Problem-solving Methodology Flashcards
What is the Problem-solving Methodology (PSM)?
In creative digital technologies, we use a methodology to help us create digital solutions. The methodology we use is called the problem-solving methodology (PSM). A problem doesn’t have to be something that’s bad. It is often like a puzzle - something we need to solve.
- Analysis
Understand all aspects of the problem
State what is required to solve the problem (requirements, constraints, scope) - Design
Decide how to achieve the solution
Determine evaluation criteria - Development
Build/create the solution
Validation
Testing - Evaluation
Determine whether the solution has solved the original problem
Check the requirements of the user to see if they have been achieved
What is Data?
Data is raw facts, figures, symbols or ideas.
It is raw because it has not been processed or organised in any way.
Examples
The temperature at 12:00 pm
A rating for a restaurant
The DOB of a person
The price of a product
What is Information?
Information is produced when data is processed or manipulated.
For example:
The age of every student in a class is our data. (e.g. 14, 15, 15, 16, 14, 15, 15)
The average age of the students in a class is information. (e.g. 14.86)
The average age is information because we perform some processing on the data:
Step 1 - add all the numbers together to get a total age (14 + 15 + 15 + 16 + 14 + 15 + 15 = 104)
Step 2 - divide the total age by the number of students (104 / 7 = 14.86)
Quantitative Data
Quantitative data is measurable and objective.
This means that everyone can understand exactly what the data represents.
Quantitative data usually consists of numbers or data that can be easily converted to numbers.
Examples: 1 cm 15°C 10/01/2002 Yes
Qualitative Data
Qualitative data is unmeasurable or subjective.
This means that everyone doesn’t have the same interpretation (e.g. what colour is the wall?).
Qualitative data usually consists of people’s opinions as words or sentences.
Examples:
Taste of a steak at a restaurant
The impact of a mobile on a student’s study
The reason for drinking coffee
What is a Primary Source?
Primary sources have direct or firsthand data about an event, object, or person.
This can include researchers who collect data from our environment or stakeholders who have a particular interest in the topic or issue.
For example, if we were collecting data about the weather, the Bureau of Meteorology would be a primary source as they collect the data directly from the environment. You could also use a weather station to collect your own data and therefore you would be the primary source.
What is a Secondary Source?
Secondary sources process data from primary sources to produce information.
This typically involves them describing, discussing or interpreting the data.
For example, people who witness a car accident are the primary sources of what happened. A journalist may interview 3 witnesses to write a story. They would collect the data from the witnesses and interpret it to construct a newspaper article.
The newspaper article would be a secondary source of information.
What is a survey/questionnaire?
Surveys and questionnaires contain a set of questions that are given to participants to answer.
The questions are provided in a written form and can be paper-based or electronic (e.g. SurveyMonkey).
Benefits:
Quick to implement
Fast for participants to complete
Collect a large amount of data
What is an Interview?
Interviews are meetings between the data collector and a single participant. For example, you might interview a sports star for a research assignment.
Benefits:
Access to people’s opinions and beliefs
Usually recorded (with permission)
Able to ask follow-up questions (dig deeper)
What are Focus Groups?
Focus groups are meetings between the data collector and multiple participants. For example, a teacher might have a meeting with a number of students to get their opinions on house sport.
Benefits:
Participants can be selected to fit a particular demographic
Access to people’s opinions and beliefs
Participants can bounce ideas off each other
What are Observations?
Observation is when the data collector observes a participant or object in their own setting. For example, you might go and observe how a policeman deals with stress when on patrol. Or you might collect measurements from an outdoor environment.
Benefits:
Data collected is objective
Typically non-obtrusive and doesn’t take up too much of the participant’s time
What is Research?
Data can be obtained from printed or electronic materials that have not been manipulated or processed. For example, both the Victorian and Australian governments have large sets of data available to the public:
Benefits:
Little effort is required to find and download data
Collect a large amount of data
What are Techniques?
Once you have chosen your method of collecting data, there are a number of techniques you can utilise to implement the method.
What is the In-Person Technique?
All of the data collection methods can be conducted in person. This means that the data collector interacts directly with the participant.
Benefits
Provide assistance
Clarify any problems
Adjust the collection method to suit changing circumstances
What is the Online Technique?
A survey/questionnaire can be created using software like SurveyMonkey and the link emailed or posted on social media.
Interviews, focus groups and observation may be possible with video conferencing, but not typically used.
Benefits:
Fast/avoid travel
Collect a large amount of data
Collect data from all around the world
