its good if that individual can inform the other party so that there is a demand for that particular individual.

• Confirm your time: Being present.

• Go a little bit early before the time estimated for the interview so that the nervousness can be vanished. 

1st impression:

Its a face that it takes 2 minutes nearly to get to know about a person’s personality. If that impression is negative, that individual will have to face nearly 6-8 meetings to get that impression cleared. 

Certain follow ups,

• Make sure you are dressed up well.
• Don’t have a heavy meal before going into the interview.
• Cleanliness needs to be followed.
• Don’t have a bad breath. Make sure if you are a smoker its good that you don’t smoke that day.
• Avoid piercing and tattooing. 
• Know your organization well. Gather information about the company form the website may be.
• Look at the organization’s website to get to know things like (what sort of customers do they posses?……. financiers…….. do they have franchises..)etc. 
• Talk to some people who have worked in the organization or remaining at the workplace in order to get to know about the background of the company.
• Basically, its good to do a Google research about the company to get to know the recent changes made by the company.
• Read the organization’s company annual report, issues and current financial situations.
• Get to know about the company well because there is always a sure question asked by the interviewer about the company at the end of the interview or anywhere in between.
• Match the expectations of the company which you can offer.
• Definite questions: Like asking to talk about yourself. Limit the time to 1.05 minutes.

Reflection of the lecture

Today we discussed about Interviews. One day when we go into the corporate world we ll have to face interviews and it could be a crucial moment in our lives. The reason is if we fail to face the interview in a proper manner no matter how educated you are it will pointless. It is important to make a good first impression because if the first impression is bad then the interviewers will judge that person  as a person who has a bad personality. Therefore it is important to make note of all the facts mentioned above before facing an interview. Therefore i hope to implement these skills in the future which will judge my future career.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 22 (Presentation Skills)

Presentation Skills

Lecturer started off the lecture by explaining the importance of public speaking and how  it is significant to a person's life. He explained the instances we conduct presentations in day to day life.

Types Of Presentations

• Lectures
• Academic Conferences
• Business Presentations
• Project Presentations

It is very important  make a good first impression to the audience so that you can retain there attention through out the duration of the  presentation. 

How to make a Good First Impression?

- Gather your thoughts

- Good Eye Contact

- Control voice

- Don't speak too fast

- Summarize  

If the presenter fails to stick to the above points the lecture will be boring to the audience and the strong attention will dilute. Take a closer look at the picture below

SUBJECT MATTER

The subject matter should include the following criteria

- Brief

- Precise

- Effective

- Interesting

How to Open  a Presentation?

Preparation:

• Prepare the logical structure of the task:

1. Opening (Introduction and Content)
2. Presentation Body
3. Conclusion(Recap and Objective)
4. Follow up

• Be familiar with your Presentation Material

1. Preparation of Que cards which includes key points
2. Do not read of a script

• Oral Communication

Speaker:

Know and manage yourself for an effective presentation:

1. Know your audience.
2. Professional attire.
3. Confidence: Believing in yourself.
4. Keep eye contact.
5. Power of pause.
6. Body language and gestures: non-verbal communication.
7. Avoid jokes: Unwanted ones which are not relating to the topic being discussed.
8. Keep up to the time limit.

Delivery :

1. Speak clearly.
2. Do not rush/talk deliberately slow.
3. Do not bore the audience.
4. Change your delivery depending on the importance of points.
5. Use body language to emphasize points.
6. Look at the audience but do not fix on an individual.
7. Leave time for discussion.

REHEARSE is the Key !! do it continuously and less chances for the presentation to go wrong.

Reflection Of the Lecture

Today i learnt about how to conduct a proper presentation by retaining the attention of the target audience. Presentation skill is something that the presenter should develop within him/herself to conduct a good presentation. Presentation is something that students, Lecturers perform quite often in their day to day life. Therefore it is important for them to study, practice/Rehearse the Presentation skills given above. I identified some major errors in my presentation style such  as not using body language and not keeping eye contact  and i hope to develop my faults and hope to do a  better presentation in the future.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 21 (CV)

Curriculum Vitae(CV) (23/08/2012)

The lecture explained  us an important topic which will help our Future life which is (Curriculum Vitae)CV. CV should be a reflection of yourself. A great CV is a first step towards your Dream job.

Objective of CV

"A CV is a sales document that highlights your skills and experience and achievement in such a way that the reader is motivated to meet you"

Lecture number 18(Personal Branding) i discussed about personal branding. A professional CV is one way that a person can create a personal brand. CV's main objective is to market yourself and get a promising Job
Your CV should explain where you are and where you want to be. The lecturer then asked us to write down
10 Attributes ideally found in an professional. Some of them are listed as follows.

- Honesty
- Transparency
-Integrity
- Punctuality
- Good negotiation skills
- Good Personality

The CV should Contain the following,

CV content 

1. Personal Details
2. Career Objective
3. Education
4. Work Experience
5. Professional Affiliations
6. Leadership, Honors, Achievement
7. References

Then he explained us the 10 Golden rules that a great CV should reflect. It can be listed as follows

Rule 1 -  Customize/Tailor make the CV

Rule 2 - Summary(Don't exaggerate)

Rule 3 -  Sell not Tell(You need to have evidence) 

Rule 4- Mind Your Language(Don't use technical Jargon use proper language)

Rule 5 -  Nothing Personal(Keep the personal details short as possible)

Rule 6 - Drop the irrelevant affiliation

Rule 7 -  Keep it Real(first state the latest qualifications and then go on)

Rule 8 - Include a photo

Rule 9 -  Include a Cover letter(Do not state dear madam or sir. state MR/Ms and the name)

Rule 10- Don't Forget the Basic(use quality paper, word process)

The lecture was concluded as above. 

Reflection of the Lecture

Today i learned the content that a professional CV contains. The lecturer explained us what to include and what not to include in the CV which was very important. When he explained the above i myself realized that my CV contains some loop holes which i need to overcome. Thanks to the lecturer. However, this lecture is a great turning point in life if a person understands how to prepare a CV according to the Rules stated above. I m proud to tell that i understood it and now i m gonna create a CV  which will please the industry whichever i m going into. 

ARMPD- Lecture No. 19 (Negotiation)

Negotiation(21/08/2012)

Today was a special lecture conducted by a lecturer who visited us, and his topic was Negotiation. According to what he explained  Negotiation  is 

"The process by which two parties with an interest in the same issue seek to reach an agreement that is acceptable to both sides"

example - lets say you want to purchase a phone from a particular merchant. In the buying process you negotiate with him the price and come to an agreement to make a purchase.

Negotiation is  a personal choice and there are no.of  ways in which a person can negotiate. Take a close Look of following picture,

Seems to me like they are negotiating in a way which will lead to more problems. When i look at the picture words such as Police, Court, Murder, compensation, Family problems come into my mind and i personally think it is not the way to negotiate. If the people in the above picture negotiate in a verbal manner things can go much easier for them.

The lecturer explained us that there are different ways of negotiating/ Negotiation styles.

According to Thomas :

• Competition - You want a person to agree with you somehow and pressurize him/her
• Collaboration - Both parties have a positive issue. Here you do not give up anything
• Compromising - Both will have to give up something and come to an agreement.
• Avoiding - You avoid the issue
• Accommodating-  You let the other person decide it.

The following are some of the negotiation skills a person should have

1. Try to understand
2. Control Emotion
3. Avoid presumption of Evil
4. Break down bigger issues to smaller ones
5. Move away from the blame
6. Maintain Integrity

In the lecturing process he gave us few activities to be done in class in groups which was pretty interesting enjoyed it very much.

Reflection of the Lecture

Today i learnt how to negotiate in a proper manner and i realized the fact that having a fight is not a good way of negotiating. I realized the fact that each person has its own negotiation Style mentioned above and whatever method you adopt it is important to adopt negotiation skills into your style. This is an important skill in life which we should be developing and it will help us to overcome many problems. The negotiation may not be favorable in your way but keep in mind  if you want to minimize problems should always avoid the fights and negotiate in a friendly manner.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 18 (Personal Branding)

Personal Branding

The lecturer started off the lecture by asking us a question. He asked us

 "What is the process that you should conduct to select your first Job"

The Answer to this question is Personal Branding and creating a brand called you.

According to Meg:

"Personal branding links your passions, key personal attributes, and strengths with your value proposition, in a crystal clear message that differentiates your unique promise of value and resonates with your target audience".

The above definition of Meg explains how to differentiate yourself from the others. Each person has a set of unique values in themselves which helps to create a personal brand. The thinking and believing's of a person creates a unique personal brand image about that person. Lets see what are the attributes you should have within yourself which can appeal to in an organization.

• Promising Personality
• Fluency in English language
• Good Communication Skills
• Good profile in Education
• Good negotiation skills and etc.

How to market yourself ?

- Personality

- Networking/social Groups

- Presentation of oneself

- Attire

- CV

The above facts are important to market yourself and to create a personal branding.

The lecturer concluded the lecture by giving us an activity to do at home. He asked us to develop a brand logo for ourselves. Well really was an interesting lecture today !! 

Reflection of the lecture

Personal branding is a way which differentiate person from one another. When we go into a job interview we all have to do personal branding by,

- presenting ourselves to the interview panel in a very presentable way(the way we talk, the way we behave in front of them)

- producing a CV with the qualification we have achieved in life

- The wearing a formal dress code and so on.

This is how we market ourselves and create a personal brand of ourselves. It a very important aspect where ever we go and today's lecture gave me an idea of how to do it.  I hope to create a  good personal brand of myself in the future.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 17 (Critical Evaluation)

Critical Evaluation

What is Critical Evaluation?

A Critical evaluation is all about evaluating academic text such as articles, reports, essay or books. 

Critical Evaluation does not mean only to criticize in a negative manner. It should include both positive and negative points. However the evidence should be clearly presented when critically evaluating. 

ex- A lawyer brings sufficient evidence to support their arguments in a Court case. Like wise the reader should be convinced and to do that it is important to state evidence.

 Based on the evidence stated the author will select one person example - person A or Person B's side which is known as justification. Therefore there are 3 main steps in Critical evaluation.

• Argument
• Evidence
• Justification

The lecturer provided us a Tutorial which helped us to understand Critical evaluation well. While reading the Tutorial I found an area which i consider is important. It is as follows,

What is meant by evaluation or  Judgement?

In the Tutorial it stated that,

" Evaluation requires an understanding of not just the content of the text but also an understanding of text's purpose, the intended audience and why it is structured the way it is."

This was very important for a student which is to understand the word evaluation. Most of the students does not understand the meaning of the word evaluation Hence does mistakes when it comes to Exams and Assignments.

The lecturer gave us a small class activity to be done in the class it self. He played a video recording and then asked us to write a critical evaluation for it. The lecture was concluded in the above fashion.

Reflection of the Lecture

The lecture which conducted today mainly helps our exams and assignments. Critical evaluation is a term that most of the students misunderstand. i myself didn't get the correct picture of Critical evaluation at first. However after this lecture i feel like i missed out a very understandable part which we failed to understand earlier on. I determined to read the entire tutorial and do some individual research on the topic critical evaluation. It is a very important word and a area that all students should focus on. Since i get the true picture of it  hope to minimize the errors which i did in my previous assignments and exams.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 16 (FYP part 4)

FYP Research Design part 2  (14/08/2012)

Today's lecture is a sub lecture of Research Design. If there is no critical evaluation and proper literature it doesn't fall under proper research. 

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO RESEARCH?

This is a question that every student should ask him/herself before stepping in to the Research area. You can find out what to research  based on your proposal which states the identified problems and  opportunities.

1. Systematic Investigation and study  - the research must be planned and properly conducted
2. To establish Facts -  This is all about how the researcher is gonna access the right sources it may be from primary or secondary research which i discussed in the previous lecture.
3. To Reach conclusions 

The Following are Types of Research

• Technical Research

  What is the scripting language, programming language your going to choose to implement your solution. However you need to present the critical evaluation. This is called Technical Research. This type can be conducted in two ways, either through primary research or through secondary research.

• Domain Research

• Academic Research 

It includes sources such as Books, Journal Articles, White papers, specialized and cited, Library resources and etc

The lecture was concluded as above which was a extension from the previous lecture of Research Design

Reflection of the Lecture

Today i learned how to find resources for the Research types(Primary and secondary) learnt in the previous lecture. The lecturer explained us how to conduct those types of research and he explained that before secondary research, primary research should be conducted to reap the maximum results from it. That is an important point which i learnt from today's lecture. Apart from the main types of Research 3 main Research types were explained which should be present in out FYP Namely (Technical, Domain and Academic).

These Research types should be implemented effectively in order to present a Successful FYP.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 15 (FYP part 2 Research Design)

Research Design(9/08/12)

Today the our lecturer discussed a about Research Design which plays a essential part in our FYP. He explained the importance of selecting a proper problem and a reasonable solution for it. Once the project is completed we should see whether we have met our objectives. 

                          

When coming up with a solution the lecturer explained that we should conduct our primary and secondary research. Based on those our solution can be presented in a proper manner. The process involved in research designing is a follows,

1. Aims and Objectives of the Research
2. Solution and deliverable
3. Literature review
4. Selected data collection methods
5. Selecting sampling method(Probabilistic/ Non Probabilistic)

Probabilistic Sampling

This method of sampling believes that everyone in the population has a equal chance of getting selected. For this method you need a list of the entire population.

• Simple random sampling
• Stratified random sampling
• Systematic sampling

Non-Probabilistic Sampling

This method of sampling does not conduct random selection. This sampling method consist of few types

1. Quota sampling
2. Snowball sampling
3. Convenient sampling

Researches Prefer probabilistic sampling methods over Non- Probabilistic sampling methods because they consider it has more accurate.

     6. Selected Data Analysis method

Research methods                                          

- Survey                                                          

- Case study

- Action Research

- Experiments

-Ethnography

If we take Survey as the research method the  Research Tools that are required are

- Interviews

- Observation

- Questionnaires(Mail Order/Interview Led Questionnaires)

- Surveys

The lecture was concluded by assigning us a activity. The activity was to do a research design on INTELLIGENT CLINIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. We were told to find a proper research method, tools and specify reasons for why we selected that method.

Reflection of the Project

Today i learned how to conduct a proper research using both probability and non-probability sampling methods. Further more learnt about different research methods which can be used effectively for the projects that will meet us in the future. When it comes to our FYP the Reseach Design plays a vital role because a FYP without a proper research will be  just like a person who is stuck inside a tunnel without light. If he wants to find the light he needs to find a way to go outside the tunnel. That was what our lecturer told us and it was one of the major lessons i learnt in my life. Thanks to him. In the future i hope to use these Research methods effectively in my projects.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 14 (FYP Project Requirement Part 2)

FYP Project Requirement Part 2

Today's lecture was a sub part of the main lecture conducted in the previous lecture. It was about FYP project requirements that should be considered before implementing the project. In other words the Foundation for the project was discussed by the lecturer.

According to what he explained In FYP the main important aspect is the problem. Without a problem there will not be a proper FYP. There are few steps you need to consider about this 

• First you need to identify the area of the re-search
• Find a problem in that area and give sufficient evidence to prove that there is a problem
• Specify the SMART objectives of the problem. (Refer lecture no.5 about SMART objectives)
• Decide the systematic approach your gonna make for your re-search(Primary research/Secondary)
• Select a proper Software Developments Methodology(agile/waterfall)
• Design a evolutionary prototype
• Explain the value of the positive outcomes(both tangible and intangible)

The above Facts should be clearly included in your FYP proposal. The next discussion was all about what makes a good proposal. Meaning the important things that you should consider in your proposal.

- accuracy of the title

- Aims should be clear and SMART

- Familiarity with the current relevant literature  are few of them.

The Content of the project should be as follows.

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• List of References quoted in the text
• Bibliography
• Appendices

The lecture was concluded by having a discussion about Critical evaluation which played a vital part in the lecture

Refection of the project

Today i learned about gathering information and selecting a appropriate topic for the FYP which i have to present in the final year. In the past couple of months i was clueless and i didn't have any idea what so ever how to select a topic for my FYP. After this lecture i have a basic idea of what i should be doing in order to find a proper problem for my project. That wasn't it, today i learned about Critical evaluation which is a main area when it comes to project. Most of the students including me didn't have a proper idea of what this critical evaluation is. However now i have a basic idea what it is and i am looking forward to implement the important things i learned about the project proposal and critical evaluation for my projects in the future.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 13 (Final Year Project)

Final Year Project Discussion(6/8/2012)

Today' s Lecture was a very important lecture for all of us. The Lecturer Conducted a Very useful Lecture about FYP (Final Year Project).

He explained the importance of FYP  as it helps the students to get an honors degree. He explained that BIT Project revolves around a Business problem and it cannot be a hypothetical business. We have the freedom to look at new market opportunities that can build up an organization.

Next he explained few final year projects the past students have done and the areas they have researched

namely, 

1. HR
2. PROCUREMENT
3. SCHEDULING
4. EMPLOYEE HANDLING PROBLEM

Few main Tasks of the FYP are to Submit a Draft proposal, Check the feasibility and the usability. The lecturer concluded the lecture by giving us an idea how what kind of areas to choose for the FYP and he asked us to go to the library and refer Past FYP project and get an idea of what to do.

Reflection of Todays's Lecture

Today i was a bit pressurized because of the FYP project. Still  i haven't decided what area i should select. According to the lecturer we should select an area we are interested in. Therefore i thought of presenting a solution for a music company but still its not confirmed. However i got an idea from today's lecturer and from today onward i thought of allocation some time to Think of a problem for my FYP project everyday.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 12 (Scavenger Hunt)

Scavenger Hunt

Today's lecture was about scavenger Hunt. Lecturer gave us 6 questions and divided us into groups of 6. We were given a time limit of 20 minutes to go into the library and engage in scavenger hunt. The questions given by the lecturer are as follows

1) Give a list of 10 books available in the library addressing system analysis and design

2) What are the titles of the books written by the following authors

(Seedate, Barbara sproges, tony proctor, Kendle &Kendle, Jenny Priest, Turban, John Ward , Joe Peperd,

Guy Fitzgerald, Uma Sekaran)

3) Write down the project titles of the following BIT projects

• Eshani Ranatunga
• Dilani Gomez
• Danushka Sandanayaka
• lasith Thisera
• Eranjan Padumadasa

4) Identify the ISPN numbers of the following books

• E-marketing
• Quantitative methods
• key Managerial models
• Database systems
• Personality development

5) Give a recommendation of a book by providing the title and the author to the following module

• Financial Accounting
• Design Patterns
• IELTS
• Usability Engineering
• Information Systems and strategy
• Organizational Behaviour
• Human Resources management
• Business Environment
• Database Management Systems
• Agile Methodology

6) Find 5 newspaper Clippings on the following topic - ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN SL

• Name
• Author
• Published Date
• Publisher

I chose question 2 and went through the shelves to find the Names of the books published by each author mentioned above. 

Reflection of today's Lecture

Today was a lecture outside the class room which was more of a fun activity for us. We worked as a group scavenger hunting the given questions. The lesson i learned from todays lecture was to work as a team diving task appropriately. The ultimate goal of this scavenger hunt was to give one report to the lecturer containing answers to the above questions. However i learned about famous authors and the books they have published which i consider will be a help to widen my knowledge in the future. Therefore i hope to make the maximum use of it.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 11 (Library Services)

Library Services

Today was a special lecture conducted by the Library staff. They Highlighted the fact that Students don't use the library facilities properly and only a few people make the maximum use of it.

We were explained about the Library Resources,  Athens Account and how to use it. I got to know that there are many Important articles and services in it which i can make use for my day to day life and assignments in APIIT

The discussion led to important library services provided by the APIIT such as E-book collections, Articles from ACA and the online Catalog. We got to know that the library system of apiit is integrated with the other library systems in Sri Lanka which was a good thing.

Reflection of Today's Lecture

Today's lecture taught me about the important services in the library in apiit and how to use it effectively. Although i have borrowed books and made use of the library i realized the fact that i haven't used it to the maximum to reap the benefits out of it. Therefore i got an idea of how to use Library services and its resources and i will use it effectively in the future specially for me exams and assignments in apiit. However i realized that Reading makes a man complete therefore i will make use of the library in the future.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 10 (Team Structure)

Team Structure(28/07/2012)

Today's lecture was an extension from last week's lecture. Lecturer told us to identify what personalities we process in our selves and then we were divided into several groups which contain 5 members in a group with one observer. He gave us a random scenario and then asked us to find an appropriate solution for it. 

Our team talks were observed by another observer who does not belong to our group. his task was to write down what we discuss and identify the following people in the group

1) A Team Leader

2) A Ideas Person

3) Workers

4) A critic

5) A team Builder

Each member was given comments about who they are whether they are silent member, working members, team leaders, builders and etc. The whole purpose of it was to identify the team structure. At the end of the lecture i found out that i am a Team Leader and a Criticizing person. These two play a major in any team Structure so i am happy about who i am.

Reflection of today's lecture

From Today's lecture i was able find out The team management skills that processes in myself. I Identified myself as a team leader since i was small but then i wasn't aware of the other skill which is to criticize a point of another member. Both roles carries a major importance in Building a good team. i hope to carry on and improve my team building skills for our group projects in Apiit which i believe will bring positive results for us.

ARMPD- Lecture No. 9 (Personality test)

Personality Test(26/07/12)

Today's lecture started off in a very different manner. Lecturer showed us a scenario(story) in the slides and then asked us to write the answers for it. I was wondering what its all about but then the whole point of doing that was to check our personality.

What is personality?

Personality is something unique to a person. It differs from person to person.

According to John Holland's Theory Most people are one of six personality types:

• Realistic
• Artistic
• Social
• Enterprising
• Conventional
• Investigative

Conventional

People of this personality type like to work with numbers, records, machines in set, orderly way generally avoids ambiguous unstructured activity. They are good at working with written records and numbers in a systematic orderly way.

Realistic

These people likes to work with animals, tools generally avoids social activities like teaching, healing and informing others. They are good in practically doing stuff and experimenting things.

Investigative

These people like to study and solve math or science. These are the ones who solve society problems by giving solution.

Artistic

These people believe in self expression. These people are creative. these people are into music, drama, etc

Social

These type of people likes to help the society and they are more human they love to volunteer.

Enterprising


These people risk takers and they are very good at tricking people.(persuasive people)

Reflection of today's lecture

Today i learnt a very important lesson about personalities. I judged my personality as very  Artistic  and a bit of Social person. I realized that different people have different combinations of personality and it is important for a person to understand about it and improve more on it. None of these personalities are bad it is how the people's personalities are judged.Therefore identify your personality and put an effort to be yourself instead of been someone else.