Answering questions and grading

I use grade descriptors (A+, A... C-, D+ etc) rather than % grades. You should search UCD for definitions/explanations of grade descriptors. I have posted similar material on the website.
In terms of answering prosaic, essay style questions you can employe a couple of approaches, they all amount to the same thing however, know your material, produce your own thoughtful response, practice using past papers.
Sometimes students struggle more with organising their thoughts, the following might be of help:

A simple style of raising questions, responding, and further questioning responding in the Socratic style is ok. So long as you demonstrate your knowledge and answer the question.

In terms or organising your thoughts, as mentioned in class the so-called Hegelian approach; thesis, anti-thesis, synthesis might be useful:

1. Simple bullet points >
2. Detailed definitions >
3. Examples of application >
4. Critical analysis of practical use >
5. Own interpretation and synthesis >

In a similar fashion you might organise a response inspired by Bloom’s cumulative (classification) of knowledge :
1.Data/factual statements (rules)
2.Simple description, explanation (theories)
3.Straight forward application, applied
4.Analysis of unexpected outcomes
5.Synthesis of new or adapted theory
6.Expert reflective application in use.

New Entrepreneur-in-Residence at UCD

Majella Murphy has taken up the Entrepreneur-in-Residence role for 2015-2016 at UCD's Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. Her role is to support all students with an interest in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, whether considering entrepreneurship as a career path, if working on a new business idea, or to research entrepreneurship in Ireland and Dublin particularly.
Drop in times (Room S209a) Monday mornings 9am-12.30pm or by appointment (majella.murphy@ucd.ie or 01-716 8819).

Majella will be organising a series of events including entrepreneurial journey talks, panel discussions on controversial topics, an entrepreneurship competition and an ecosystem open evening.

When would you expect creativity to occur in a project?

Q: When would you expect creativity to occur in a project?
The class provided different responses, captured in these archetypal timelines...

Seminar: "Outsourcing: cases and harnessing disruptive technology"

"Outsourcing: cases and harnessing disruptive technology".

Open invitation, all welcome.

Peter Smyth discusses sourcing theory and practice from the perspective of a services development and delivery firm. Presenting cases and the impact of harnessing disruptive technology; the implications of cloud for sourcing suppliers and clients. Followed by questions and discussion.

When/where: Wed 25th November 5-6pm in lecture theatre C302, UCD Smurfit.

Peter Smyth is Head of Managed Services, Version1. Version1 was established in Dublin, Ireland in 1996 by CEO Justin Keating and John Mullen. It has grown through organic growth and strategic acquisition to be a market leader in IT services in the UK and Ireland. - See more at: http://www.version1.com/About-Version-1/History

Version1, a Dublin native. (image source www.Version1.com)

UCD CITO, a seminar by Gitte Tjørnehøj. From Claudio Ciborra's "Drift" to "managing drifting digital development"

Open invitation, all welcome. A seminar by Gitte Tjørnehøj. From Ciborra's "Drift" to "managing drifting digital development" Tue 4pm MH201 UCD Smurfit

"Drift in practice - or how to manage drifting digital development"

When: Tuesday 24 November, 4-5pm (click here to download the event in iCal format)

Where: Room MH201, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, Blackrock.

Abstract

Practitioners and researchers agree that we have to change our way of managing technology in organisations and the development of technology itself – but few offer answers that depart from the overarching rational paradigms of the past. Taking inspiration from Ciborra’s approach we direct our attention away from organisational frameworks and structure, and focus instead on learning from those who 'do' - through happenings and artful coping in practice. We suggest that there is much yet to learn by studying improvisation and coping in action.

This talk gives an example of research into improvisational practice in a small IT firm as they strive to implement CMMI (one of these overarching frameworks). We analyse instances, when and how they improvised, and how they learnt from these occasions. This is not a success story but just an ordinary "day at work" with some successes and some failures.

The cover of Ciborra's "The Labyrinths of Information" (2002)

References:

The Labyrinths of Information: Challenging the Wisdom of Systems, Claudio Ciborra (2002)

From Control to Drift: The Dynamics of Corporate Information Infrastructures, Claudio Ciborra (2001)

About the speaker:
Gitte Tjørnehøj is an assistant professor in Information Systems Management and Programme Director for the Masters in IT Management at Aalborg University (Denmark). Gitte researches socio-material innovation, IT enabled innovation, distributed systems development, software processes, and project management.

How to get to the seminar:
A Google maps reference with room location and suggested parking zones.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=zI3tiisSQK_k.kqOUvhH4ARXE

Monument Valley, inside view

Making money from an App. The inside view, monument-valley-in-numbers. The peaks are nice but nicer still the (very) long tails. http://ow.ly/HKpDa 

Source: http://blog.monumentvalleygame.com/blog/2015/1/15/monument-valley-in-numbers

Leaders of Tomorrow competition 2015 open for applications...

Leaders of Tomorrow competition now open (p.s. UCD Smurfit MSc Digital Innovation / iBusiness - Innovation through ICT students won 2014)

See www.accenture.com (image source montage from Accenture)

The Leaders of Tomorrow competition is hosted and sponsored by Accenture, the NDRC and the Irish Times. 

2nd December 2015 - Applications Deadline
See https://www.accenture.com/ie-en/Careers/leaders-of-tomorrow-award.aspx

NDRC Catalyser Open Evening

NDRC Catalyser is an early stage startup investment programme. They are hosting an Open Evening in the NDRC on Monday, 9 November 2015 from 18:00 to 19:30.

www.ndrc.ie (link)

The NDRC is located in The Digital Hub, Crane Street, near the Guinness Storehouse complex at St. James's Gate, Dublin 8.

Cohn stirs the Estimation pot again...

Mike Cohn, the author of Agile Estimation, writes that, much of the time, his teams don't actually need to estimate at all. Huh?
Well, read through the piece, see if you get where he is coming from on this point. Would you go along with him?

[image of a mountain goat from Mountain Goat Software]

See Cohn's blog at www.mountaingoatsoftware.com (link).