Implementation

Once we determined our mock-up design, it was decided that we would create a template design of the tutorial that each person could use to create their own lesson that they were assigned. We made sure to include JavaDoc Documentation to allow the entire team to understand all parts. Once the template tutorial was created, creating our lessons were very straight forward. Listed below are sample images of each tutorial.

Objects Sample & Logic Sample

Loops Sample & Collections Sample

Usability Testing

Mock-ups of Tutorial

Our professor wanted us to emphasis certain Java topics we learned in class as we created our Java Tutorial. With that in mind, we knew we had to include 2D Graphics, Java Beans, Cryptography, Security, etc.

Together we decided to emphasize coding structure, provide animations, and plain text to teach lessons. Pictured below are two of our mock-ups. We decided to go with the later.

Figure 1: Mock-up Image 1

Figure 2: Mock up Image 2

As you can see Figure 1, had the sample code text pane sharing a panel with the Animation Panel. In figure 2, the sample code text pane is located near the lesson/question panel.

Design of Product

Once we determined our brand, we were sent off with the task of determining what kind of product we wanted to present. With both primary and secondary research, and understanding the scope of the project we determined we wanted to highlight the following topics in our tutorial:

Logic

• If/Else
• Switch

Loops

• For
• While/Do While

Collections

• Array
• ArrayList

Objects

• Constructors
• Accessors and Mutators
  

Creation of Brand and Logo

Through several heated meetings and mock-ups my team finally decided on a logo, and how we wanted to brand ourselves. We wanted our audience to see that we were cohesive, research forward, diverse and a talented programming team. Together we agreed on the name Connect4.
We used analogies and symbols commonly seen in the game Connect Four produced by Hasbro. Our final design came out as follows:

Determination of Project Topics

Once assigned to our groups in Team-Based Application Programming we were given the task of researching what key concepts new programmers had a hard time understanding. Stated below is an excerpt from our paper describing our major research method:

During a regularly scheduled Java programming class, students were split into groups of two and three, and assigned an interviewer. Students were varied in ages, and provided many explanations on why they were taking this course. As it is a required course for the Information Technology (IT) and Network Security and System Administration (NSSA) degrees, students found in this class were either taking the course for the first time, retaking the course, transferred into Rochester Institute of Technology, or taking the course after failed attempts at taking a higher Java programming course. Attending this class session provided us with a diverse pool of responses.

Our group interviewed a total of nine students. It was our aim to make the students feel comfortable by building a repertoire in order for them to provide useful and honest responses. At the end of the day, our team came together and reported our findings, in addition to articles with relevant topics in order to further understand college-wide programming issues.

Group Dynamics

After talking to each of my group members we all came to the realization that our dynamics were of the following characteristic.

Diya - Designer, Programmer, HCI, Lead Researcher

Derek - Lead Designer, Programmer, HCI, Researcher

Jeff - Programmer, Motivator, HCI, 2nd Lead Researcher

Shawn - Lead Programmer, HCI, Researcher