Quality Improvement: a 4^th grader’s lesson

“Everything we need for today’s marketplace we learned as kids”

-Huntsman(in his book, “Winners Never Cheat”).

           

            Truly, who would have thought that the lessons we had way back when we were elementary ‘pupils’ will be useful today and even in our careers. Analytical and solving problem skills are important to a ‘komsai’ student like me, and so to other professional developers out there. Thus, it gives an advantage to those who have trained these skills during their elementary years. This leads me to the idea that software quality in software development is also similar on to how we usually solve math word problems back in 4^th or 5^th grade.

             Quality is a vague word and when asked about its definition, one gets a variety of answers. In the following section, I will introduce some ways on improving quality in terms of software development, which is quite similar to solving word math problems. 

1. Understand the Problem

           

        What does the client need? 

       A must thing a developer must do in every  software development process. In order  

       to produce a good quality software, understanding the problem is the key. When  

       one has a full understanding of the problem --  why it  exists, what are its needs---, 

       higher are chances that the  team will be able to produce a program that will address 

       the needs of the clients, is reliable, and has higher customer satisfaction.

2. Identify the Knowns and Unknowns

            The ‘knowns’ refer to the ‘given’ information in a math problem, while the unknowns(usually denoted as x) are those information which the problem is asking.

        Research and gather sufficient information about the stakeholders.

        In software development, there is a tendency for software developers to only look    

        for the things that the client wants and needs. Little do most people know that    

        identifying the ‘knowns’ will be a great advantage to the development. These  

       ‘knowns’ may vary but mostly include having a knowledge on the client’s  background 

        information, their assets, resources, policies and laws. Having a great deal of    

       understanding of these kind of things will give us information on how to   go about  

        the development process.

3. Translate the Problem into Mathematical Language

         List down requirements and other specifications.

         This means translating the client’s needs into system requirements, and writing     

          down specific details on each of the requirements.

          

         Design and Architecture.

         Make a complete and thorough design on the flow of the program. This will serve as   

         a guide on how the actual making(coding) will go about and what appropriate  

         algorithms, programming language, and data  structures to use.

          

          Plot down schedule.    

          This will aid on keeping the team on track with the project deadlines and goals.

                       

4. Solve the Problem

This is basically decoding the Requirements into software through coding.

         The fewer the lines, the better?

         Not necessarily. Software quality is not determined by  number of  LOCs(Lines of 

         Code) of a program. It is not best to measure quality through LOCs, but 

         certainly there are other better means to do it.

         

         Use FPA(Function Point Analysis), instead of LOC

         It is better in determining whether or not a program needs to be improved                 

         since it counts the number of function points in a program, rather than LOCs.

           

           

5. Check your answers

          Review Code a million times!     

          Most developers tend to forget this part after finishing #4 but it saves a lot in terms  
          of time, effort, and costs. Code reviewing will help determine bugs and defects   

          early before even deployment of the software.

          Let others also do a review on your code.      

          Sometimes, we tend to be so   familiar of our code that we can’t notice errors like 

          missing semicolons, etc. It is important that you also let others (your seniors) to   

          review your code so that they can give suggestions on better ways on improving  

          it(like a better data structure to use).

These are just among the many things that can help in improving quality. Most importantly is how interesting it is that these things were already taught to us back when we were 4^th and 5^th graders. (Nah, not necessarily these things, just exaggerating)

This is list out of the learnings I had as a computer science student and back when I was in elementary. Hope it helps!

CAPABILITY MATURITY MODEL INTEGRATION

    CMMI, or the Capability Maturity Model Integration is an approach used by different organizations for evaluating processes improvements. It was first developed in 2002(with the release of its Version 1.1), where in different models are integrated into one framework in order to improve the usability of maturity models. It is the successor of the CMM([Software] Capability Maturity Model).

    The CMMI has different maturity levels which are used in evaluating/comparing the different processes improvements. Each of the five maturity levels describe a certain characteristic of processes. Of the five maturity level, the Optimizing level(topmost, level 5) focus on process improvement, while the Initial level characterizes that the process at this level are unpredictable and poorly controlled and reactive. The other maturity levels in CMMI include Managed level(level 2), Defined (level 3), Quantitatively Managed(level 4). As the level goes up, process become better and more improved.

CMMI, as a ‘tool’ used to compare processes, deals with three areas of interest namely:

• CMMI-DEV for product and service development
• CMMI-SVC for service establishment and management
• CMMI-ACQ for product and service acquisition

    The CMMI is significantly important to organizations from different fields and industry(not just on software development field) because it helps in achieving the organization’s goals and objective and also measure their progress for a certain project.

1. Are those maturity levels found in the CMMI-Core Process Areas table fixed/constant? 2. What do those maturity level in the said Core Process Area determine? Is it the minimum level a certain process must achieve?

3. If the application of CMMI do not have much positive impact on the performance of an organization, then, what area does benefit the organization?

4. When do we use CMMI? As a student, in what phase of our project(like website development) should we apply CMMI?

5. How do we say that a certain process’s maturity level is at level 3, and not of level 2? Are there more specific details/mechanics on how to determine the maturity level of processes?

Sources:

(n.d.). Capability Maturity Model Integration. Wikipedia. Retrived from wikipedia.com on December 9, 2012.

What is Quality?

         The man behind the Fishbone Diagram and Quality Circles, Kaoru Ishikawa is known for being the Japanese leading contributor to quality management. Ishikawa is an applied chemistry graduate of Tokyo University. His career relating to quality management and standardization started in 1950’s where he became a member of the editorial board of Quality Control Foreman and became the chief executive director of Quality Control Circle Headquarters at the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers(JUSE). He also became an editor of two books about quality circles while in JUSE.

     The Fishbone Diagram is simply a diagram which shows the causes of a certain event/outcome(with the drawing forming a fishbone). Ishikawa believed that quality is achieved when the root cause/s of the problem/s encountered are identified. It is only through this way when the appropriate solution like quality improvement will be applied to address the real problem.

      On the other hand, Ishikawa also introduced to the Japanese community an approach to quality improvement which involves participation of members of an organization who will meet up to discuss workplace observations and improvements. Ishikawa believed that although this kind of approach, known as quality circle, is not the ‘main’ factor in improving quality in work, but with right top end management commitment, continuous quality improvement is still achieved. Through quality circles, the lives of people/employees will also be enriched and be improved. Lastly, Ishikawa also believed that the formulation and constant evaluation and revision of standards contribute to quality management.

     In general, quality for Ishikawa refers to accomplishing improvement through continually seeking the causes of an event or a problem. Through this, appropriate solutions involving quality management and improvement, formulation and evaluation of standards will be suitable to address the main problem.

Sources:

(n.d.) Quality Circles. Retrieved November 19, 2012 from http://www.vectorstudy.com/management_theories/quality_circles.htm

(n.d.).Kaoru Ishikawa: One Step Further. Retrieved November 19, 2012 from http://www.skymark.com/resources/leaders/ishikawa.asp

(n.d). Kaoru Ishikawa . Retrieved November 19, 2012 from http://www.qualitygurus.com/gurus/list-of-gurus/kaoru-ishikawa/

(n.d). Kaoru Ishikaw. Management Gurus. Retrieved November 19,2012 from .http://www.vectorstudy.com/management_gurus/kaoru_ishikawa.htm

Chapter 1 -2nd Draft

  CHAPTER I

      INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

      In front of the Mcdonalds fast food are two children of about the same age. The girl asks the boy if she can be his girlfriend. The boy says he is not yet ready for a relationship. He doesn’t want a girlfriend because girlfriends are demanding. But he immediately changes his mind when the girl tells her that all she wants is Mcdo fries. Then they walk while holding each others’ hands after they have bought the Mcdo fries.

      The scenario described above is the controversial commercial from Mcdonalds which was aired on the summer of 2011. The Mcdo ‘bf-gf’ tv commercial was pulled out after few months of national airing upon the request of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) due to the possibility that the commercial will convey wrong messages to the young viewers. Moreover, CBCP reasoned out that the characters in the commercial were not at the right age to get involved in a romantic relationship; the commercial was “very shallow” and “cheapened human relationships”.

      The request of the CBCP created controversy whether the commercial deserves to be pulled out. For this reason, the researchers got interested on the perception of the target audience on whether they agree to the opinion of the CBCP concerning the commercial. By determining the perception of the fourth year students, the researchers will be able to evaluate the validity of the request of the CBCP and the suitability of the commercial for national airing.

      Meanwhile, the McDo ‘Bf-Gf’ tv commercial is just an example of how commercials could possibly offend the norms and traditions of our society.  Furthermore, since advertising is used to convey information and to persuade the audience to take some actions, it has the power to convince and influence the people on the messages that it gives to the audience. Thus, advertising has to observe ethical standards and norms to avoid causing offense to some of the societal beliefs. This means that commercials must be careful on the limit of its creativity.

      Moreover, the characters age and behavior in the commercial can possibly influence the children’s perception on romantic relationship. There is a great chance that the message of the commercial will be misinterpreted because children and adolescents are unable to distinguish whether the behavior or a scene depicted in a tv commercial represents appropriate values in a society and culture. There is a greater chance that a “field” of behavior will be presumed irrationally as “realistic” by people specially the young ones who have little knowledge about it (Sut Jhally, 2003). 

      To avoid misinterpretation, the children have to acquire some skills that enable them to question the things they observe in the environment (Clark, 2011).  These skills are the “ability to critically analyze the media messages” and the “ability to use different kinds of communication technologies for self-expression and communication” (Clark, 2011).

       To be able get the different perception of students who have different types of environment, the researchers decided to conduct the survey on three types of school which are the catholic, public and the laboratory high schools. Since these schools are presumed to have different curriculum, the teachers’ manner of disciplining the students may also vary as well as the ways of teaching moral values to the students.

      The main objective of the catholic schools is to produce students that are not just competent in terms of academic excellence but as well as students who are able to apply in their lives the religious doctrines, traditions and practices taught in their formal education through their religion and values education subjects (UNO-R Institute of Research, 1976). Chen (2007) also adds that teachers from private secondary schools such as the catholic schools are more likely to influence the students’ perception, performance, and behavior since they have better control on the implementation of student discipline policies and others.

      On the other hand, the public schools are more liberal in their curriculum because the main purpose of the public schools is to provide cheap yet quality education to those who cannot afford education in private schools. Since public and laboratory schools are intended for everybody these schools are usually not religiously affiliated (Chen, 2007).

      Furthermore, the laboratory schools have a liberal type of curriculum because this type of school is science-based. Due to the fact that laboratory schools are more focused on the academic performance of the students, these schools do not have religion education or values education subjects in their curriculum.

      The discussion above presented the background of the commercial, the controversies it made, and the researchers’ reason of choosing to conduct a comparative study on the perception of the students from the different types of school. Moreover, the influence of a commercial on children who are the most vulnerable group in the society was also discussed. The study would be useful in verifying the validity of the evaluation of the CBCP on the messages that the commercial convey. Through comparing the perception of the respondents from the three different types of school, the researchers will be able to determine whether the commercial is offensive on their view and if it promotes messages that are against the cultural norms.  

Statement of the Problem and Objectives of the Study

      Determine and compare the perception of the fourth year students from the selected catholic, public and laboratory high schools towards the Philippine Mcdo bf-gf tv commercial.
      The problem specifically aimed to answer the following sub problems and objectives of the study:

1. To determine the general message of the Mcdo bf-gf tv commercial based on
      students’  interpretation from:

a.    Catholic high school (USC North Campus) b.    Public high school (Abellana National High School)

      c.    Laboratory high school (UP High School)

      
2.  To know whether the characters used in the Mcdo ‘bf-gf’ tv commercial are

      appropriate?

a.    Catholic high school (USC North Campus) b.    Public high school (Abellana National High School)

      c.    Laboratory high school (UP High School)
3.  To determine the evaluation of students on the storyline of the tv commercial

a.    Catholic high school (USC North Campus) b.    Public high school (Abellana National High School)

      c.    Laboratory high school (UP High School)

4.  To know the assessment of students on whether the Mcdo bf-gf tv commercial is (still) suitable for TV airing (or for general audience)

a.    Catholic high school (USC North Campus) b.    Public high school (Abellana National High School)

      c.    Laboratory high school (UP High School)

5.  To find out if there is a difference on the perception of the respondents towards

      the McDo bf-gf tv commercial. 

6.  To determine if there is a significant relationship of the type of school of the

      respondents and their perception on the McDo 'bf-gf' tv commercial.

 

Significance of the Study

      The study has conducted to determine the perception of the fourth year students towards the Mcdo ‘bf-gf’ tv commercial and to determine whether the commercial conveys wrong messages to the young viewers.

      The study could be of great help to the schools mentioned because it evaluates the effectiveness of their curriculum and influence to the moral aspect of the students based on the interpretation of the students.

      To the parents, the study will be a helpful tool in assessing their decision of sending their children to a particular school based on its established reputation. This is due to the possibility that the school would only have little effect on the attitudes of the students. Thus, the parents could not easily blame the school for some disagreeable manners of their children because most of their values are learned at home. Hence, the school becomes an avenue of the students’ expression of what they have acquired from their family. To support this is a study by Astill, Feather, and Keeves (2002) showed that the teachers’ values and school type had no significant effects on the values of the students.  

      To the advertisers, the study could be beneficial for them to be careful not to surpass the standards of the society and not to offend the beliefs of the viewers. They must realize that creativity is important to attract consumers yet they have to put into consideration the cultural norms of the society. The country has become more open-minded and adapted the modern ways of western people but not to the point of turning back to its own costumes and traditions.

Chapter V (2nd Draft)

Miss, here is the download link of our file(doc file) on Chapter 5. There were some errors while making the blog post for chapter 5, that's why I decided to keep it as a word file, so as to prevent unnecessary errors( graphs,tables etc).  Just click on the link below miss, and it will directly download the file:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/41454025/Chapter5.doc

Thank you.

Norren Mangmang

Naressa Belle Saripada

CHAPTER VI (2nd Draft)

CHAPTER VI

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

      The study aims to compare the perception of the fourth year high school students from catholic, public and laboratory high schools towards the Mcdo ‘Bf-Gf’ tv commercial. The study also wants to determine the general message of the commercial based on the interpretation of students, to evaluate the appropriateness of the age and behavior of the characters based on our culture, to know the assessment of students on the suitability of the commercial for national viewing and lastly to find out if there is a difference on the perception of the students from the three selected schools.

      The study was able to determine that the general message of the commercial is the intended message which is about the affordability of the McDo products. The students from UP High School and USC considered the intended message of the commercial as the dominant interpretation of the commercial. Abellana National School students were undecided on the possibility that the intended message was about the affordability of the products.

      Meanwhile, the respondents from UP were undecided on the appropriateness of the age and behavior of the characters in the commercial. Majority of the students from USC and Abellana National School disagreed that the characters were appropriate for the commercial. For them, the children were too young to get involve in romantic relationships and behave like a couple.

      Lastly, most of the students from USC and Abellana considered that the commercial is still suitable for national viewing.  Meanwhile, UP High students were divided on their decision on the appropriateness of the commercial for tv airing.
 

Conclusion

            The study proved that the students from the three types of school had different perceptions towards the commercial due to the fact that these schools vary in their curriculum. As indicated in the Individual Differences Theory by Severin and Tankard (1992), the people’s response on the information presented by the media varies due to the “individual’s own set of experiences, needs and personality structures” (Severin and Tankard, 1992).

      The students perceived the advertisement differently due to the fact that the teachers from the different types of the schools have different way of morally educating their students and that they are also following the curriculum of the school.
 

Recommendations

      The researchers recommend to the future researchers who are planning to conduct a similar study to have larger number of respondents from each school to have accurate results. In addition, a simpler questionnaire is recommended to be able to conveniently tabulate and interpret the results. Moreover, the researchers recommend taking into consideration the perception differences between the male and female.

CHAPTER IV (2nd Draft)

 CHAPTER IV

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY   

Research Design

            The research study seeks to compare the perception of students from different schools towards a commercial. The study will use the descriptive method of research because it will describe and compare the perception of the respondents who are from different environment towards a specific tv commercial. This type of method will be used to further understand how the respondents perceive the commercial in relation to the respondents’ type of school.

Research participants

            The respondents of the study will come from three different types of school respectively from catholic, public and laboratory high school. The total number of the respondents will be 30 students; 10 students from each of the school.

The respondents will specifically be fourth year high school students from USC North Campus, UP High School and Abellana National High School. These schools were particularly chosen for these are appropriate to the objective of the study which is to compare the perception of the fourth year high school students from catholic, laboratory and public high schools towards the McDo ‘Bf-Gf’ tv commercial. Needless to say, the researchers will be able to compare if there is a significant relationship between the type of school of the respondents and their perception.

Research instruments

            To acquire the needed information that will be used in the study, the researchers will use a laptop to show to the respondents the commercial that they will evaluate and questionnaires which will be answered by the students based on what they have seen.

The type of questions in the questionnaire will include factual and opinion. The former contains the respondents’ demographic data and the latter is necessary to elicit the perception of the students towards the commercial. The structures of the questions are close-ended for the convenience of analyzing the data.

The questionnaire will be divided into three parts: personal background, perception of the commercial and the school background. The first part which is the personal background will include the name, age, sex, religion, school, the number of years studying in the school and whether they have values or religion subject in their school. The second part which is about their perception toward the commercial will be divided accordingly into three parts: the message of the commercial, the characters/actors in the commercial and the appropriateness of the commercial for national tv airing. Lastly, the third part will include questions about the school’s views on moral values which is being taught to the students. The questions in the first and the second part are in the form of rating while the third and the last part is answerable by yes or no. 

Sampling

            Due to the researchers’ limited time to conduct the research, the study will use the non probability sampling method specifically the convenience sampling. This sampling method gives the researchers the freedom to conveniently decide which sample to participate in the study. Aside from that, the researchers will only depend on the availability of the respondents. The researchers will not be so specific and strict in choosing the respondents as long as they fit to be the study’s requirement.

The students who will be the study’s respondents are those who studied in their school from first to fourth year. To be able to determine the influence of the school towards the formation of attitude and values of the students, it is therefore required that they have spent at least almost 4 years in their school. By this, the researchers will be able to compare the significant differences of the respondents’ perception towards the tv commercial.

Data collection

            The researchers will render two weeks to acquire the data needed in the study. The researchers will show first the commercial before distributing the questionnaires to the respondents. After showing the video of the commercial, the respondents will each be given a questionnaire which will be answered with necessary accurate and honest information. The data that will be gathered will then be grouped according to the schools the respondents belong.

Data analysis

            The answers of the students from the three different schools obtained from the questionnaire will be tabulated and analyzed by separating the respondents according to the type of school. The researchers will determine the differences of the data by comparing the answers from each of the type of school. They will analyze the data based on the parts in the questionnaire: what message the students grasp from the commercial, the appropriateness of the characters of the commercial, the suitability of the commercial for national airing and the school background of the students. This will enable the researchers in identifying the possible patterns of similarities or differences among the perception of the students towards the commercial.