Transcript Data: Project Introduction

Data: Programming
Design and Modularization
IS 101Y/CMSC 101
Computational Thinking and Design
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Marie desJardins
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Semester Game
 Basic scenario
 Player makes choices about how to allocate time in each of 15
weeks
 Game simulates outcomes
 Possible choices for outcomes
 Happiness
 Grades
 Wealth
 Possible choices for time (for 168 total hrs/wk)
 ???
Choices: How Time is Spent
 Eating/drinking, sleeping/zoning out, exercise, showering, laundry
 Zombie apocalypse, socializing (real or online), participating in clubs, video
games, surfing the web, partying, music
 Studying alone, homework
 Study group
 Office hours / tutoring
 Going to class – listening actively/learning, texting/sleeping/facebooking
 Working (for $)
 Commuting
Project Choices
 Made once:
 number of credits of classes
 number of hours worked at a job
 Made weekly:
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


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hours spent attending class
percentage of class spent actively participating
hours spent studying and working on assignments
hours spent participating in study groups
hours spent on visits to academic resources
hours spent on taking care of yourself (sleep, food, exercise...)
hours spent on solitary leisure activities
hours spent on nonacademic activities with other people
Modeling Exercise 1
 In your group, discuss the following choice:
 Hours spent studying and working on assignments by yourself
 For this choice,
 Specify a reasonable range (might depend on number of credits
taken this semester)
 Model the effect on each outcome with a mathematical rule
 E.g. “for each hour spent over 100, happiness goes down by
5%” or “for each hour spent, grades go up by 50%”
 Be prepared to share your model and argue why it is
superior to other models.
Competing Models for Hours
Spent Studying…
Initial Rules
Choice Name
number of credits of
classes
Expected range
0-21
Impact
no direct impact
number of hours worked at
0-168
outside job
for each hour worked, increase total wealth by $5 (to figure in
taxes and expenses)
hours spent attending class 0-#credits
if hours < #credits, decrease grade potential by (100*(credits hours)/(2*credits)); increase happiness by 1% for each hour of
class missed
percentage of class spent
0-100
actively engaged
if percentage < 100, reduce value for “hours spent attending
class” by (100 - percentage)% before using it in grades and
happiness calculations described below
hours spent studying and
0-168
working on assignments
if hours < 3*credits, decrease grades potential by
(100*(3*credits - hours)/(3*credits)); if hours > 4*credits,
decrease happiness by 20%
hours spent participating in
0-5
study groups
for each hour (up to a max of five), increase grades potential by
2%
hours spent on visits to
academic resources
for each hour (up to a max of three), increase grades potential by
5%
0-3
hours spent taking care of
0-168
self
if hours < 70, reduce grades and happiness potential both by
(100*(70-hours)/(4*70))
hours spent on solitary
leisure activities
0-168
for each hour, increase happiness potential by 2%
hours spent on activities
with other people
0-168
for each hour, increase happiness potential by 3%
Modified Rules / Notes
Choice Name
number of credits of
classes
Expected range
0-21
Impact
no direct impact
number of hours worked at
0-168
outside job
for each hour worked, increase total wealth by $5 (to figure in
taxes and expenses)
hours spent attending class 0-#credits
if hours < #credits, decrease grade potential by (100*(credits hours)/(2*credits)); increase happiness by 1% for each hour of
class missed
percentage of class spent
10-90
actively engaged
if percentage < 100, reduce value for “hours spent attending
class” by (100 - percentage)% before using it in grades and
happiness calculations described below
hours spent studying and
0-168
working on assignments
if hours < 2*credits, decrease grades potential by
(100*(3*credits - hours)/(3*credits)); if hours > 4*credits,
decrease happiness by 20%
hours spent participating in
0-5
study groups
for each hour (up to a max of five), increase grades potential by
1.5% and increase happiness by 3% - can depend on size of
group
hours spent on visits to
academic resources
for each hour (up to a max of three), increase grades potential by
5%
0-3
hours spent taking care of
0-168
self
if hours < 70, reduce grades and happiness potential both by
(100*(70-hours)/(4*70))
hours spent on solitary
leisure activities
0-168
for each hour, increase happiness potential by 2%
hours spent on activities
with other people
0-168
for each hour, increase happiness potential by 3%
Modeling Exercise 2
 With your group, discuss the two choices in the game
that are assigned to your group
 For these choices,
 Specify a reasonable range (might depend on other
variables)
 Model the effect on each outcome with an equation
 Look at the initial rule for inspiration, but don’t be bound
by it
 Be prepared to report out your model and argue why it
is superior to the initial rule
Semester Project
 Highlights
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
Implement the Semester Game in Processing
Five deliverables
To be completed with your project team
Individual contributions and grading
 We’ll be working on some pieces of the project in class
 We started today
 I’ll post the final version of the game rules on the online
schedule