Suggested Response to “Accessing and Using Online Databases”

Many students do not know that they have access to their school’s databases, at least from on campus if not from any Internet connection. Responses will vary, but successful responses will show the student’s ability to master this important research technique.

Suggested Response to “Revising Questionnaire Questions”

Responses will vary depending on which questionnaire the student chooses. Regardless, the points made in the instructions will help students think of ways to revise questions or to create new ones that will elicit additional information.

Suggested Response to “Selecting Research Techniques”

Responses will vary. Although they might find published articles about this question, students are more likely to need to create questionnaires and conduct interviews with individual employers and with professors and career-center professionals. The paragraphs that students write for the assignment will indicate the extent to which they have thought about the strengths and limitations of each research technique.

Suggested Response to “Conducting Research for a Project”

Responses will vary. Because the instructions for this project are fairly detailed, students who are unsure of how to start will have lots of ideas for research. In addition, this project helps focus students’ attention on the various stages of the research process because it asks them to submit a number of intermediate and final deliverables. You may want to discuss informational reports (Chapter 12) and recommendation reports (Chapter 13) before assigning this project.

Suggested Response to “Researching a Professional Organization”

Although responses will vary, successful responses will describe the site based on the questions presented in the assignment and will provide specific suggestions for increasing the role of students in the organization.

Suggested Response to “Assembling a Research Guide for New Students”

Although responses will vary, successful responses will demonstrate that students are able to conduct interviews, perform library research using print and online sources, and carry out research on the Internet. In addition, successful responses will show that students are able to summarize, paraphrase, quote, and document sources effectively and that they are able to organize information clearly.

Suggested Response to “Identifying Important Reference Sources”

Responses will vary. This activity introduces students to the major print sources of research in their fields.

Suggested Response to “Evaluating Online Sources”

Responses will vary. Although some search engines claim to be able to rate the quality of a site, these claims are open to debate; quality is too subjective a notion to be determined by a search engine algorithm.

Suggested Response to “Researching Your College or University’s Acceptable-Use Policy”

If students search their college or university’s website for “acceptable-use policy” or “computer policy,” they will usually be able to quickly find their school’s policy. Following are some sample questions that will help determine whether students are aware of the existence (and contents) of the school’s acceptable-use policy:

To answer these questions, students could inspect computers in open labs, libraries, and the student union for evidence of unacceptable use. They could observe computing behaviors in these same places. They could interview students, faculty, and staff. Students could also create questionnaires for students, faculty, and staff. In addition to asking participants about their computing behaviors, the questionnaires could include brief scenarios and ask participants to determine whether an activity represents acceptable use on their campus.

Suggested Response to “Going the Distance”

Although responses will vary, successful reports will include data from a variety of sources. The topic is sufficiently popular that most students will not have difficulty finding information. The real task for students is evaluating the information and organizing their findings. Primary research could include interviewing personnel from a specific department (for example, the department chair or faculty responsible for evaluating transfer credit) and the registrar. Secondary sources might include printed material such as brochures distributed by individual departments or the registrar. Campus career centers or academic technology offices also might have information on distance-education policies. Most college or university libraries subscribe to several online databases that would provide students with access to relevant information. Websites are likely the best source of information for an overview of distance education and for tips for successfully taking a distance-education course. Some students might find relevant information on discussion groups for their department or major. Successful responses will paraphrase, quote, and summarize information. Students must select, organize, present, and cite information so that it effectively meets the needs of first-year students and their parents.

Suggested Response to “Choosing an Appropriate Primary-Research Method”

1. Sample email:

From: your_name@intelliplay.com

To: davidm@intelliplay.com

Subject: Ideas for Getting Help

David,

After reading your email request for information and the replies you received, I have a few ideas on why you didn’t get the help you wanted. In general, you were ignored because you sent a generic email message that focused on your needs rather than the needs of your audience. Directing a generic message to several people made it easy for them to ignore you. Below I make educated guesses as to what might have gone wrong in each case.

Although copying the president is not a bad strategy, Erik prefers to delegate authority. Consequently, he prefers that you work with your immediate supervisor or the lead game developer. Imagine if all of the employees at Intelliplay included Erik in every email message. Erik would spend his days reading email messages, and the company would be out of business. I recommend you work with your supervisor and include Erik only in conversations your supervisor feels are appropriate.

Sonja is working part-time for us right now. Working part-time and dividing her time among several different projects makes her schedule very hectic. I know she does the bulk of her work through email. I recommend you ask her only specific questions that are related to game play and that she can easily answer in an email message.

Matt didn’t react positively to the tone of your request. Because Matt spends most of his weekends at work, he probably wasn’t persuaded by your need to start your weekend. He interpreted your request as “you exist solely to provide the answers that I need.” Also, your questions suggested that you hadn’t done your homework (that is, played SCM in multiplayer mode). Matt hinted several times in his response that he would rather help you in person than through email.

I need to attend a meeting. Later this afternoon, I’ll email you some specific suggestions on whom to contact and how to best do so.

[your name]

2. Sample email:

From: your_name@intelliplay.com

To: davidm@intelliplay.com

Subject: Plan for Getting Answers to SCM Multiplayer Mode

David,

As a new hire, you found out that there’s a bit of a learning curve at Intelliplay when it comes to working with the game developers. In this email I briefly outline some general strategies for working with the game developers and describe some specific strategies for working with Sonja and Matt.

General Strategies for Working with Game Developers

1. Work with your supervisor to identify which game developer is the contact person for each game.

2. Spend some time getting to know the developers. If you show an interest in and appreciation for what they do, they are more likely to respond in a similar manner.

3. Learn how each developer prefers to communicate. Let the situation and the personality of the developer guide your interactions.

4. Emphasize that both of you are working as a team to make the best game possible for the customer.

5. When communicating with the developers, clearly identify the game and let them know what you need, why you need it, and when you need it.

6. Do your homework by playing the game, consulting other sources (for example, developers’ notes), and preparing for interviews with developers.

7. Remember to thank the developers both privately and publicly for their help.

Working with Sonja

Make it easy for Sonja to respond to your requests. Use email and keep your communications focused. Number your questions to make it easy for her to respond to specific items.

Working with Matt

Take time to get to know Matt. Even if you’re terrible at it, try shooting some baskets at lunch and playing game prototypes with him. Show an interest in what he is doing. You’ll likely learn a lot about a new game just by hanging around Matt. He prefers to work with people in person. Instead of emailing him your questions, ask to stop by his office to discuss a product.

If you have more questions about working with the game developers, let me know.

[your name]

3. Sample materials for acquiring information:

David has the following questions about the multiplayer mode of SCM:

1. In multiplayer mode, can more than one monster have the same special abilities (fire, radioactive breath, flight, slime, etc.)?

2. What happens if two players select the same monster type while in multiplayer mode?

3. Do players have to enter a name for the game they are hosting?

4. Can I enter “Dave’s Game”? What about “Dave’s #!%* Cool Monster Brawl to the Death III”?

5. When I want to join a multiplayer game, I scroll through a list of available multiplayer games and select one. I sometimes get a dialog box. What am I doing wrong?

6. After selecting a multiplayer game, I enter the “Monster’s Lair” and wait for other players to join before starting the game. How do you think I should describe the “Monster’s Lair” to players?

7. Why isn’t the Super-Colossal Amoeba monster harmed by electricity? Since normal one-celled animals are harmed by electricity, shouldn’t a giant one-celled animal also be harmed by electricity?

8. Why is the Giant Radioactive Bug harmed by radiation?

To acquire the information he needs to finish the documentation for the multiplayer mode of SCM, David could do the following:

1. Play the game and see what happens in each instance to learn the answers to questions 1–3.

2. Email Sonja to learn the specific requirements for setting a name for a game (question 4).

3. Schedule an appointment to stop by Matt’s cubicle and have him watch what is happening to learn the answers to questions 5 and 6.

4. Decide whether knowing the answers to questions 7 and 8 is critical to his being able to finish the documentation.

Email message to Sonja:

From: davidm@intelliplay.com

To: sonjam@intelliplay.com

Subject: Questions Regarding SCM Multiplayer Mode

Sonja,

Thank you for your quick reply to my request for information regarding the multiplayer mode in SCM. I have two follow-up questions:

1. When I do not enter a name for the game I am hosting, I get a dialog box stating “Game Already in Progress.” What should users do if they get this dialog box?

2. I found that I could enter up to 20 characters, including numbers, spaces, and basic punctuation, but I couldn’t enter all combinations of symbols on the keyboard. Besides length, what other constraints are there regarding setting a name for a multiplayer game?

I need to have the multiplayer documentation finished by next Friday. I would be grateful if you would respond to my questions no later than next Thursday, July 14.

Thanks,

David

Email message to Matt:

From: davidm@intelliplay.com

To: mattg@intelliplay.com

Subject: Questions Regarding SCM Multiplayer Mode

Matt,

Thank you for your quick reply to my request for information regarding the multiplayer mode in SCM. I still have a few questions, and I would like to take you up on your offer to show me the multiplayer mode of SCM.

I need to have the multiplayer documentation finished by next Friday. Do you have 30 minutes sometime next Monday or Tuesday afternoon? At our meeting, I’d like for you to do the following:

1. observe me when I try to join multiplayer games

2. give me some feedback on a brief description of the Monster’s Lair (I’ll email you a draft of the description later this week.)

3. give me some pointers for playing different monsters in multiplayer mode

4. set up a brief multiplayer game for the two of us

I appreciate your helping me with the documentation for SCM. Clear, accurate, and complete documentation will help players take full advantage of the features of the game. Let me know if you are available to meet and, if so, what time and day of the week works best for you. The best way to reach me is by email.

Thanks,

David