SOFT7001 Class 12

We looked at color and backgrounds. I asked students to add backgrounds to the menus we made in the last class.

I referred students to a YouTube video about color systems. A second video on the RGB system was rejected by YouTube for being too long so it's available here.

CMOD6001 ITM

We use the class for meetings.

By the end of today's meeting students should have:
full contact details of other group members (e-mail will do)
discussed the presentation topic
shared a google document (or at least made a plan to)
assigned different tasks to different group members
arranged a time for the next meeting
recorded minutes of the meeting in the group blog

Today's session didn't go very well. We might have to rethink how this is going to work

CMOD6001 Essay Topics

Students will be expected to write a written report for this module. I will provide details later, however the is no reason for me to delay the assignment of topics to students. I had considered letting students write about the same topic as they are using for their presentation, but I felt it would be difficult for students who have worked together on something to write very different reports.

The topic assignments were random, except for students who co-incidentally got the same topic for their paper as for their presentation. If you got the same or nearly the same for both, t means I missed you. Please advise me of this.

You can see which one you got by checking the list of blogs

Topics:
PCCL Policing the Cloud
Explore the difficulties faced by police in dealing with evidence that is in the cloud. This topic is not as broad as internet crime in general. Cloud computing poses some specific problems.

RFID RFID and privacy
How widespread use of RFID technology can have an impact on privacy.

GEOL Geolocation
Applications. Good? Bad? Unintended consequences?

FOTO Photojournalism in the Digital Age
Can we believe anything anymore? is seeing still believing?

GOLD Gold Farming
What is it? Is it cheating? Should it be outlawed? Exploitation?

NETN Net Neturality
What is it? Should we have laws to enforce it?

DIGP Digital Pollution
Internet technologies seem like they are clean . But keeping google's servers up and running requires lots of energy. Is the Internet contributing to gobal warming?

PRED Prediction Markets
What are they? How might they workd? Can they applied in the real world?

OPEN Open Source Software
If free really free? Is it any good?

SOFT7001 Digital Color I

CMOD6001 DNET/DCOM Class 14

I reminded students to check the URL for their blogs. I outlined some of the reasons I get students to keep blogs. I discussed some of the options available to students who might have discovered that they are in the wrong course. There was some discussion about whether or not transfers are still possible or if the policy has changed. I must check.

We talked about some grammar rules. I gave out a handout of common errors. Students with weak English should used the spell and grammar checking features of MS Word. We digressed into an interesting conversation about online reputations.

I explained that I wasn't keen to move the Friday class because that would leave some students with only one class on Fridays. That would be worse than just two. If I know something important is coming up on a Friday I will do my best to give notice, but students can't expect that I always will.

CDMO6001 DNET/DCOM

Students met in groups and I gave them a second chance to change presentation topics if they wanted to. But we used time on Friday for this.

I asked students to check the list online to ensure that blog addresses I have are correct.

Some students needed clarification on the job assignment. And there were some group issues.

I gave out a list of Finnish students with e-mail addresses. Each group should find a Metropolia student to join the group. There was a good bit of Facebook stalking.

Most students used the time for meetings. Since there seemed to be real work going on, so I left them at it.

A good day's work. Well done

CMOD60001 DWEB1 Group B

I'd like to apologise to group B for the classes I missed. I hadn't correctly added the new hour to my calendar. I hadn't set it to repeat. But it's there now. You can even check for yourself

CMOD6001 DWEB1 Class 14

I asked students to check the list on my blog to ensure that I have the correct URL for their blogs.

I talked about why I want students to keep personal blogs and group blogs.

I explained what the options are for anyone who has realised they are in the wrong course.

I talked a little bit about some common grammar mistakes and gave a handout with common mistakes. Some grammar rules are non-negotiatable. The spell checker and grammar checker in MS Word is very useful for anyone whose English is weak.

I gave out a list of Finnish students who are looking to join groups. That prompted some discussion about the value of having a remote student in each group.

I showed students where to find IEEE and ACM journals o the library website.

Some students wanted to swap presentation topics, so they stayed a few minutes at the end for that. Some students only got their jobs for the assignment today.

audio: cmod6001-dweb-14-20111012.m4a

CMOD6001 Deadline Reminders

Your submission for the job exercise needs to be on your individual blog by the end of this week. Let's say Friday at 1600 so there is no confusion.

Students needs to attend ALL THREE classes next week so that they are available to discuss the the job they were assigned to research. Students who are called on in class, but are not present, are unlikely to be given a second opportunity to discuss their job.

This assignment is worth 10%  of the overall grade for this module. This is an individual assignment. Performance of this assignment will have no impact on any members of your project group.

CMOD6001 ITS/ITM Class 14

I reminded students to check that the addresses I have for their blogs are correct. The lists is available at colinmcit.blogspot.com

I talked about why I want students to keep individual and group blogs.

I gave out a handout on common spelling and grammar mistakes. Some grammar rules are non-negotiable.

I forgot to say that students should use the spell checker and grammar checker in MS Word. It is very useful and very helpful.

audio: cmod6001-itm-14-20111012.m4a

SOFT7001 Class 11

We completed out horizontal menu using CSS to change the properties of a nested list. We resisted the temptation to create classes for the inner and outer lists using child selectors.

Getting the elements to line up nicely proved difficult because of inheritance of the padding properties - or something. Colin promised to look into it.

Colin attempted to use background images instead of colors for the hovers, but that didn't go so well. We will look at images the next day.

Today's code. Note the child selectors and the display property's none and block attributes


body {background-color: #cccccc;}

div.menulist {
width:100%;
border-top: 5px solid #069;
border-bottom: 5px solid #069;
margin-top:20px;
float:left;
background-color: #ffa;
}


div.menulist >ul >li {
float:left;
width:6em;
padding-left:0;
}

div.menulist  li {
list-style-type:none;
background-color: #ffa;
border-right: 1px solid #069;

}


div.menulist > ul {
margin-top:0;
padding-left:0px;}


a:link {color:black;}
a:visited {color:black;}
a {text-decoration:none;}
a:hover {color:red;}

div.menulist li:hover {background-color: #aaa;}


div.menulist ul li ul {
margin:0;
width:6em;
position:absolute;
padding-left:0;
}

div.listmenu ul li ul li {
width:100%;
}

div.menulist ul li ul {display:none;}

div.menulist ul li:hover ul {display:block;}

CMOD6001 COM1 Class

I asked asked students to check the list of blogs to make sure that the URLs for their personal blogs are correct.

I talked about why I want students to keep a blog.

I talked about the importance of using correct spelling and grammar. Some rules are non-negotiable

audio:cmod6001-com1-14-20111011.m4a

Ireland can become a global games hub for the 21st century– Forfás

Forfas has published a report on the potential for the games industry in Ireland. Download the full report here

CMOD6001 COM1 Lab A

Students met in their groups. I asked each group to research the topic they have been assigned and for each to decide to keep that topic or switch to one of the alternatives.

Today's meeting should be recorded in the group blog with details of the time, place, attendance, and any decisions made.

I asked students to verify that I have the correct URL for their personal blogs and group blogs.

CMOD6001 Tervetuloa / Välkomna

Students may soon hear from Metropolia students in Helsinki wanting to join their groups. When selecting a student to join your group make sure there is some time in the week when you are all free to meet online. Don't forget that Finland is 2 hours ahead of Ireland. When it's 10 in Ireland, it's 12 in Helsinki.

Metropolia semesters are a different length to CIT semesters. The timetable after Metropolia's "break" is more important than the current timetable.

CMOD6001 Well done

So far I am very impressed with the way students are taking this module seriously. Well done.

A small number of students still need to get their act together. But the ship hasn't sailed just yet. There is still time to get on board. Get those individual blogs and group blogs sorted. And don't miss the deadline for the assignment this week.

CMOD6001 ITS/M Lab ITM

Students met in groups and discussed whether they wanted to change presentation topics. I asked student to not the time, place, attendance at the meeting, and the outcome on the blog.

We recapped on what it is expected for the Job Exercise.

I asked groups to check the group list so that they know which IUT student is in their group.

I must talk about the Library in the next class. I didn't leave enough time today.

CMOD6001 DWEB Lab A

I gave out DEWEB student handbooks. These have been sitting in my office for a while actualy. Sorry about that. The electives for each semester don't really mean anything and so are best ignored. The choices offered in any one semester are likely to be very different from those listed.

Students met in groups to research and discuss their project topics. Any group taht wanted to change was allowed to chose from the alternatives.

I asked students to record the time, place, and attendance at this meeting on the group blog, and to outline any decisions made.

We looked at the online databases in the CIT library. These are very impressive. Computing students will be priarily interested in the IEEE and ACM databases. There are also some e-books. We had a quick look using some search terms and the selection seemed to be quite good. I asked students to research their presentation topics in the ACM library.

I talked briefly about the IEEE and ACM and recommended that students join. Student membership is very cheap.

SOFT7001 Class 10

We looked at the poristion property. It's tricky but very important.
static, relative, absolute, fixed

We coded a list and used it as the basis for a menu
code:

div.menulist {
width:100%;
border-top: 5px solid #069;
border-bottom: 5px solid #069;
background-color:#ccf;
margin-top:20px;
float:left;
}



div.menulist li {
float:left;
list-style-type:none;
background-color: #ffa;
padding: 0px 6px;
border-right: 1px solid #069;
}


div.menulist ul {
margin-top:0;}


a:link {color:black;}
a:visited {color:black;}
a {text-decoration:none;}
a:hover {color:red;}

div.menulist li:hover {
background-color:black;}

CMOD6001 ITS/ITM

I asked students to meet in their projects groups and research the topic the group has been assigned. A group may swap to an alternative topic, but that decision must be made very soon.

Groups should check that they know the name and contact details of the IUT student in the group.

I feel like students are taking this work seriously. Well done.