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Problem Solving in Life and Technology
How do we get there from here?
Problem solving skills are essential to success in every aspect
of life. You depend upon these skills for
success in your personal life and finances, in your family and
civic responsibilities, and in your
professional career. Everyone has skills in problem solving yet
you may have wondered how it is that
some people are so good at it in some parts of their lives, but
so miserable at it in other parts. We all
know individuals who have no “common sense” yet are “book
smart”, and we know others who have
incredible skills for managing their personal finances but fail
miserably in their relationships. We find
ourselves wondering how they (and at times, ourselves) can be so
inconsistent in what appears to be
simple problem solving skills. The truth of the matter is that
problem solving is not simple. Problem
solving skills take practice and purposeful application of rules
and processes to fit specific types of
problems. Most people learn these skills through interactions
with family and friends, in school, or
during career training. Some of it is so ingrained in our
personality that we are unaware of our own
thought processes. For example, when you get dressed in the
morning, you probably don’t have to think
through the articles of clothing you will need (pants, a shirt,
2 socks, etc.), and you probably don’t
consciously determine ahead of time what order to put them on
in.
There are many different kinds of problems to be solved in life
and in the field of computer science, and
consequently, there are different strategies to solve them.
People engaged in technology and computer
science share this dependency upon extraordinary problem solving
skills for creating all of the
conveniences, gadgets, and modern wonders we have come to depend
upon. Let’s start our discussion
of problem solving with a description of types of problems and
explore how each of these types can be
reflected in technology and computer science. Then, we’ll look
at the strategies to solve these types of
problems, the unique strategies of solving problems in
technology, and finally, consider ways to improve
one’s problem solving skills. As we go along you will have the
opportunity to think about problem
solving from a personal perspective.
Problems with clear-cut answers and solutions
Problems with definite answers that are solved with prescriptive
strategies are the type that many of us
spent years practicing in school. These are typically the
problems at the end of the chapter in a math,
physics, or computer science textbook. We learned that in order
to get the right answers all we need to
do is follow the rules described in the chapter. If only life
were so simple! Individuals who are very adept
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at this type of problem solving are sometimes called “book
smart” and are very skilled at remembering
the rules. Sometimes this type of problem is referred to as
being highly structured – no guess work
required.
Indeed, some of life is clear-cut; balancing your checkbook,
following a recipe, putting together a model,
installing new software, and writing a formula to calculate the
average rainfall for the year.
Unfortunately, most of the big challenges in life, and in
computer science, fall into other categories of
problem solving.
Problems with a fairly defined outcome but with many solution
strategies
Things start to get messy when we’re confronted with problems
that have a fairly defined outcome but
for which the solutions can be as varied as the individuals you
meet in your daily commute. This type of
problem confronts us on a daily basis. In comparison to
clear-cut problems and solutions, these
problems are only moderately structured.
In your personal life you need to feed yourself and perhaps a
family. The defined outcome is that menus
be nutritious, safe, and within your budget but the solutions to
the problem are as varied as the cultures
and tastes of the world!
Examples of this type of problem in technology include a
spreadsheet to plan a budget or a job schedule
to coordinate employee’s shifts. The solution is constrained by
various factors such as the number of
employees, the duration of each shift, etc., but the form and
design of the solution can be quite diverse.
For example, creating the local area network for a small
business requires a fairly straightforward
application of hardware, but analysis and predictions of how
employees will use the network, the
volume of traffic, the future plans for expansion, and the
changing business needs, will all impact the
final solution possibilities.
This type of problem requires not only the “book smarts” to
identify the data required and the
constraints of the problem, but also a certain level of
creativity to imagine all the possible solutions. The
technology that makes up everything from our home security
systems to our automobiles, from
appliances to personal entertainment devices, have created a
demand for individuals skilled in solving
this type of problem.
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Problems with no defined solution or defined solution
strategy
Now things are really getting complicated! Problems with various
acceptable solutions, no known
solution, or perhaps no solution at all, and a myriad of
strategies to find an answer (most yet
undiscovered), tend to frustrate us the most. They lack almost
all structure so we are left to fend for
ourselves in order to create the structure through our own
values and priorities. We deal with problems
in this category daily, but they often require much more time
and effort to solve. We are confronted
with questions such as: Where should I live? What career should
I train for? What is the cure for cancer?
How do we achieve world peace? What is my purpose on this
earth?
We also face this type of problem with technology in our lives.
What computer system will best fit my
needs? How do I select a communication service? How should I,
personally, deal with privacy and
security? What is my role as a cyber-citizen? Sometimes we can
call in an expert; sometimes we just
have to solve the problems ourselves.
And of course, in the world of computer science, computer
scientists, programmers, and others, work to
solve this type of problem as the very core of their profession:
How can a network to manage the
pharmacy needs of customers across the country or around the
world be created? How can the huge
amounts of data gathered by national security experts be
manipulated and analyzed to protect the lives
and property of citizens? What simulation can be programmed to
predict, even divert, hurricanes? What
can be done to minimize the effects of climate change? Is there
other life in the universe? What
programming strategy will discover the essence of life reflected
in our chromosomes?
The good news is that this type of problem generates fun and
creativity in life, and in computer science!
The bad news is that this type of problem solving requires
effort, knowledge, and a deliberate thought
process for most of us. More good news is that problem solving
is a skill that can be learned and
enhanced.
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Get Real
Analyze your ability to solve problems by thinking through the
following questions.
1. Select one area of your life to reflect upon - your hobby,
job, family, relationships, or civic
role. Which category of problem solving are you most comfortable
with in this life role?
a. Problems with clear cut answers and solutions.
b. Problems with fairly defined outcomes but many solutions.
c. Open-ended problems where I can experiment and be
creative.
b) How did you learn the skills to solve this particular type of
problem in this part of your life?
a. My family modeled and reinforced these skills.
b. My teachers taught these skills.
c. I learned them through trial and error.
d. I modeled after others who were successful in this role.
Which problem solving type offers the most difficulties in this
life role?
a) Problems with clear cut answers and solutions.
b) Problems with fairly defined outcomes but many solutions.
c) Open-ended problems where I can experiment and be
creative.
For each of the following problem solving categories, identify a
life role for which this
is your best problem solving skill set. Think about your life
roles as a parent, a friend, a
volunteer, a student, a citizen, or a wage earner.
a) Problems with clear cut answers and solutions.
b) Problems with fairly defined outcomes but many solutions.
c) Open-ended problems where I can experiment and be
creative.
Assess your current problem solving skills in regard to
technology. In which of these
technology areas have you encountered problems for which you
have had the problem
solving skills to solve?
a) Configuring technology components such as entertainment
systems
b) Trouble shooting or repairing hardware
c) Using software such as spreadsheets or audio editing
software
d) Creating your own presence on the Web with a Web page or
blog
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e) Expressing creativity with graphic, music or video
software
f) Analyzing problems and writing computer programs to solve
them
g) Other specialty areas
Describe a frustrating technology related problem which you
recently encountered.
Remember your comments; we will return to this question
later.
Learning Problem solving strategies
Your new understanding of the basic categories of problems faced
in modern life is the first step to
becoming a better problem solver. Once you recognize the type of
problem you are faced with, you can
select an approach that will yield the most satisfactory
results. Certain solution strategies generally work
best with specific types of problems.
Request-Response-Result Strategy
The Request-Response-Result problem solving strategy is likely
the one you are quite comfortable with
because you practiced it for years in school on those
10-question worksheets and the review problems
at the end of the chapter in the chemistry textbook. It’s the
strategy that correlates best to the clear-cut
category of problems; a request is made, you respond with steps
of a rule, and the one and only correct
result is achieved. It works perfectly when applied to clear-cut
problems.
This strategy rarely works well when applied to other types of
problems. Typically, people who go
through life using only this approach to problem solving are
said to see life in terms of black or white.
Sadly for them, they are unaware of other strategies that work
more successfully in solving many
problems faced in today’s world.
In the world of technology, individuals don’t encounter too many
of these problems for which they must
apply the Request-Response-Result strategy because technology
has been created to do it very
effectively for us. You own a calculator to do math, complete
with built-in square root, average,
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minimum and maximum functions. If you are an engineer, your
computer likely has many functions
built-in to solve problems of this type that are unique to your
work. The same can be said for almost any
job. A store attendant uses a computer to automatically
calculate a discount, the tax, and the change.
Emergency responders use computers that monitor patients and
determine medicine dosages. Pilots
use devices to determine arrival times based upon navigational
data. Your microwave oven is even
programmed to pop the corn with the touch of one button and the
word processor I use follows rules of
grammar to correct my writing!
The Request-Response-Result is the type of problems that
computers are very good at solving. A
computer can quickly accept a request, apply a response based
upon any number of rules, and display
the result. Making computer solve these problems is the work of
computer programmers who create
programs for computers and a wide variety of devices with
embedded, or hidden, computer
components in appliances, automobiles, and gadgets of all
sorts.
Embedded - A hidden component of a larger system such as the
computer components in your car.
These programmers design the algorithm for the computer to
follow to match the data, the specific
conditions, and criteria for a satisfactory result.
Algorithm - A precise and systematic method for solving a
problem.
Certainly there are times while working with technology at which
we use this problem-solving strategy
ourselves. Successfully plugging in the components of your
computer is simple if you follow the rule to
match the color of the cord with the color of the socket.
Installing software is a breeze if you follow the
specific rules of the online prompts. Even the construction of a
fairly complex PowerPoint presentation
has been made easier with wizards that guide you in following
the rules.
The IDEAL Problem solving strategy
With a name like IDEAL you would think that this is the best
problem solving strategy available. This
strategy was developed during the 1960s and 70s and is based on
the idea that if you learn the strategy
you can apply it to any problem situation on any topic. It is
useful in many situations, and it fits well with
the type of problem that is has several possible solutions. It
lacks the opportunity to redo the effort
because there is no built-in step for starting over.
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There are 5 steps that represent the acronym IDEAL.
1. Identify the problem
2. Define the problem by sorting through the relevant
information
3. Explore the possible options through brainstorming
4. Act on the strategy selected
5. Look back and evaluate the results of your actions
This strategy can be applied to many technology problem areas,
as well as the problems and challenges
of daily life. When you’re called upon to give a presentation to
your work group you likely use this
approach. In order to select the best format you ask yourself,
“What is the goal of this presentation?”,
“What constraints do I have in terms of equipment, time,
skills?”, and “What is possible – PowerPoint,
chalk talk, slide show, or Live Meeting?” You select a format
for your presentation based upon your
analysis, and after the event, you critique the outcome and add
it to your list of experiences to draw
upon the next time you make a presentation. This style of
problem solving has likely served you very
well.
The IDEAL approach can be used in selecting computer components
and software, configuring a local
network, and writing computer programs to solve simple
problems.
The Circle-Back Model
Recent research into problem solving has found that there is
considerably more to effectively solving
complex problems than just knowing the steps of some particular
technique. Many problems must be
approached from different angles through a process of trial and
error, so the opportunity to evaluate
the outcome and try again is critical. The Circle-Back strategy
is particularly effective in addressing
technology-related problems, especially the complex problems
that programmers work on. Creating
software to model weather patterns, or analyze economic
strategies, or control robots is not nearly as
clear cut as the previous problem solving strategies would
imply. The Circle-Back strategy is used when
“failure is not an option”; when the problem might be worked on
indefinitely and it is likely that it could
take a great many cycles to arrive at a solution.
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The Circle-Back method involves 3 basic
steps that repeatedly cycle until a
solution is achieved. Each major step has
many sub-components that are
customized to the situation and must be
accomplished. The beginning point is to
Represent the Problem clearly and fully.
This step involves calling up all relevant
information that impacts the problem,
establishing the goal, and defining a
starting point. In the world of technology and software
development, this phase can take a long time
and require the expertise of many individuals.
The Search for Solutions step includes refining the goal based
upon the research and work done in the
first step and developing a plan of action to reach the
goal.
The step to Implement the Solution is the action phase and it
contains the critical activities of executing
the plan created in the previous step and evaluating the results
of the action. Here is where an
important juncture occurs; if the results do not meet the goal,
the process is started again back at the
first step of Representing the Problem and the Circle-Back
process continues until success is achieved.
This approach to problem solving is especially valuable to
computer scientists. Many of the problems
they work to solve are huge and complex without predefined
solution sets. The problems must be
broken down into sub-problems. Each of the smaller problems is
processed through the 3 basic steps
and when all the sub-parts are working, the whole plan can be
constructed, implemented, and
evaluated.
So how does this work in technology? Imagine the task of
creating a video game for the Xbox. Stating
the goal is almost more than one can think about. The game must
have a great story line, realistic
graphics, exciting animation, fast response time, and on and on.
How would you even begin? It might be
reassuring to know that big production computer games require a
team of hundreds of individuals.
There are artists, writers, programmers, audio specialist,
musicians, marketers, testers and many more.
Each specialty team is responsible for its own goals and problem
solving cycles. The Circle-Back
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approach is especially effective in complex, open-ended problems
that require as much creativity as
they do analytical problem solving skills.
Get Real
Analyze these technology situations. Select the solution
strategy you would use to solve the
problem.
1. The network is infected with a virus and needs to be
cleared.
a) Request-Response-Result
b) IDEAL
c) Circle-Back
Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) notifies you that your
mailbox has exceeded its
limit.
a) Request-Response-Result
b) IDEAL
c) Circle-Back
Your engineering team is assigned to reprogram the assembly line
robots at the local
automotive plant.
a) Request-Response-Result
b) IDEAL
c) Circle-Back
Your supervisor asks you to analyze recent sales data in a
graphic format for the
department meeting.
a) Request-Response-Result
b) IDEAL
c) Circle-Back
Your company receives the contract to customizing the medial
records software for
the nearby hospital.
a) Request-Response-Result
b) IDEAL
c) Circle-Back
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Strategy + Knowledge = Effective Problem Solving
Because of recent research, we now recognize that understanding
and applying a strategy to a problem
isn’t enough to effectively solve the problem. Researchers have
found that there are many other factors
that build good problem solving skills. In addition to selecting
an appropriate strategy to fit the problem,
you must have a deep base of knowledge in the subject area of
the problem. Additionally, individuals
need practice with a strategy within the context of real-world
problems. This new thinking on the
importance of having a solid base of knowledge in a particular
subject has changed the way educators
and trainers teach problem solving strategies.
This must seem like a vicious circle; how can you become a good
problem solver without knowledge and
experience, both which require problem solving skills to
achieve? My advice is to take it slow and easy,
learn as you go, call for help when you need it, and continually
try to piece together what you already
know about the topic with what you are experiencing in a current
problem.
Self-Help Strategies
1. Start with a realistic assessment of what you know and the
experiences that can be
applied.
2. Analyze the situation – break it into smaller challenges
3. Draw upon your experiences with similar scenarios
4. Figure out what you need to know and where to find it
5. Come up with a plan
6. Implement it
7. Test it
8. Repeat as necessary
9. Evaluate the process and add to your experiences account
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Try it out
Imagine that you are having difficulties with the wireless
network at home. It won’t connect each family
member’s computer to the printer in the home office. In a
panicked attempt to solve the problem, you
unplugged everything, find the printer software, reinstalled it
on every computer, hook each computer
directly to the printer in hopes of helping the computers “find
it”, and eventually give up and call upon
the fifteen year-old living next door.
If you had the opportunity to apply strategies learned in this
lesson, what might you have done
differently?
You would likely recognize that this is a problem that has only
one acceptable outcome but perhaps
there are several actions that can be tried to correct the
problem. If you could redo the situation with
the problem solving strategies you just learned, you might have
called in the fifteen year old first (just
kidding!).
Likely you would have used the Circle-Back method with more time
spent on the first step of assessing
the problem and recalling other experiences you have had with
the home network. You might have
begun the debugging process by breaking it into smaller pieces –
checking if each computer had printer
drivers, checking the wireless signal strength, and the printer
itself. You would have recalled what you
know about networks in general. Perhaps you would have checked
the computer manual to discover
where network settings are controlled, you might have searched
for pertinent information in the printer
manual, and maybe even checked online help forums. You probably
would have telephoned a friend to
gather more insights from her experiences. After learning all
you could, and thinking about past
experiences with your wireless network, you could formulate a
plan of possible actions, execute each
action, evaluate the results of each action, and try other
strategies until the problem was solved or until
you decided to call in an expert.
Debugging - A method of discovering the source of errors causing
problems in a system or process.
Certainly following a problem solving strategy doesn’t guarantee
successful results every time. That is
why the Circle-Back strategy is effective; it’s not an
all-or-nothing scenario, and it offers opportunities
for organized skill development both in the context of the
specific problem at hand, and in problem
solving in general.
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Get Real
Look back to the technology problem you described for question 6
in the first “Get Real” section of
this lesson– Describe a frustrating technology related problem
which you recently encountered.
Solve it again in your imagination by using the strategies from
this lesson to identify how you might
have arrived at a better solution with less frustration.
In hindsight, what learning occurred in that experience that you
can apply to a future situation?
Formalizing a plan of attack
All of us have a whole collection of rules we recite to help us
with our grammar or to calculate the tip
amount. These general “rules of thumb” are called heuristics.
They provide a general plan for solving
problems. The strategies for solving problems described earlier
in this lesson fall into the category of
heuristics; they offer general guidance for our actions.
Computer programmers use problem solving
strategies – or heuristics – to arrive at the general, overall,
plain language solutions to solve problems
using computers. However, computers cannot interpret our normal
language; they do not make
assumptions, draw conclusions, or interpret our meaning. Because
computers cannot read our minds
(yet!), the instructions they follow must be extremely detailed
and presented in a logical order that
leaves nothing to guess work. This begins the action phase –
writing software – for solving problems
using computers.
Heuristic - A general guideline or rule-of-thumb for solving
problems.
Algorithms – The Recipe in Computer Science
Writing software, even simple programs, requires a detailed
series of steps for the computer to follow.
Computer programmers, sometimes called “software developers”,
begin by creating a sequential list of
tasks which the computer must perform in order to arrive at a
solution. This task list must be translated
into a specific language which the computer can understand. This
list of steps is called an algorithm.
Don’t let the word scare you. Algorithm is just a technical term
for “recipe.” Creating an algorithm
requires critical thinking about the problem plus careful
analysis of the situation, and goes hand-in-hand
with problem solving strategies.
Algorithm - A precise and systematic method for solving a
problem.
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To think about the detailed requirements of a computer program
try this: Write out the instructions for
making your favorite sandwich. Now, pretend you are a robot that
has no history of food preparation,
and no experience with making a sandwich. Envision what happens
when you execute the step to “Top
with brown mustard and slice.” Will the robot know you mean to
open the jar of mustard, scoop 1
teaspoon from the jar, spread it evenly over the pastrami, top
with another slice of bread (ideally taken
from the wrapper!), and use a knife to cut from corner to
corner? It’s likely that the assumptions
another human would make about creating a sandwich would be
skipped by the robot and you would
end up with the jar of mustard sitting on top of the meat and a
big mess when an attempt to “slice”
occurs.
Execute - To carry out a specific instruction step such as a
command in a computer program.
Writing a computer program involves a detailed algorithm
containing the exact steps to execute in order
to arrive at the desired outcome. Let’s look at the algorithm
for a task a computer could be programmed
to complete – calculating the total cost of the pizza you
ordered.
Inputs (Ingredients):
Need to know the size of the pizza ordered
Need to know the price list of the restaurant
Need to know the number of extra toppings ordered
Algorithm (Recipe):
Multiply the number of extras by .75
Add the cost of the extras to the base price
Multiply the new subtotal by .06 for sales tax
Add the tax to the subtotal
Add a delivery charge of 3.00
Print all charges and the total in itemized list
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After this planning step, the plain language instructions of the
algorithm are translated into a
programming language. There are many languages that programmers
use to communicate with
computers. Perhaps you have heard of Visual Basic, C#, or Java.
In later lessons we will explore
algorithms to describe various tasks computers are often
expected to accomplish and how languages are
used to describe specific tasks to a computer. Learning a
computer language is not too unlike learning
another speaking language such as French or Spanish. You decide
what you want to say and then select
the words to convey that meaning. But, more about that
later…
Get Real
Write the directions for making a ham sandwich as an algorithm.
Be as specific as possible.
Summary
Life presents us with problems every day, and thank goodness,
problem solving is a learned skill. To
become more effective, it is helpful to analyze the type of
problem being confronted and select a
strategy that fits the specific problem type. Problems can be
categorized as:
problems with clear-cut answers and solutions
problems with a fairly defined outcome and many possible
solutions
problems with no defined outcome or defined solution
strategy
Solution strategies can take the form of:
Request-Response-Result
IDEAL
Circle-Back
Any solution strategy is most effective if it fits the needs of
the problem presented. In addition to being
able to analyze the type of problems being confronted and
fitting an appropriate strategy to it,
gathering knowledge of the topic is a vital element for
success.
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Technology helps us solve trivial, or clear-cut problems, as
well as more complex problems that, until
recently, were totally unsolvable. Computer scientists use
heuristics to develop algorithms as a critical
step in the problem solving process because computers can only
follow very specific directions. A
heuristic is a general guideline or “rule-of-thumb” for solving
a problem. An algorithm is a detailed
instruction list for accomplishing a task which can be
translated into a specific computer language.
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Your answers will likely be different but here are some examples
to get you thinking.
1. Kim might select her family role to think about these
questions and decide she is good at solving problems which have
fairly defined answers but multiple solutions strategies.
2. She learned these skills as a child from her family who often
discussed family and world events in terms of the possibilities
that existed for solutions.
3. The problems that are totally open-ended present her with the
most difficulties. She likes to find the best solution and it’s
difficult to recognize it with these types of problems.
4. She decides that she is best with problems that have
clear-cut answers in her role as an engineer technician. She is
also a good problem solver in her cooking hobby because she likes
to experiment with recipes clipped from magazines. Kim is best at
solving totally open-ended problems in her role as park
commissioner on the city council.
5. Because of her engineering background, she is an excellent
problem solver with configuring technology components and trouble
shooting hardware. She has never tried to write a computer program
so she suspects it might be frustrating to start with.
6. Recently Kim created a blog to share her ideas and experience
from her city council work. She just can’t make it look
professional or feel inviting.
Your answers will likely be different but here is what Kim might
have said:
Recently Kim created a blog to share her ideas and experiences
from her city council work. She just
can’t make it look professional or feel inviting.
Her revised strategy:
1. Kim knows nothing about blogs but can draw upon her
experiences writing council reports
for the mayor.
2. The task can be broken into smaller problems: understanding
how blogs work, creating an
attractive online persona, and developing a journal writing
style.
3. In college she was a reporter for the school newspaper which
offered a similar experience.
4. She decides she needs to learn about blogs, so she will visit
several and ask a blogging friend
for advice.
5. Her plan includes researching blog sites for helpful hints,
finding a site that offers an
appealing interface, and sharing her entries with family and
friends before posting.
Interface - The medium through which users interact with the
computer. It might include
button and menus.
6. She plans to create a time schedule with several sub-goals to
make the project manageable.
7. After implementing her plan she will test it by seeking input
from citizens, evaluating the
impact of her ideas, and then continue to grow and mature in the
world of blogs by
modifying her work as indicated from the feedback and self
evaluations.
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In hindsight, Kim knows that this frustrating experience taught
her that time spent gaining
knowledge and looking at good examples is time well spent and
that writing is a skill which can be
transferred to new technologies.
Answers:
1. B; Ridding a system of a virus fits the IDEAL strategy
because it has only one acceptable
solution but many possibilities in terms of the tools and
processes to use, as well as
steps to insure future security.
2. A; Clearing an email account is a clear-cut problem with the
required response of
emptying one’s mailbox of unneeded files. It fits the
Request-Response-Result strategy
because there is only one outcome and one solution.
3. C; Designing robotic systems is very complex with many
possible solutions that fit the
Circle-Back strategy. Engineers will break the problem into
small sub-problems
establishing sub-goals, creating solutions, testing, and
evaluating, and likely revising
many times before constructing the entire system.
4. B; Designing the graphics to represent given data fits the
IDEAL strategy because the
outcome is fairly defined with several solutions to choose from
for this single situation.
5. C; Customizing any system requires multiple cycles through
the Circle-Back process
through thorough analysis of the situation, careful
determination of the goals and sub-
goals, implementation of a detailed plan, and evaluation of its
effectiveness.
Your answer might be a bit different but this is how I make a
ham sandwich.
Inputs (Ingredients):
Bread
ham
Mustard
Algorithm (Recipe):
Locate the loaf of bread on the counter
Open the package of bread at one end
Remove 2 slices
From the refrigerator, get the package of ham and the jar of
mustard
Open the package of ham
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Place 2 slices on the face of one piece of bread
Open the jar of mustard
Using a knife, scoop out an amount about the size of a
marble
Use the knife to spread it evenly on the top surface of the
ham
Place the second slice of bread on top of the ham and mustard
taking care to line up the edges
Use the knife to cut the sandwich in half diagonally from the
top left corner to the bottom right
Place the sandwich on a plate, carry to a comfortable location,
and enjoy!