PDP (P7, P8, D2)

My Personal Development Plan document (final)
PDP (final) - Dawid Bartel

I had to fill out my PDP each week, recording the tasks I had done and writing about how they went. If I had encountered any challenges, I would then write how I overcame these challenges and what I would do differently in the future.

Evaluation by Kallum Groves
LINK

Kallum had reviewed by PDP and what he found, was that I didn't put the dates in. On the other hand, my overall grammar, terminology and spelling was good.
I also missed out a couple of important sections such as what the task was, what were the challenges I faced and what would I do different in the future.

I have took the evaluation and the advice given by him and improved my PDP.

Draft of PDP
LINK

This was my draft PDP document, before it was evaluated by one of my peers.

My review of Kallum's PDP
LINK

EVALUATION OF KALLUM'S PDP
I had reviewed Kallum's Personal Development Plan as well. He wasn't consistent with his grammar and his sentence structure, although he used the terminology correctly.
Also, he missed out some of the information required, such as how he overcame the obstacles he encountered.

He then took my advice and acted on my review. He carefully proofread his work and checked the grammar and corrected all his spelling mistakes. He also made sure to include an action plan and the obstacles he had encountered and how he would overcome them.

EVALUATION OF MY PDP AFTER KALLUM REVIEWED IT
Kallum had reviewed by PDP and what he found, was that I didn't put the dates in. On the other hand, my overall grammar, terminology and spelling was good.
I also missed out a couple of important sections such as what the task was, what were the challenges I faced and what would I do different in the future.

If I was to do the PDP again and improve upon it, I would look out for the way I structure the document so that I wouldn't miss out any important sections such as the dates and the tasks and what action plan would I take if I was to do it again.

P5 Comparing VoIP

There are numerous VoIP programs which allow at least 2 users to talk to each other over the internet with the use of voice communications and multimedia. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
Some examples of VoIP services include: Skype, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo etc.

Advantages:

• Low cost
• Free worldwide calls if you have a fast internet connection.
• Portability
• You can make and receive phone calls by signing into your VoIP account as long as there is a broadband.
• Video-conferencing
• VoIP allows improved video-conferencing and advanced bandwidth capabilities at a reasonable price.
• More features unlike regular phone service
• For example, call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and three-way calling are some of the many services included with VOIP telephone service at no extra charge. You can also send data such as pictures and documents at the same time you are talking on the phone.

Disadvantages

• Needs electric power
• If a power outage was to occur, the VoIP phone service would cut off. This is because a regular phone is kept in service by the current supplied through the phone line. This is not possible with IP phones.
• Reliability
• VoIP relies on an internet connection, therefore your VoIP service is affected by the quality and reliability of your broadband Internet service and sometimes by the limitations of your PC.
• Voice quality
• VoIP itself could improve a bit on the voice quality but most of the time, the quality of the service depends on factors such as: your broadband connection, your hardware, the service provided by your provider, the destination of your call etc.
• Security
• Security is a big concern with VoIP. The most common issues with that are identity and service theft, viruses and malware, denial of service, spamming, call tempering and phishing attacks.

Summary

VoIP still has a lot to improve on, although you get quite a bit of features, considering the low cost of the service. Some of them are even free such as the mentioned Skype.  TeamSpeak on the other hand, it is free, although if you want to set up larger conference calls, you need to pay a subscription fee.
When it comes to reliability, VoIP is not that great, then again

My presentation (Evaluation - D1)

"The Last Titan" presentation

I had to pitch my game idea to an audience consisting of my peers and my lecturer.
In order for my presentation to appear professional, I had to dress in a shirt and tie among other requirements such as speaking clearly and making my presentation look interesting by including relevant, interesting information and some design ideas (concepts of characters etc.).

Evaluation

I think that I presented professionally and I was happy with the outcome of that personally. I have came over some challenges such as terminology which I had to use throughout the presentation. I didn't use the terminology at certain points and that is what had let me down.

I had to speak clearly and enthusiastically to make my presentation look professional, by doing that, I ensured that my audience was listening with interest. This is important as it is quite boring to listen to someone giving a presentation on something they are not enthusiastic about. Throughout the presentation, I took note of my body language which is quite important as it could give the audience the wrong impression of me.

Another important factor was the pictures and/or diagrams which will help the audience visualise the game concept. I had done that and it helped to engage my audience and draw more interest into what I was saying. It wouldn't look interesting and professional if I didn't have the pictures on my presentation, this is because the audience doesn't know how the game will look like.

I think I was talking calmly, changing my intonation where needed to highlight certain areas of the talk, modulating my voice and using the correct terminology where I could/remembered to be as accurate as I could in talking about the different topics, while giving the presentation and it looked like my audience understood what I was talking about. I forgot to clarify what was the actual main character in the game but I  clarified that later on when I was asked questions.

Also, when creating my presentation, I have taken under consideration the terminology and the format and structure of my presentation in order to make the written points understandable and easy to read. Because my audience was nodding at times, I knew that they understood what I tried to pass across. I didn't really have to take the cultural differences under consideration as everyone more or less came from the same area, therefore I didn't have to worry about offending anyone with some of the content.

Another thing which I did was I proofread the work to check my grammar and spelling in order to prevent me and my presentation from looking unprofessional, checking if I made mistakes such as not capitalizing names or places. I especially checked the grammar when I outlined the key points of certain slides as that catches the audience's attention the most as it's short and highlights what I would be talking on the presentation.

I also helped my audience to understand what I was talking about by paraphrasing certain parts of the presentation and summarizing each slide. I took extra care when structuring my presentation so that the slides are easy to understand and are straight to the point.

I also refrained from using any kind of smileys or emoticons in order to make my presentation seem professional.

At the end of the presentation, I did a Question and Answer session by asking the audience if they had any questions. I also changed my intonation here to engage the audience by letting them know it's a question.

When doing the Q&A, I used methods such as verbal exchanges by letting my audience ask me question and based on that I would answer them accordingly.

The question also involved probing by the audience, as some have asked me to elaborate on what I said.

What would I do to improve my presentation
I would change some of the slides on my PowerPoint presentation to inform the audience of the key factors of my game, including gameplay mechanics and how the character mechanics work etc.

I would also change my notes and change the way I explain different aspects of my game and be sure to cover the subject terminology and audience, among others.

I would also look at the negative and positive aspects of my body language and determine how I could improve upon that. I could also change the format of my notes so that when I look at them, I could quickly remind myself of what I'm talking about without having to read through all of it.

I believe that although my presentation went well, if I took the advice given into account and redid my presentation, I would be able to improve upon it. I would do this by speaking slower and ensuring that I use the subject terminology consistently.

 

When I would do the Q&A again, I would try to improve upon the speed of response, as many times I had to think about the answer when I should have known the answer off-hand.

The Q&A had open questions instead of closed ones as for example there were questions such as "How did you create the levels?", which required me to give longer and detailed answers.

I would also try to cancel out any distractions such as background noise caused by people walking by the room which caused me to lose concentration by closing the doors to the room, to at least minimize any distractions.

If I'd be doing the presentation again, I'd present alternative viewpoints when presenting facts and opinions to make my presentation a bit more interesting. I would also take notes in order to gather all the constructive criticism about my game and such. I would also identify the relevant parts of my presentation and make sure that I highlight them so that my audience would further understand what I'm talking about, just to take that extra care to making my presentation look professional.

There weren't any key messages in my presentation, as in email, fax and letters weren't relevant in any way, although I could provide my email address if the audience wanted to get in contact with me about my game for example and to ask me more questions.

Learning styles (M3)

I have worked in a team with Finn and Andy.
We were tasked to complete an exercise in which we had to use team work to complete a series of tasks.
The tasks lead us to create a circle out of an A4 piece of paper in which we had to fit all of us through.
Me and Finn are both Visual and Auditory and it allowed us to work well together in the team.
Andy on the other hand is a kinaesthetic learner and even though he has a different style, it benefited us as me and Finn were able to read out instructions, when Andy was doing the cutting.


Pragmatist, Activist, Reflector and Theorist:

Pragmatist

• Like to experiment with new approaches to see if they work in practice
• Often return from training courses keen to try new ideas out
• Prefer to act quickly and get things done - impatient with discussions, etc.
• Essentially practical
• Treat problems and opportunities as a challenge

Preferred learning activities

• Activities with clear link between subject matter and what happens on the job
• Project work
• Shown techniques with practical benefits, e.g. how to save time, how to deal with difficult people
• Opportunities to try out/practise learning
• Coaching/feedback from a credible expert in the job-related field
• Job-related examples/anecdotes
• Practical demonstrations
• Immediate opportunities to implement what is learned
• Simulations and role-plays

Summary: "Pragmatists develop their philosophy around the idea that the function of thought is as an instrument or tool for prediction, action, and problem solving." - Wikipedia

This means that people who are pragmatists tend stick to one idea of teaching, resolving problems etc.
Pragmatists will do anything to achieve their goal. They do not let their own emotions or feelings get in the way of their goal. These type of people will ignore their own ideals to get their job done and look for the quickest way to get things done.

Activist

• Enthusiastically seek new experiences - 'try anything once'
• Open-minded, rather than sceptical
• Enjoy fire-fighting/short-term crises
• Like brainstorming
• Short span of enthusiasm - bored by implementation and long-term planning
• Gregarious, self-centred and seek limelight

Preferred learning activities

• New experiences/problems opportunities
• Short 'here-and-now' activities such as role-playing
• Range of diverse activities
• 'Limelight' opportunities, such as presentations, chairing meetings, leading discussions
• Can generate ideas without constraints of structure, policy or feasibility
• Difficult tasks and challenges - 'thrown in at deep end'
• Team problem-solving, brainstorming
• Risk-taking encouraged, not punished

Passive, non-interactive, repetitive, detailed and precise activities would be unsuitable for this group.

Activists usually prefer to do practical tasks and learn on the job. Doing things practically such as building a table and learning how to build it on the go.

Reflector

• Like to observe events from a distance and evaluate from different perspective
• Collect data and do thorough research before making decisions
• Tend to 'put things off' - 'sleep on it'
• Cautious and take all possible implications into account - 'the big picture'
• Observe others and take back seat in meetings/discussions
• Good listeners

Preferred learning activities

• Encouraged to observe, listen and evaluate
• Background notes and prior reading
• 'Time to think' - no pressure/deadlines
• Research and review activities, e.g. producing reports
• 'Structured' methods for exchanging views
• This is the group best suited to e-learning and distance learning methods

'Limelight' roles, action without planning, seeking instant reactions, time pressures, expediency and 'cut-and-dried' instructions are all likely to produce negative reactions among this group.

Reflectors are people who prefer to learn by observation and watching others to see how they do it. They will spend a lot of time thinking about how to do the task before doing it themselves.


Theorist

• Adapt and integrate observations into theories
• Use logical, step-by-step approaches, like to analyse
• Perfectionists
• Embrace systems thinking and theory models
• Value rationality and logic - 'Does it make sense?' 'How does this fit with that?'
• Uncomfortable with subjective judgments, lateral thinking or trivia - prefer certainty

Preferred learning activities

• Time to explore relationships between ideas/events/situations
• Opportunities to question and probe assumptions/logic/method
• Activities that 'stretch' the learner intellectually
• Structured exercises with clear purposes
• Analytical exercises
• Interesting and challenging ideas/concepts, even if relevance not clear at first
• Complex activities

Theorists learn most efficiently by working methodically and also learn by experimenting. These type of people like to read instructions rather than jumping straight to the task.

'Touchy-feely' activities, those without structure or clear context, decision-making without reference criteria/information, and activities that lack depth and are 'gimmicky' or superficial are all likely to prove unsuitable for this group.

M2 - Reviewing documents

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3rvStNkXE4GbkJoSFFFNXlldXc/edit?usp=sharing

I have changed the original game design document. Specifically, the headings, title, paragraphs etc.

The original document was hard to read and was unorganized.
The title was the same size as the headings and paragraphs and it didn't look very professional.
The document didn't have the contents table and the page numbers neither.

What I have done:

Firstly I edited the title by changing the colour to blue and changed the size of the font to 36 which in turn, I changed into italic. I have also created a border around, to make the whole title stand out.
I then edited the headings. I have made it Italic, Arial font and size of 20 and changed the colour to a lighter blue than a title so that it is clear to read and is easily recognized that it is a heading.

After that, I have started editing the paragraphs. I have changed the font to Verdana to a size of 12. The reason for that, is that it is easy to read. I have also "justified" the paragraphs so that it looks neater. Also, if a lecturer would want to mark the work, they have plenty of space to do so.

Another thing which I have changed or even added, was the page numbers. This is to keep the pages in order when they will get printed and to quickly find the page you are looking for/you are on.

The last little detail which I have added was the table of contents. This is making the document look organized and most importantly professional. Also, this is to guide and make the reader aware of what is featured in the document, so they can easily and quickly find what they are looking for.

GDD evaluation - Race 'n' chase (Grand Theft Auto) - D1

I have evaluated a game design document for the Race 'n' chase which later on, became known as Grand Theft Auto.

Some of the advantages/disadvantages:

• Table of contents is understandable and effective
• Clearly broken down into heading and subheadings
• Contains a lot of information and gives all the key points needed
• No images make it dull and boring to look at
• Looks professional

The table of contents is understandable and effective because it is well structured. It makes it easy to read and find the right content.
The document overall is clearly broken down into headings and sub-headings which clearly label what section you are on. It also contains a lot of information and gives all the key points needed therefore it makes all the sections clear and understandable.

It has no images therefore it makes the document look somewhat dull but it is still very professional and straight to the point.

Learning styles

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYpLi5LZhOCAMc5-4xVuuDhKRw7gF6kSYUoV7kNir8k/edit?usp=sharing

Barriers & Solutions P3 to effective communication M1

General: 

• Cultural differences

People with different cultural backgrounds look at some things in a different way. It is vital that in the game industry, everyone can work together. For example, normally the team that is working on a video game consists of a couple of hundred people if not more. Within these teams, there are people from different countries, with different beliefs etc. It is very important that everyone gets along as these people work in these teams for a couple of years and it creates a good working environment.

This barrier came be overcome by simply respecting those differences. That's why people working in the game industry tent to be very open minded.

• Terminology

 Terminology can be a barrier in communication as well. For example, if you are giving a presentation or talking to someone you don't necessarily know, that person doesn't have to exactly know what you are talking about. For example, when a game company representative is talking to potential investors, those people don't have to necessarily know the specific terminology used in the industry.

In order to make your presentation professional, you still have to use the terminology, but to diminish the barrier, you can break down the terms you are using and go more into detail, this would ensure that your audience is following you.

Interpersonal: 

• Background noise 

 Background noise is another barrier which you have to consider. If you are doing a presentation or talking to a group of people, it is very distracting for both you and the audience if there is noise outside etc. In the IT sector, the presentations are a vital part of the organization, it keeps the employees (mostly managers/directors etc.) informed about what is going on within the company.
There is not much you can do about the background noise, although you could try to pick a quieter place where there is usually less noise.

• Lack of concentraction

 Lack of concentration is quite a big one as well. This can be both a barrier to you as well as the audience. If you are giving a presentation and you are not concentrating, this can lead the audience to think that you don't know what you're talking about or, in effect, can make the audience lose their interest and eventually not concentrating.

This would be a big problem in the gaming industry as everything tends to be very organized. If you lose your concentration, you lose track of everything else, especially when such organizations work with deadlines.

This can be solved by preparing for your presentation, know what you have to say and keep your eyes on your audience to stop any distractions.

Communicative in writing: 

• Structure

 When putting together a document or a leaflet of some sorts, the audience reading it needs to know what exactly you are trying to put across.
In large gaming companies, people use ''design documents''. These inform every person what their job is and what the game requires. It needs to be strictly organized so that the person looking through it can find quickly what they are looking for. This is important as such design documents have a ridiculous number of pages.

This 'barrier' can be overcome by structurising your paragraphs, sub headings etc. so that it is consistant and in-place. It is surprisingly easy to make small mistakes, but these mistakes make all the difference to the person reading what is written.

• Alternative viewpoints

 If you meet people on a daily basis, you will realise that a lot of these people have different view points on certain aspects. If you are trying to communicate your view on something to a group of people, you should take their own views into consideration. Not everybody will agree with what you have to say, but the real skill is in the acknowledgement of other people's opinions.

A very good example is the game industry, where large companies work with a variety of different people. For example, before a video game idea is put forward, the important people respnsible for the whole project sit down and discuss the different options, and although these people have different views and reasons for them, they share their viewpoints and choose what they think is best.

To overcome this barrier of alternative viewpoints, it is best to let everyone share their views and let everyone engaged choose what is best for the given situation. This prevents any misunderstandings and lets everyone express how they feel and why they feel that way.

Other examples:

Potential barriers in effective communication:
Using technical terminology,
Talking about taboo subjects or simply some may find difficult to express their emotions,
Differences in opinions/view points,
Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties,
Cultural differences
and many more...

The impact of such barriers can be reduced by (not in order):

• Being open and friendly, willing to openly talk about own problems too
• Talk clearly and with confidence
• Taking the receiver more seriously
• Ensuring appropriate feedback
• Being aware of own state of mind, emotions, attitude
• Being open minded and willing to hear other people's view points/opinions
• Finding a variety of ways to communicate

Effective Communication P2

Introduction

General communication skills

• Engaging audience - In order to effectively communicate, you need to engage your audience. For example, if you are pitching an idea, you need to engage your audience, make the presentation look interesting. You could ask your audience a question that is related to the topic etc.
• Terminology - For example, if you're doing a presentation on the IT sector, you need to watch the terminology which you are using as the people to whom you presenting, may not necessarily know what you are talking about.

Interpersonal Skills

•  Body language - Body language is very important because it gives away how you really feel. You could come off as confident, but when you fidgeting or can't stand in place, it could give the wrong impression.
• Speed of response - If you take your time to answer, the person you are talking to could potentially think that you do not necessarily know your subject.

Communicate in Writing

• Emoticons - For example, if you are writing to a manager, or someone important, it is not professional to use emoticons as the person who you writing to may not take you seriously.
• Grammar - Grammar is a very important point to consider as it shows what kind of person you are. For example, if you are writing a CV and you have grammatical mistakes, the person reviewing your CV probably would turn you down.

Some Examples of Effective Communication:
Body language

• Nonverbal communication
• Ability to listen
• Emotional awareness
• Managing stress

reference: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.html

Introduction

Career aspirations: Past, Present, Future.

Past:

• Learn new skills in the field I would like to work in, in the future.
• Stay agile and flexible and have fun.
• Learn and not be perturbed by failures.
• Have great mentors.

Present:

• Finish College with the highest qualification(s) I can get.
• Go on to further education (university).
• Continue improving my skills and expanding my skill-set by finding connections and relationships between different fields.
• Attend events where I am exposed to people in the industries I am interested in so I can learn from them and hear amazing ideas which inspire me

Future:

• Work on exciting projects with amazing people.
• Continue expanding and improving my skills and learn more every day.
• Learn and use other languages.
• Love and be passionate about my job while maintaining a sustainable life/work balance.
• Be a great asset to any team or company.
• Work at a place where I love my job and want to give it more than what is required of me.

Unit 1 P1 - Personal attributes valued by employers

Specific attributes:

• Health & Safety - valued by employers as it is mandatory for all companies for the safety and well being of workers. For example, when operating heavy machinery or doing manual labour, you need to be able to know how to handle it. A job example could be a warehouse operative.
• Technical knowledge - valued by employers because it helps if a employee knows what they are doing. For example if you want to work as a web designer, you need to know how to use the required programs.

General attributes:

• Team working - it is valued by employers because usually, when in a workplace, you will work with other people. You would have to get on and co-ordinate tasks accordingly. For example if you are in an office of some sort, you will be put in a group of people, therefore you will have to work together as a group. A great example could be surgeons or doctors.
• Creativity - valued by employers as the more creative you are, the better and original the idea is. For example, if you are pitching a project for a game, you will need to be as creative as possible for investors to be interested in it. A very good example could be a game designer.

Attributes:

• Independent - this is valued by the employers because when you will do your job, you won't have to ask people for help, you can do the work on your own, independently. For example if you will have to do a bit of a code for a mobile app, you will have to do your own research, definitely know how to code etc. For example, an app developer could be a related job.
• Dependable - it is valued by employers because if someone on your team, such as a manager, will require you to get something done, they can trust you that you will do it. For example if your boss will ask you to fill a stack of forms and you will do that, he will know that he can depend on you next time. An example could be a office worker.