HyperCase Additional Exercises

Chapter 4 - Information Gathering: Interactive Methods

  1. In a small group, discuss what you learned from the interview with each of the following people (examine one interview per group). How did the interviewee's expression reinforce the answers they gave to the questions. Explain your findings to the class or write a paragraph or two explaining your observations.

    1. Kathy Blandford
    2. Snowden Evans
    3. Daniel Hill
    4. James F. Hyatt
    5. Thomas Ketcham
    6. Linda Lin
    7. Roger Rabin
    8. Cyril Sabin
    9. John Sherman
    10. Melissa Smith
    11. Warren F. Torrey
    12. Melanie Corazón
    13. Nathan Donaldson
    14. Lewis McGuigan
    15. Kate Eckert
    16. Ashley Heatherford
    17. Jack O'Malley
    18. Contessa Silverthorne

  2. Answer the following questions based on your interviews with each individual. Explain your findings to the class or write a paragraph or two.

    1. Kathy Blandford

      1. Summarize what did you learned from the interview with Blandford.

    2. Snowden Evans

      1. What is Evans's opinion on how the merger is going?
      2. What kind of information systems problems arose as a result of the merger (what kind of system is currently in place)?
      3. What is the major difference in hardware used by the Training Unit and the MIS Unit?
      4. What is the current project tracking system and what is the proposed tracking system?
      5. Who is called on the phone for an interview from Evans's office and what did you learn from the interview?
      6. What are the professional reasons that Evans is going on a vacation?

    3. Daniel Hill

      1. What did you learn about the performance of the Training Department?
      2. From Hill's viewpoint, why did the merger of Training and the MIS department occur?
      3. What type of data does he rely on?
      4. Is he open to using new technology?
      5. What is Hill's concern for the future, for any new system being developed?

    4. James F. Hyatt

      1. What is the most important thing that you have learned?
      2. What is Hyatt's opinion of the Training Unit - both the good and the bad?
      3. What is Hyatt's analogy for a company?
      4. What two new directions is MRE taking?
      5. What did you learn from the Observations link?

    5. Thomas Ketcham

      1. What is the one common characteristic of the people that work for the Training Unit?

      2. What two people does Ketcham bring into the interview?
        1. What are the two different viewpoints of the persons brought into the interview?
        2. What are the major forces of competition that the Training Unit faces?
        3. What did you learn about the software conflict between Training and MIS?
        4. What body language did each of the persons called into the interview exhibit?
        5. What conflict exists between the two people called into Ketcham's office?

      3. What is Ketcham's assessment for the reason that the departments were merged?
      4. What type of body language is Ketcham exhibiting?

    6. Linda Lin

      1. What is the greatest difficulty you had interviewing Linda?
      2. What is her opinion of the reasons for the merger?

    7. Roger Rabin

      1. What kind of system is the PSRS?
      2. Who likes the PSRS?

    8. Cyril Sabin

      1. What did you learn during your interview with Sabin?
      2. What did you learn about the company from the observations (what is the company metaphor).
      3. Who is Joey?
      4. What are your thoughts on bringing Sabin into the project management fold?

    9. John Sherman

      1. Summarize what you learned from the interview with Sherman.
      2. What is Sherman's body language telling you?

    10. Melissa Smith

      1. What does PSRS stand for?
      2. What is wrong with the PSRS?
      3. What is Smith's view of the Training Unit?
      4. What is GEMS?

    11. Warren F. Torrey

      1. What did you learn from the "interview" with Torrey?

    12. Barry Matias

      1. What useful information did you learn from Matias?

    13. Todd Taylor

      1. Summarize what you learned from the interview with Taylor.

    14. Melanie Corazón

      1. What useful information did you learn from Corazón.

    15. Nathan Donaldson

      1. How is XML being used?
      2. What techniques are being used to design Web sites?

    16. Lewis McGuigan

      1. What types of activities are performed by McGuigan?

    17. Kate Eckert

      1. What are some of the security concerns?
      2. What measures are being planned or implemented for security?
      3. What kind of plan does Eckert have for disaster recovery?

    18. Contessa Silverthorne

      1. What are some of Silverthorne's duties as an onsite customer?
      2. What are some of the difficulties experienced by Silverthorne in her role as an onsite customer?
      3. What two forms are used by Silverthorne? How is each form used?

    19. Jack O'Malley

      1. What are some O'Malley's duties?
      2. How is disaster planning implemented at MRE?

    20. Ashley Heatherford

      1. What different activities or methods are used by Heatherford to assess usability?
      2. List some of the problems found by Heatherford?
      3. What are some of the solutions to the problems mentioned in the previous question?

  3. In a small group, role play interviewing each of the persons mentioned above. Use the following guidelines:

    1. Each group should elect one person (or take turns) to represent the user that they studied in question number one.

    2. The persons being interviewed should assume the role of the person and make up answers consistent with what they learned in the interview.

    3. A different group should make up the questions for the user.

    4. Have either one or two persons ask the interview questions.

    5. The entire class should critique the interview after it has finished.

  4. In a small group, perform a JAD session with the major system users mentioned above participating. Have other students act as a session leader, a scribe, and observers.