Workshop 8

1. List what you consider to be the three strengths of Ruby on Rails workshop series

I learned about a wide range of aspects to business web development, the simplified approach to web development, and the wide range of Rails features, add-ons and plugins, surprised me.

Additionally, this subject provided me with exposure to Open Source software. I am very surprised at the breadth and depth of the offerings in this arena, to the point where I am now, and will continue, using many more Open Source solutions.

Who knows, I may even become more actively involved in it

2. List what you consider to be the three weaknesses of Ruby on Rails workshop series:

The suggested timeframes in which to complete most of them are grossly underestimated. There was insufficient time to gain more than a limited exposure to the aspects of this development framework and language. The RailsSpace book needs to be introduced at a much earlier time than workshop 6.

3. List what aspects of Ruby on Rails workshop series that you found to be most difficult.

Installing the necessary, unfamiliar, and (sometimes) significantly recalcitrant, software that was required for the workshop series was very frustrating. Then, having to install, upgrade, or make additions (add-ins and plug-ins) to it, deepened the frustration and detracted from the learning time available for the workshop content.

I found that completing these workshops had unrealised potential, in that there was insufficient time in which to explore any particular aspect of what was required in any greater depth.

My computing background, while not without useful components, was not particularly applicable to, or helpful with, the subject matter.

4. List what improvements could be made to the Ruby on Rails workshop series:

Strongly forewarn students regarding the software requirements of this subject, or supply a CD containing the prerequisite, expected basic level of software, or improved instructions on installing the basic level of software required.

Perhaps an e-mail, sent upon enrolment in the subject, which provides prerequisite tasks and knowledge, e.g. Blog site requirements, installing an IDE (with a guide regarding selection) and developing a level of familiarity with it, programming languages to be introduced, of which to become aware, and/or used, etc.

In my experience, in a commercial environment, apart from software evaluation, installing software at this level is almost never a part of the work required of a developer in any but the smallest of businesses. Contractors would, almost necessarily, utilise mature IDE software which is easily installed and maintained. For example, I would suggest Aptana, Eclipse, NetBeans, etc, rather than InstantRails, though InstantRails could be shown (briefly) as an example of a development environment which is yet to come-of-age for business usage.

I make the following suggestions
• Do not include the installation of software as part of the workshops, or select mature software for use (perhaps provide software distribution, and installation support via the University IT Help Desk).
• Reduce the amount and/or size of the exercises to make adequate room/time for the workshops.
• Introduce the workshops at the beginning of the trimester or include them in the Study Guide.
• Bring the RailsSpace book forward to workshop 1, rather than workshop 6.
• The recommended times for these workshops (and exercises) should be revised, the current recommended times represent severe underestimates.
• Focus on Ruby on Rails, MVC, the structure of web applications and their development frameworks, those aspects of building E-commerce applications which are actually discussed in a relevant textbook (the current one loses value and relevance due to its predisposition for Java - non-assumed knowledge).
In my opinion, while aspects of PHP, Python, Perl, Java, UML, cellular phone network types, etc need to be considered, they should be outside of the focus of the workshop (and exercise) questions.

Free response and reflective questions:

5. Reflect on your experiences with the other Web framework used in this subject: Was it effective? How can it be improved? Should other Web frameworks be used as well or instead of Ruby on Rails?

The number of topics included in a single trimester subject preclude more than an extremely limited exposure to each of them. There is no more time in a trimester for more topics to be added, or for adding depth to the existing ones. Reducing the number of topics and increasing the depth of exporation into each would be of great benefit to the subject.

I would recommend against expanding this subject any further, or consider splitting it into two discrete subjects, e.g.
• Introduction to Business Application Development, to introduce two Ruby on Rails frameworks, the underlying server structure and purpose, the Ruby language, Ruby Gems, etc, and half of the other topics involved, and
• Advanced Business Application Development, to expand into PHP, Python, and the remaining topics.

6. Did the Developer’s or IT managers Team that you joined after workshop 4 have a preference towards using other tools to facilitate collaboration? Comment on the differences between these use of the sub-forum or Interact wiki tools from your experiences in this subject.

There didn't seem to be much collaboration or discussion in the sub-forum or Interact wiki. In any event, the tasks that were set did not lend themselves to much collaboration, they were individual tasks. If collaboration is important to the subject, perhaps it would be worth setting group tasks where each student is assigned, or selects, a particular aspect to complete within the workshops, thus forcing collaboration within, and between the members of, the two streams.

I would suggest that this was also, partially, due to the time required for the existing set tasks leaving insufficient time for collaboration.

7. Further comments to add?

As I understand it, this subject has changed, beginning from this trimester. I suggest that there have been 'teething problems' as a result of this change, e.g. the
• textbook and study guide contained inaccuracies and non-relevant content, e.g. the textbook examples were presented in Java - which is not part of, or assumed knowledge for, this subject,
• study guide presented PHP, Python, arguably UML, etc which are not presented in sufficient detail to warrant detailed exercise, or workshop, tasks.
• development framework software can take an extraordinary amount of time to successfully install..
• suggested times to complete the workshops require significant review, and
• resources to complete the subject need to be made available much earlier in, or before, the trimester, for example, the RailsSpace book on Safari.
I suggest that the subject material included within this subject is too broad for justice to be done to it. This has the effect of making the subject seem to lack focus.