Week 2 Tasks - Single-Cell RNA-seq Project This week's focus is on data normalization and feature selection. These steps prepare the dataset for downstream clustering and annotation by reducing technical variation and focusing on informative genes. Objectives - Normalize raw gene expression counts - Log-transform. the data - Identify and visualize highly variable genes (HVGs) - Explore effects of normalization through visualizations (subsample if necessary) - Document insights and prepare a summary report Tasks 1. 1. Normalize and Log Transform the Data • - Use scanpy's normalize • - Log-transform. the data (log1p). • - Store the raw counts using `adata.raw = adata`. 2. 2. Identify Highly Variable Genes (HVGs) • - Use scanpy’s highly variable genes function (adata, n_top_genes=2000)`. • - Filter to retain only HVGs • - Plot HVG selection (scanpy has a function for this) . 3. 3. Subsample Cells for Visualization (if necessary due to computational constraints, if not use the entire dataset) • - Randomly select ~10,000 cells using numpy • - Create a new AnnData object for plotting: `adata_sub = adata[subset_idx].copy()`. 4. 4. Plot Normalization Effects • - Violin plots of `total_counts` and `n_genes_by_counts • - Scatter plot • - Plot top expressed genes. Submit Work • - Clean Jupyter Notebook (`.ipynb`) with markdown annotations. • - 1-page summary report explaining what was done and observed. • - Include visuals and key takeaways about normalization and HVG selection. Time Estimate - Total: ~15 hours - Normalization & Log1p: 3-4 hrs - HVG analysis: 3-4 hrs - Visualization with subsampling: 3-4 hrs - Documentation and reflection: 2-3 hrs
BAFI1029 Derivatives and Risk Management Assessment 2 - Task 2 - Individual Trading Session #2 (15%) Report and Excel Assessment Task This is an individual task. In this assessment, students are required to use the Trading Simulator tool from CME Group to trade on future products to hedge risk and/or take advantage of speculation. In the #2 trading session, you will focus on Equity Index Future products. The goal of this individual assignment is to gain a better understanding of the future market and risk management process, by testing and refining your trading strategies. Below are the steps you need to follow to accomplish the task: ● Attend your local class in Week 8. Use the CME account created in Week 5. ● Your instructor will use 1.5-2 hours to go through the task, elaborate the basic specs of Equity Index future products, explain the trading rules, and demonstrate how to trade. You can start trading after the instructor’s demonstration. ● Your trading aims to hedge your risk exposure to the stock market risk as well as generating short-term profit. For student whose student number end with odd number, assume you hold a S&P 500 index fund worth $1,100,000 on the trading session day. For student whose student number end with even number, assume you hold a Nasdaq 100 index fund worth $1,100,000 on the trading session day. You aim to use Equity index future products to hedge your price risk. ● You also have $100,000 USD cash on hand at the beginning of your trading. You must use at minimum 50% of your account balance to hedge your stock price risk. Meanwhile, you are allowed to have up to 50% of your account balance to speculating/arbitraging, and the speculation/arbitrage products are not limited to Equity Index futures (e.g., other future products, you can even use Crypto futures to earn short-term profit but also mind the potential loss). ● Speculation strategies can be based on a forecast period of up to one month. However, all positions must be opened during the assessment trading period (from week 8 to the submission date). You can open a position and close it within the same day, several days, or on a certain day within a month. You can trade any futures contracts available on the CME platforms. ● Please reset your game from CME Group simulator before your Task 2. You can trade any time after your instructor’s demonstration, till any date till any date before 19th September 2025. However, you need to trade for at least 5 trading days (i.e., you need to start trading at least 1 week before the deadline), ideally more than two weeks to observe the market fluctuation. ● You can trade as many times as you want if you can justify your trading philosophy. You can do some trials at the beginning of the trading period to get familiar with the platform. When you decide to officially start to implement your strategy, please do not reset the game before your last trading date. Note: Please remember to leave some time to consolidate your trading record and report. For example, someone wants to stop trading on 12 September 2025 and prepare excel and report between 12-19 September, some others want to trade till 18 September 2025 and prepare the report and excel for several hours or weekend. Both are good if you are confident about your submission quality. ● You can take both long and short positions in future contracts. Your orders might be rejected by the system because of margin shortage or market closing. When your account balance drops to near zero, you are out of the game. ● Please use the excel template to record your trading and balance daily, and whenever you make a trade. It is not necessary to flatten (close out) all your open positions on your last trading date (especially for hedging purposes). It is good practice to keep a record of your daily account balance, profit, loss, and open positions to facilitate consolidating your report. Please do note that the template is just a basic version provided by the teaching team,feel free to modify it to satisfy your needs. ● Based on your trading history, profit/loss from your future account, and the income/cost from your physical asset, you need to form a report to summarize your trading exercise. Note: Since the contracts can’t be bought in a fraction, a tiny variation from the specified budget is acceptable. You can choose to hold more Cash if you believe the investment opportunity is not good enough but also need to justify this decision in your report. IMPORTANT: Please ensure you take clear screenshots of all your trades, positions, and your account balance from the CME platform and include them in the appendix of your report. Screenshots serve as proof of actual trading activity. Failure to provide them will result in mark deductions. CME Institute Trading Simulator The Trading Simulator replicates live futures markets by leveraging real market data. A constant stream of new prices informs your strategies for CME Group’s top products across all 6 asset classes, including Bitcoin and Micro E-mini futures. Access to the simulator is free, all you need is aCME Group Loginaccount, which can be created using your own email. Please create an account before or during the workshop. Marking Guide Your report must include the following sections: 1. Trading objectives: Give an overview of your trading objectives. 2. Summarize your hedging strategy: Provide a summary of how you use future products to hedge your index price risk. The content should include but not limited to: • What is the current market situation? Do you think it is necessary to hedge your equity price risk? What percentage of your exposure you think you should hedge? • Which future product(s) you use to hedge your risk, outline their basic specs? • What strategy you employed to hedge (e.g., delivery month, contract price, contract amount, long or short, etc)? 3. Summarize your speculation trading Provide a summary of how you use futures contracts to speculate/arbitrage during your trading period. The content should include but not limited to: • What is your speculation/arbitrage strategy? • What futures contract do you use to speculate/arbitrage? And why? • Provide analysis of the market, industry, and underlying assets of futures contracts. 4. Record your transactions All transactions/deals (for both hedging and speculation) are clearly recorded, reported and explained - in consistency with your trading strategy 5. Analyse the trading performance Performance is clearly analyzed - in consistency with your trading strategy • How does the spot price change for your fund holding? What is the performance of your hedging by the end of your last trading date (for the physical exposure position, the futures hedging position, and the combined position of fund holding and futures contracts)? • How did the speculation/arbitrage perform, and explain your profit/loss? • Is your profit/loss consistent with your trading plan? Why? What factors affect your trading performance? • Are the 50% limits allocated on speculation too high? And why? What are the differences between speculation/arbitrage and hedging? Do you think speculation is risky based on your trading exercise? • How do you feel when you experience losses from the speculation? • What lessons do you learn from the speculation trading exercise? Total=15 marks
BAFI1029 Derivatives and Risk Management Assessment 2 - Task 1 - Individual Trading Session #1 (15%) Report and Excel Assessment Task This is an individual task. In this assessment, students are required to use the Trading Simulator tool from CME Group to trade on future products to hedge risk and/or take advantage of speculation. In the #1 trading session, you will focus on Energy Future products. The goal of this individual assignment is to gain a better understanding of the future market and risk management process, by testing and refining your trading strategies. Below are the steps you need to follow to accomplish the task: ● Attend your local class in Week 5. Use your email address to create an account with CME Group, during the workshop. ● Your instructor will use 1.5-2 hours to go through the task, elaborate the basic specs of Energy future products, explain the trading rules, and demonstrate how to trade. You can start trading after the instructor’s demonstration. ● Your trading is to primarily hedge your risk exposure to the oil price. For students, whose student number ends with odd number, assume you are the treasurer at an airline company planning to purchase 12,000 barrels of jet fuel oil in three months. For students whose student number ends with an even number, assume you are a jet fuel oil producer planning to sell 12,000 barrels of jet fuel oil in three months. Your objective is to use energy futures products to hedge your price risk. Record the fuel price when you start taking positions on the CME to: (1) Provide background information and justify the number of contracts you go long or short. (2) Show whether you succeed in hedging the risk. ● You have $100,000 USD cash on hand at the beginning of your trading. You must hedge the risk to reduce it to a minimum. You must hedge the risk using Energy futures. Once the risk is fully hedged, you may use the remaining balance for speculation or arbitrage on any futures contracts to seek short-term profits — but be mindful of potential losses. Speculative or arbitrage positions must not exceed 40% of your account balance at any time. ● Speculation strategies can be based on a forecast period of up to one month. However, all positions must be opened during the assessment trading period (from week 5 to the submission date). You can open a position and close it within the same day, several days, or on a certain day within a month. You can trade any futures contracts available on the CME platforms. ● You can trade any time after your instructor’s demonstration, till any date till any date before 19th September 2025. However, you need to trade for at least 10 trading days (i.e., you need to start trading at least 2 weeks before the deadline), ideally more than two weeks to observe the market fluctuation. ● You can trade as many times as you want if you can justify your trading philosophy. You can do some trials at the beginning of the trading period to get familiar with the platform. When you decide to officially start to implement your strategy, please do not reset the game before your last trading date. Note: Please remember to leave some time to consolidate your trading record and report. For example, someone wants to stop trading on 12 September 2025 and prepare excel and report between 12-19 September, some others want to trade till 18 September 2025 and prepare the report and excel for several hours or weekend. Both are good if you are confident about your submission quality. ● You can take both long and short positions in future contracts. Your orders might be rejected by the system because of margin shortage or market closing. When your account balance drops to near zero, you are out of the game. ● Please use the excel template to record your trading and balance daily, and whenever you make a trade. It is not necessary to flatten (close out) all your open positions on your last trading date (especially for hedging purposes). It is good practice to keep a record of your daily account balance, profit, loss, and open positions to facilitate consolidating your report. Please do note that the template is just a basic version provided by the teaching team,feel free to modify it to satisfy your needs. ● Based on your trading history, profit/loss from your future account, and the income/cost from your physical asset, you need to form a report to summarize your trading exercise. Note: Since the contracts can’t be bought in a fraction, a tiny variation from the specified budget is acceptable. You can choose to hold more Cash if you believe the investment opportunity is not good enough but also need to justify this decision in your report. IMPORTANT: Please ensure you take clear screenshots of all your trades, positions, and your account balance from the CME platform and include them in the appendix of your report. Screenshots serve as proof of actual trading activity. Failure to provide them will result in mark deductions. CME Institute Trading Simulator The Trading Simulator replicates live futures markets by leveraging real market data. A constant stream of new prices informs your strategies for CME Group’s top products across all 6 asset classes, including Bitcoin and Micro E-mini futures. Access to the simulator is free, all you need is a CME Group Loginaccount, which can be created using your own email. Please create an account before or during the workshop. Marking Guide Your report must include the following sections: 1. Trading objectives: Give an overview of your trading objectives. 2. Summarize your hedging strategy: Provide a summary of how you use future products to hedge your commodity price risk. The content should include but not limited to: • What is the current market situation? Do you think it is necessary to hedge your jet fuel price risk, and what percentage of your exposure you think you should hedge (e.g., ?% out of the 12,000 barrels) • Which future product(s) you use to hedge your risk, outline their basic specs? • Are there any differences between jet fuel oil and the underlying assets of your selected hedging product? And what risk can be generated from these differences? • What strategy you employed to hedge (e.g., delivery month, contract price, contract amount, long or short, etc)? 3. Summarize your speculation trading Provide a summary of how you use futures contracts to speculate/arbitrage during your trading period. The content should include but not limited to: • What is your speculation/arbitrage strategy? • What futures contract do you use to speculate/arbitrage? And why? • Provide analysis of the market, industry, and underlying assets of futures contracts. 4. Record your transactions All transactions/deals (for both hedging and speculation) are clearly recorded, reported and explained - in consistency with your trading strategy 5. Analyse the trading performance Performance is clearly analyzed - in consistency with your trading strategy • How does the spot price change for your fund holding? What is the performance of your hedging by the end of your last trading date (for the physical exposure position, the futures hedging position, and the combined position of fund holding and futures contracts)? • How did the speculation/arbitrage perform, and explain your profit/loss? • Is your profit/loss consistent with your trading plan? Why? What factors affect your trading performance? • Are the 40% limits allocated on speculation too high? And why? What are the differences between speculation/arbitrage and hedging? Do you think speculation is risky based on your trading exercise? • How do you feel when you experience losses from the speculation? • What lessons do you learn from the speculation trading exercise? Total=15 marks
MG-GY 6103 Management Science (Section A) Fall 2025 Department of Technology Management and Innovation Course Description This course introduces students to data-driven modeling and mathematical optimization techniques for strategic/tactical/operational (long/medium/short-term) decision-making in a variety of business contexts. Students learn to transform. business improvement needs and data into an optimization framework, apply various modeling techniques including linear/mixed-integer/non-linear/multi-criteria/network modeling, and use industrial optimization solvers and generative AI tools for solving large-scale optimization problems. In the later part of the course, students learn modeling and optimizing complex dynamic systems under uncertainty using simulation techniques and industrial software. Throughout the course, students work on hands-on real-world optimization projects, and read a number of cases on real-world implementations of large-scale optimization projects from various industries. Course Prerequisites Basic programming, data manipulation in Python, algebra. The course assumes working knowledge of and data handling in Microsoft Excel and Python. Students who have not used Python for a while are directed to a self-learning crash course to brush it up in the first couple of weeks. Full instructions will be provided in class on Excel Add-ins and solvers as well as Python libraries used for optimization modeling.
Educational Psychology (EDPY) 200 Overview EDPY 200: Educational Psychology is an introductory, first-year course primarily designed for pre-service K–12 teachers. However, it might also be useful for newer teachers, educational assistants, and early childhood educators. Students majoring in psychology will find that most of the learning theory and motivation research are topics they have covered in introductory courses and those on learning and cognition. This course seeks to provide a balanced view of educational psychology that blends theory and research about human learning and development and the implications for instructional methods and teaching practice. As well, the course presents research from other areas in psychology that are relevant to understanding children and adolescents that are not directly related to learning (e.g., moral development, discrimination and stereotypes, and social behaviour). Learning outcomes EDPY 200 has ten major learning outcomes. After completing this course, students will be able to: 1. Identify and describe the different types of research used in educational psychology and discuss the role that theories, hypotheses, and predictions play in research. 2. Discuss cognitive development and contrast Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories of development. 3. Discuss social development and the factors that influence it: describe social systems, stages of psychosocial development, and stages of moral development. 4. Use person-first language when discussing exceptional students and describe common student disabilities and ways in which teachers may assist them. 5. Describe language and its acquisition and discuss bilingual language development. Describe language learning (in school or later life; not native acquisition) and teaching approaches based on immersion and bilingual instruction. 6. Discuss cultural diversity in Canadian schools and describe the ways in which students can differ with respect to socioeconomic status, ethnic and racial differences, gender identity, etc. 7. Describe and contrast different views of learning based on conditioning and reinforcement, cognitive processing and memory, and constructivist perspectives (individual and social). 8. Describe forms of complex cognition including metacognition, the use of learning strategies, and problem-solving. Discuss the concept of transfer and explain its significance for teaching. 9. Describe several perspectives and theories of motivation—needs and interests, self-efficacy, epistemological beliefs, attribution theory, and goal orientation—and discuss how motivation affects student learning. 10. Discuss factors that affect the quality and use of student assessment and ways of ensuring fairer assessment practices. Describe some ways in which grades and evaluation may affect students, especially with respect to their motivation to learn.
EGD103 Assignment 1 B Marking Scheme CTP2, 2025 Criteria 1: Programming Correctness (12 marks) This criteria evaluates your ability to correctly answer questions in the assign- ment. It only considers correctness, and not the code quality. We will do our best to not penalise carry over errors. Generally speaking you will get full marks if your solution passes all the test cases provided in the assignment, but your code will also be manually inspected to see if it would generally pass any reasonable test case. Mark allocations for each question are summarised below. Mark allocations are based on the difficulty of the problem. Part marks can be awarded at the discretion of the marker if the code is incorrect overall, but has a significant component that has been done correctly. • B1 (1 mark) • B2 (1 mark) • B3 (1 mark) • B4 (1 mark) • B5 (2 marks) • B6 (2 marks) • B7 (2 marks) • B8 (2 marks) Criteria 2: Programming Practices (8 marks) This criteria evaluates you ability to perform important programming practices while completing the tasks in the assignment. • Use of JupyterLab notebooks (1 mark) Have used the Jupyterlab template correctly for the assignment. Personal introduction is given in the Markdown section provided with simple format – ting features. Assignment is submitted correctly as a JupyterLab notebook. • User-defined functions (1 mark) Demonstrated the ability to create simple user–defined functions by using variables, expressions and assignment statements. Function definitions in the template should not be modified, and all functions include appropriate return statements. • Selection with Boolean expressions and if statements (1 mark) Need to demonstrate selection using if statements. • Python sequences (1 mark) Need to demonstrate concepts relating to Python sequences (lists and tu – ples), including unpacking, indexing and use of list methods. • Iteration with loops (2 marks) Need to demonstrate the ability to perform. iteration with loops. For full marks, you need to be able to select the most appropriate type of loop for each iteration task. • Don’t repeat yourself (2 marks) Need to demonstrate an ability to call your own user–defined functions, rather than repeating the same blocks of code over and over again. This improves the readability and maintainability of your code while reducing its complexity. Criteria 3: Code Quality (6 marks) This criteria evaluates your ability to write code that is easy to understand and simple to maintain. Just like a written piece of work, code needs to be well formatted and communicated clearly and efficiently. • Variable naming and commenting (2 marks) You should use meaningful identifiers and comments where appropriate to make your code easy to understand. People (including non–programmers) should be able to read your code and easily understand the context of what it is doing. • Code complexity (2 marks) The solution processes (algorithms) in your code should be clear and sim – ple. The algorithms should not contain redundant steps, or overly compli – cated processes when a simpler alternative is available. • Code consistency and maintainability (2 marks) Your code should be written and formatted in a consistent, visually appeal – ing manner. Code should be maintainable, meaning changes/corrections can easily be made if needed.
PROJECT 2: Remixing Reality Due: September 8, 2025 Overview Create an augmented reality video experience that constructs a new world by remixing elements of physical reality. Your project should demonstrate how digital interventions can reveal hidden aspects of our world, challenge perceptions, or imagine alternative realities. Through AR technology and creative worldbuilding, you'll layer digital elements onto physical spaces to create meaningful commentary or narrative. Learning Objectives Master principles of augmented reality design and implementation Develop proficiency in 3D scanning, modeling, and animation workflows Apply video editing techniques including transitions, effects, and sound design Practice worldbuilding through consistent internal logic and visual storytelling Create contextual meaning through the integration of digital and physical elements Project Requirements Technical Components Your final project must demonstrate proficiency in at least 3 of the following technologies: Adobe Aero - AR scene creation and interaction design 3D Scanning - Using Polycam or similar tools for object/person capture 3D Animation - Character rigging and animation through Mixamo 2D Animation - Created in Adobe Animate or Photoshop 3D Modeling - Using Adobe Substance, Dimension, or other modeling tools Video Editing - Adobe Premiere with transitions, effects, and sound design Deliverables Final Video (2-4 minutes) MP4 format, edited in Adobe Premiere Showcases AR experiences from multiple angles and perspectives or consistent digital footage treatment Includes sound design and/or musical accompaniment Demonstrates clear worldbuilding logic throughout Artist Statement (300-500 words) Explains your worldbuilding concept and internal logic Describes how your project "remixes reality" Reflects on new perspectives AR allows you to reveal Documents your creative process and technical decisions Process Documentation Ideation sketches and concept development Screenshots of 3D models, scans, and animations AR QR code for sharing your Aero experience Brief technical reflection (200 words) on challenges and solutions Worldbuilding Focus Your AR experience should establish a clear internal logic that governs how your digital elements interact with physical reality. Consider: Spatial Logic: How do virtual objects relate to real-world scale and physics? Temporal Logic: Do your AR elements exist in the same time as reality, or do they represent past/future states? Narrative Logic: What story does the layering of digital onto physical tell? Interactive Logic: How do viewers/users engage with your remixed reality? Submission Requirements Submit via Google Drive folder containing: Final edited video file (MP4, 3-5 minutes) World-building document (PDF) Artist statement (PDF) Process documentation folder with screenshots and work samples AR project files and QR code (if applicable) Technical reflection document Assessment Criteria Technical Execution (5 points) Excellent (5 pts) Demonstrates mastery of 3+ required technologies with sophisticated integration Professional-quality 3D scans, models, animations, or digital compositing Proficient (4 pts) Competent use of 3+ technologies with good integration Solid technical quality with minor issues Developing (3 pts) Basic use of 2-3 technologies with some technical problems Shows effort but lacks technical refinement Needs Improvement (1-2 pts) Minimal use of required technologies with significant technical issues Poor execution affecting overall experience Incomplete (0 pts) Fails to demonstrate required technical components Worldbuilding & Conceptual Development (5 points) Excellent (5 pts) Establishes compelling, internally consistent world logic with creative depth Innovative and thoughtful approach to "remixing reality" Proficient (4 pts) Develops coherent world logic with good conceptual foundation Clear understanding of reality remixing through AR Developing (3 pts) Basic world logic present but underdeveloped Limited exploration of remixing concept Needs Improvement (1-2 pts) Minimal world logic or internal consistency Superficial engagement with core concepts Incomplete (0 pts) No clear worldbuilding logic or conceptual framework Visual Storytelling & Composition (4 points) Excellent (4 pts) Sophisticated visual narrative with excellent composition and pacing Masterful use of scale, color, and spatial relationships Proficient (3 pts) Clear visual narrative with strong composition Good understanding of visual design principles Developing (2 pts) Basic visual narrative with inconsistent composition Limited application of design principles Needs Improvement (1 pt) Unclear visual narrative or poor composition throughout Incomplete (0 pts) No evidence of visual storytelling consideration Process Documentation & Reflection (3 points) Excellent (3 pts) Comprehensive documentation with insightful artist statement and technical reflection Complete, well-organized submission materials Proficient (2 pts) Good documentation with clear artist statement Mostly complete submission materials Developing (1 pt) Basic documentation with minimal reflection Some missing submission elements Incomplete (0 pts) Inadequate documentation or missing artist statement Innovation & Creative Risk-Taking (3 points) Excellent (3 pts) Takes significant creative and technical risks with original approach Pushes boundaries of AR technology and storytelling Proficient (2 pts) Shows willingness to experiment with some creative risks Generally original execution Developing (1 pt) Limited experimentation with mostly conventional approach Incomplete (0 pts) No evidence of creative risk-taking or personal voice Total: 20 points Grade Scale A: 18-20 points (Exceptional work that exceeds expectations) B: 16-17 points (Proficient work that meets all expectations) C: 14-15 points (Developing work that meets most expectations) D: 12-13 points (Work that meets minimum requirements) F: Below 12 points (Work that does not meet minimum requirements) Tips for Success Start with strong conceptual planning - sketch out your world logic before diving into technical execution Consider how found footage can be transformed to fit your world's rules Test different combinations of original and found content to see what creates the most compelling remix Pay attention to how sound and music can enhance your worldbuilding Document your process throughout - don't wait until the end Think about how editing techniques like masking, compositing, and effects can serve your world logic Remember that the most successful projects will have a clear point of view about how remix culture can transform. our understanding of reality Consider the ethical implications of using found footage - ensure it serves your artistic concept Resources & Support Adobe Creative Suite tutorials available in course resources Polycam and Mixamo documentation linked in previous exercises Office hours available for technical troubleshooting Peer feedback sessions scheduled as part of Discussion 5 for September 4-6
C++ Programming Studio COSC2804 Assignment 2 Assessment TypeIndividual assignment.Submit online via Canvas. Marks awarded for meeting requirements as closelyaspossible.Clarifications/updatesmaybemadeviaannouncements/relevantdiscussion forums. th am Overview & Instructions This assignment will assess learning goals in computer architecture, focusing on assembly code programming. The tasks include: a) Writing programs in LC-3 assembly language to demonstrate your understanding of loops, branches, subroutines, two’s complement, and traps. b) Converting between hexadecimal, binary and assembly representations of an LC-3 program. c) Simulating a computer architecture via an existing Little Computer 3 (LC-3) virtual machine, written in C++. d) Configuring all the required development tools (Minecraft Java Edition, Visual Studio Code + LC-3 extension, laser, Git, etc.) The assignment is to be completed individually. 1 Learning Outcomes This assessment relates to the following learning outcomes: • [CLO2]: Apply fundamentals of computer architecture, operating systems, and system deployment to the design and development of medium-sized software applications. • [CLO4]: Demonstrate skills for self-directed learning, reflection, and evaluation of your own and your peers work to improve professional practice. • [CLO5]: Demonstrate adherence to appropriate standards and practice of Professionalism and Ethics. 2 Preliminaries The aim of this assignment is to hone your LC-3 programming skills, using the game Minecraft as a testbed. This section will get you started with creating an LC-3 development environment and understanding how to write LC-3 programs that interact with Minecraft. Setting up the tools required for carrying out this assignment. Setup instructions can be found in the course Canvas shell. See the module Getting Started with LC-3, which is linked on the front page. Communicating with Minecraft via LC-3. LC-3 is a very simple language that offers no native way of communicating with Minecraft. To get around this, we have provided a modified LC-3 virtual machine that contains additional TRAP routines for this purpose. The additional TRAPs are summarised in the table below. ng string 0x29getp/GETPplayer.getTilePos() --> R0, R1, heplayer is currently on.The x, yandz R0,ely.0x2Asetp/SETPplayer.setTilePos(R0, R1, R2)This function moves the pl tile (x, y, z)=(R0,R1,R2).0x2Bgetb/GETBgetBlock(R0, R1, R2 block at tile (x, y,z)=(R0, R1,R2) 3.0x2Csetb/SETBsetBlock(R0, R1, R2, R3)ThisfunctionchangestheIDofthe tothevaluestoredinR es the y- - at (x, z) =(R0,R2)and returnsthe 1. ster values tothe console.
Take-Home Exam & Essay Topics & Instructions ICLS2633-Cities of the World ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS (Please read the instructions carefully) For your first essay (to be submitted in WEEK 8), you will answer one of questions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17. For your second essay (to be submitted by WEEK 13), you will answer one of questions from 1 to 16. Remember that you CANNOT write both your essays on the same Module or/and title/topic. Your Essays also must have different topics (and based on a different Module) from your Presentation. Your Essays must be analytical, use evidence effectively, structured logically and written in good academic style. You must demonstrate you have read and understood the Required Readings and primary texts (i.e. short stories, novels, films, poems etc) studied in class. Between 5 and 10 suitable secondary sources (i.e. scholarly articles, scholarly chapters, scholarly books) must be critically and appropriately used to support your argument (see Reading List). In your Essay you must demonstrate some ability to make connections with themes and issues discussed in the other Modules of the unit. Indicate the Reference Style. you have adopted in your essay (i.e. MLA, Chicago, Harvard etc). You must reference and acknowledge ALL your sources clearly, consistently and appropriately. Word length for each essay: 2500wd (including Reference List, quotations and footnotes) Upon submission, you may be required to attend a brief discussion with teaching staf to verify your work. This may include: explaining your thesis development process, discussing why you chose particular sources or arguments, elaborating on specific points from your essay, or connecting your argument to broader unit concepts. These discussions aim to confirm your authentic engagement with the assignment. If contacted by your tutor or coordinator you will be required to attend the meeting. Your essay won't be marked until meeting has happened. Module 1: Naples Q1. Discuss how Anna Maria Ortese’s unique literary style. shape the representation of ordinary experiences, social realities, and urban spaces. In what ways does her poetic vision challenge conventional depictions of Naples and offer alternative ways of seeing the city and its inhabitants? Q2. Explore how Anna Maria Ortese’s stories narrate the interplay between interior and exterior spaces, and between the private and public spheres. How are these spatial and social boundaries connected in her writing, and what perceptions of Naples emerge through these relationships? Q3. For Erri De Luca, Naples is a body “shaped by the multitudes, by the substratum, tried and retried and discovered to be greater than the attempt” (in Napòlide). How does De Luca’s portrayal of Naples in his novel reflect the city's layered social and historical complexity? Bring clear examples from the main text and discuss them with relevant secondary sources. Q4. Discuss how Erri De Luca's vision of Naples informs his novel’s exploration of resistance and coming-of-age. How do the city’s layered histories, its marginal spaces, and its enduring spirit of defiance shape the protagonist’s journey toward self-discovery and moral awakening? Q5. “Naples has always presented itself to those who desire to master it through discourse as a labyrinth whose secret resists being uncovered, as chaos of contradictions that refuses to be overcome” (P. D’Acierno, 2019). Discuss how Naples is experienced and represented as a city of secrets, contrasts, and paradoxes in the texts studied in class. How do these representations shape the narrative tone, the characters’ perspectives, and the broader cultural or historical understanding of the city? Module 2: Beijing Q6. Using Reginald F. Johnston’s Twilight in the Forbidden City and the visual materials from Week 6, discuss how the spatial and ceremonial structure of the Forbidden City embodies imperial authority and social hierarchy. Q7. Examine how the early Republican period is portrayed in Twilight in the Forbidden City and the TV series The Age ofAwakening. How do these sources represent the transformation of Beijing into a hub of political and intellectual ferment? Q8. In Lin Yutang’s Moment in Peking (Book III), how are the values of loyalty, family, and moral integrity tested during the Japanese invasion? Discuss how the novel uses elite characters to reflect broader cultural and national dilemmas in wartime Beijing. Q9. Drawing on Lin Hai-yin’s Memories of Peking and Harriet Evans’ Beijing from Below, analyse how personal recollection and ethnographic narrative capture the lives of ordinary citizens in Beijing. How do these texts represent cultural memory, childhood, gender, and urban marginality in a rapidly changing city? Q10. Compare representations of Beijing in at least two texts studied in this module. How do these works construct or deconstruct the identity of Beijing across imperial, Republican, and post- Mao contexts? Module 3: Buenos Aires Q11. In one of Jorge Luis Borges’s most famous poems, The Mythical Foundaing of Buenos Aires, the Argentine writer says “ Hard to believe Buenos Aires had any beginning/I feel it to be as eternal as air and water”. Contrast this nostalgic image of the city with the distinctive urban landscape emerging from the contemporary texts studied in class. Q12. Discuss how myth, history and fiction enter the textual versions of the city created by Jorge Luis Borges and Manuel Mujica Láinez, and compare them with the dystopian world of The Eternaut. Q13. Explore the theme of violence in relation to Buenos Aires’ urban and social transformation as depicted in texts studied in weeks 11, 12 and/or 13. Draw comparisons between texts to substantiate your arguments. Q14. Discuss how the city and literature are intertwined in the plot of Death and the Canoe by Claudia Piñeiro and The Merman by Samanta Schweblin by reflecting on how these enter in an intertextual dialogue with the works of Borges and Mujica Láinez. Q15. Analyse how two texts of your choice from modules 10, 11, 12 or 13 use the city of Buenos Aires as a critical backdrop, shaping both the narrative and thematic elements of their respective plots. How do these depictions reflect broader cultural or societal commentaries inherent in Argentine literature? Further questions for Final Essay Q16. Discuss how notions and experiences of centre and periphery, inclusion and exclusion are documented or fictionalised in relation to two of the cities you have studied in this unit. Q17. How do the quotidian and the ordinary define modern life and the modern subject in the city? Explain with reference to two cities studied in class.
FR 101 Beginner French Fall 2025 Course Description Calendar Description for FR 101 No description available No requirements available FR101 is an intensive beginner course which begins in English with the basics of grammar and its terminology. We then move on to an active learning approach, calling on you to use your critical thinking skills and participate actively in the process of discovering the French language. This will include listening, reading, writing, and speaking in French. FR 101 prepares students for the basic French course FR 151. FR101 is a completely online course designed for asynchronous learning. No synchronous activities or communications with the instructor will be expected. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course students should be able to: be able to recognise and identify basic parts of speech, understand and use familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases in French aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type, introduce himself/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has, and interact in a simple way if the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
BET 100 Foundations of Entrepreneurial Practice Fall 2025 Course Description Calendar Description for BET 100 This course offers a comprehensive introduction to entrepreneurship, equipping students with the entrepreneurial mindset needed to identify and act on opportunities. Students will explore key theories, concepts, and practices in entrepreneurship, understanding its critical role in driving innovation. BET 100 is designed for anyone looking to accelerate their career, grow as a leader, and create meaningful change. It will help UW students learn entrepreneurial skills which are critical to becoming a successful entrepreneur and Incredibly valuable in any job. The course’s 12 modules take you on the entrepreneurial journey – from myths and realties, through disruptive forces, pain points, turning problems into opportunities, Lean Startup principles including building MVP’s and the iterative development cycle, an introduction to how startups are funded, social entrepreneurship, pitching your ideas and a review of the UW ecosystem available to help startups grow. Throughout the course, 2 themes are explored in considerable depth: developing the entrepreneurial mindset - skills that are valuable to all students (and all employers) because they develop your skills to deal with, and adapt to, changing environments while turning problems into opportunities entrepreneurs are (needed!) everywhere! - Entrepreneurs are not just tech experts building the next app. Entrepreneurs are found in every vocation, every industry, every job function, and in every company. And entrepreneurs don't come in one predefined style. of person. They come in every age, gender, cultural, race, academic area, skill level, etc. and they tackle every type of problem from building better robots, to using the latest in quantum physics to build security models, to helping nurses communicate better with elderly patients, to helping farmers in Africa build better lives for their families. BET 100 is a flexible, fully online course designed for self-paced learning. It features engaging, embedded assignments focused on key entrepreneurial skills, each with clear due dates and deliverables to keep you on track. Lectures are pre-recorded and accessible anytime. Each module contains short video lectures or expert interviews which related to the module material and aligns to the interactive textbook chapter assigned. The modules are also accompanied by interviews with UW Alumni curated specifically for this course. This is your opportunity to meet and learning from the experience of UW alumni across wide variety of fields. BET 100 is offered every term and is a great way to complement your electives. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course students should be able to... Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and its diverse forms, recognizing how it can be applied in various professional contexts, including innovation-driven organizations and startups. Understand the process involved in commercializing an idea and taking it to market. Identify, and understand how to, leverage resources for entrepreneurial ventures, including financial capital, intellectual property, and support networks, to support venture creation and growth. Explore entrepreneurship as a career path through exposure to real people who have experienced the journey , understanding the personal and professional impacts of entrepreneurial work and evaluating how entrepreneurship can be a tool for both economic and social change. Enhance communication and leadership skills essential for entrepreneurs, including ability to persuasively pitch ideas, and collaborate effectively. Critically evaluate opportunities and ideas, using frameworks such as design thinking and opportunity recognition, while understanding the processes behind turning concepts into viable ventures. Understand the nature and process of change and market disruption by examining the dynamic forces that are disrupting our world
Please read the excerpt from Marcel Danesi's chapter “Cigarettes and High Heels: The Universe of Signs." After completing the reading, please analyze the text and generate questions based on Prof. Kyla Wazana Tompkins's “Notes On How To Ask A Good Question About Theory That Will Provoke, Conversation And Further Discussion," which are copied and pasted below. Please upload a document structured in two parts into this assignment module. Part I is your analysis of the text, and Part II is the questions you will share with the class next week (try to aim for 2-4 questions). Please follow the instructions on the note generation exactly. “Notes On How To Ask A Good Question About Theory That Will Provoke, Conversation And Further Discussion,” ANALYZING THE TEXT: Read theory [text] three times: once to get a mental map of the article/chapter/ paper; once to get the gist of the argument; and once to find your questions. Take notes in the margins: mess with the text. Underline, star, and jot down questions. Take a break. Think about the pieces of the text, phrases, expressions, moments, that tweak your instincts, that bother and harass you. These intuitions and “feelings” are the ends of intellectual threads that you may want to excavate. Linger over passages that are unclear or that strike you as particularly helpful or that don’t jar well with you. Why do those passages set off your instincts? Relate those passages to the whole text: how is this piece of the text part of a larger context? Contextualize the writing. You should know, and your handout should provide, the following information: who wrote the essay/chapter; what is their discipline, or interdisciplinary nexus; what else have they written; what is the/are the central arguments; who is the writer in conversation with; what are some key passages; what are some key terms; what did you not understand? Make your discussion question(s) simple, straightforward and jargon-free. GENERATING QUESTIONS: Proofread your questions so that you catch grammar and spelling mistakes. Make your questions open-ended, i.e. not answerable with fact or by direct and immediate reference to the text. Make sure your question doesn’t rely on information the rest of the class doesn’t have, OR give the class enough information and background to be able to engage the question. Make sure the question is answerable to start with, i.e., is not vague and does not rely on facts or assumptions not addressable within the confines of our class conversation. Make reference to the text with quotes or page numbers: direct the class to look at a relevant passage, read it together out loud, and drill down into the writing and sentence structure itself to get at the problem you are looking at. Sometimes I refer to this model of reading theory as Talmudic. What I am trying to say is that we need not reserve close-reading practices to literature, particularly if we are interested in the refractive effects of language itself. A good discussion question reframes some of the problems of the text and then tries to get at internal logical problems and paradoxes or to think through the consequences, implications and applications of the theory As such, questions about “experience” or “responses” or “feelings” tend not to be helpful questions – try to step back from personal responses and instead focus on the intellectual shape of the ideas and argument. Often we are tempted to ask the “what about” question: e.g., what about the people who are excluded from this theory? Although not an unreasonable question, asked in this manner this is not really a sophisticated question. It’s not the worst idea to make sure you have some thoughts about how to answer your questions before sending them on to your colleagues. However, sometimes you are just really stumped and need to work through this question with your classmates. That’s okay too. Which brings me to: it is often smart and productive to write a preamble to a question. That preamble might be a short intellectual history of your questions, it might contextualize the text you are working with, or it might scaffold the question you want to ask by referring to other texts or many points in the same text. Don’t make this preamble so long that no-one can excavate the original question, however. Also…. If you can answer your question while you are writing it, you probably need to just state your point of view and move on to another, related, question. Sometimes the question you write is simply the jumping-off point for more developed questions on the part of the class. That is fine! The point is to catalyze inquiry, not perform. mastery: good pedagogy means letting go of your ego-investments in your own ideas. Sometimes you are stuck with an instinct, a hunch, a nagging feeling and a half-formed question and you simply can’t move forward without thinking about it out loud. Bring those seemingly half-formed thoughts to the class: we will figure the direction or shape of your question together. Finally: when you don’t get it, you don’t get it. Ask for help from the professor or your classmates, and feel free and supported in bringing your “I Don’t Get It” questions to class. We will all profit from these acts of intellectual humility and generosity.
FR 101 Final Project Final Project (25%) Description At the end of the semester, you will be asked to perform. a short sketch (3-6 minutes) using a scenario related to communication topics that we will study throughout the semester (description of people, family description, daily and leisure activities, in the city, giving directions, etc.). For this final project, you will work in groups of 2 or 3 people. The final output should be a video : Option 1: You can produce a video using Bongo; Option 2: You can make a video by yourself (using a smartphone or a camera); The most important part of the assignment is the use of the French language in context. Step-by-Step Instructions 1. Group selection. Decide with whom you would like to work on the final project. Once you have decided, you need to enrol in the same group along with your partners. Groups can be viewed by clicking Connect and then Groups on the course navigation bar above (see instructions(https://uwaterloo.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ISTKB/pages/1548779704/Groups+-+Students#Self-enrolling-in-a-Group) on how to self-enroll in a group | see the Course Schedule (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=1162613&type=content&rcode=uWaterloo-461258) for due date). Your instructor will assign the same groups in Final Project Bongo (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=1162613&type=lti&rcode=uWaterloo-2031728&srcou=155796) after the Group selection due date (during the week 9). 2. You should choose the topic of your sketch (see below for some topic ideas). 3. Write out your dialogue and distribute the roles among group members. 4. Recording your video. Once you have prepared the script. and you are ready to record your sketch, choose the option that you want to use to produce the video file: Option 1: If you are working at a distance, you can each create video using Bongo (see below detailed Bongo instructions: steps 1-9) Option 2: If you are all in the same area, you may want to meet to create yourself the recording (see below detailed Bongo instructions: steps 5-9). 5. Submit your video file to the Final Project Bongo(/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=1162613&type=lti&rcode=uWaterloo-2031728&srcou=155796) by the due date (see the Course Schedule(/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=1162613&type=content&rcode=uWaterloo-461258)) 6. Watch the sketches by the other groups and comment on them. Be sure to reply to any questions or comments that your classmates make on your project.
BET 100 Dragon's Den Assignment DRAGON'S DEN ASSIGNMENT (30%) Description In your final assignment for the term, you get to put yourself in the shoes of one of the Dragons on Dragon’s Den, the show where early-stage companies pitch their idea and try to raise money from a group of seasoned investors. Watch this video (3:49) which describes this assignment in more detail. Instructions First, review the list of the Dragon’s Den pitches provided below. Covergalls Protein Candy Bolt Sports Vision Spatial Technologies Intuition Pay Spirits With Smoke Next, select one of these ‘pitches’ to focus on for this assignment. Note – do not select all the pitches in the episode as there is more than 1 pitch in an episode – only select the specific pitch from the list provided. Then, submit a well edited, a 5-minute video in LEARN critically analyzing this pitch and the business’ journey based on the content and lessons learned in this course. Make sure to include: A brief synopsis of the business to start your presentation. Specific details in your analysis – make sure you adequately apply appropriate course concepts to your analysis and provide specific evidence in support of your commentary. A brief summary of the business - what is the founder's background and intention and what does this business do? What specific problem is the business tackling? What is the size and scale of the problem? What happens if it isn’t solved? Is this problem important? Who is the specific target audience? What is their solution? Why is this solution better than current alternatives? What evidence does the company have that supports their hypotheses? Any results so far? Is their business scalable? What is the company's strategy and competitive positioning against alternatives? What resources does the business have that will help it succeed? What does the business lack? What other course concepts are demonstrated in this pitch? Use course concepts to support your analysis! What was their specific Ask to the Dragons? Was this Ask reasonable and did it play any role in determining the outcome? Based on what you have learned, how would you improve this pitch Provide a conclusion of your analysis with a commentary on why you would or would not invest in this business. Assignment Details Your video must be 5 minutes maximum – all content after 5 minutes will not be reviewed. As a business presentation, you need to be visible for the majority of the video. Be concise and use appropriate business language to guide your discussion. Present your analysis in a logical order and use examples from the pitch to support your discussion Be specific with the course content and key learnings from BET 100 you use in your analysis. You may include slides, graphics or text as part of the video if it helps illustrate your presentation and assists in the communication. Do not over complicate your presentation with images that distract from what you are saying. Focus on the content of your presentation not sensational graphics. There is no need to do outside research for this assignment. Use material from BET 100 and the Dragon’s Den video. You do not need to cite any material used in your presentation from BET 100. Any citations required can be submitted as a Word document on LEARN in the submission Dropbox along with your video.
COMP2140/7240 – Web/Mobile Programming React Web App Mode Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia Category Computer Code, Project Weight 20% Due date 26/09/2025 5:00 pm Learning outcomes L01, L02, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 Task description In the React Web App assessment, students will build an interactive web app with a cross-platform. JavaScript. framework (React), testing across web browsers & device sizes. The web app will communicate with web & device APls. Throughout, students will evaluate the design, implementation & architecture for delivering a complex web app. Compared to COMP2140, COMP7240 includes an additional research component in the assessment, requiring students to critically investigate current practices and challenges in accessibility and responsive design. The React Web App will be graded in the associated Project Demonstration and Code Review session. The React Web App must be submitted prior to the Project Demonstration and Code Review session. Artificial Intelligence (Al) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use Al and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of Al or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative Al or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. What do you need to build? Table 1: Available Project Options Project Name & Description ReadySetHire-Al-Powered Interview Platform ReadySetHire is a modern web application designed to streamline the hiring process. It provides recruiters with an easy way to set up interviews, add interview questions, invite applicants, and automatically capture their spoken responses through speech-to-text transcription. By using the latest Al technology, ReadySetHire allows applicants to answer naturally in spoken language, making the experience more authentic and efficient. This tool can be used for screening applicants at scale and includes opportunities to extend functionality with Generative Al, such as providing teedback or auto-suggesting interview duestions. in the future. ReadvsetHire could also serve as a practice platform. for job seekers, helping them prepare for interviews with realistic Al-driven simulations. Main Features Allows users to: Create, edit, and delete Interviews Add interview questions Invite applicants through unique interview links Applicants answer using an audio recorder, with Al transcription converting speech to text One question per page interview flow for clarity and focus Track interview status (Not Started and Completed) Review Applicant question answers Creative Integration of GenAI Custom Project Guidelines You must submit your project idea proposal to [email protected] by Mon 8 Sept 2024. You will need to provide your own API to store and retrieve vour data. You can use external services or deploy an APl to vour own UQ Cloud Zone. If vou are already familiar with React, vou might like to explore Next is and build vour front-end and back-end with it. The Teaching Team have used PostgREST (https://docs.postgrest.org/en/v12/) for the APl and a self-paced tutorial is provided, if vou also wish to take this approach. With PostgREST you only need to setup a database and then enable the RESTFul API. Custom projects can also be a Chrome or VS Code extension but must use React.
PSYCH XBW1 – GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 semester units (45 instructional hours) Asynchronous Online BASIC COURSE INFORMATION Course Meeting Dates & Times: Asynchronous Online Communication and Office Hours: While you should use the Student Lounge for questions/answers that can benefit all students, of course you can always get in touch with the instructor during the course. You can access course email by clicking on the Inbox link on the Corner Help toolbar (see also Canvas Overview Video). You can expect the instructor to respond to email within 48 hours of receiving messages unless he or she has notified the class otherwise (e.g., because of vacation or other reasons). Please note: all course communication between students/instructors must occur within the course. Course Online Resources (CANVAS): https://onlinelearning.berkeley.edu/ Technical Requirements and Access to Online Resources: Please check your computer technical specifications. This course uses the Learning Management system (LMS) called CANVAS. In order to use Canvas, your computer will need to meet these technical specifications. Additionally, instructors will use the Zoom web conferencing tool to live-stream their classes. Please also check your computer technical specification to use Zoom and ensure that you have a stable Internet connection. Please review our online classroom orientation resource to learn about how to access and use CANVAS. Canvas allows you to record audio or video files of yourself and upload them in the course. Although doing so is not required for any of the activities, using these features will enhance your engagement in the course. If you would like to use these features, you will need to have a webcam and a microphone installed on your computer. Important Deadlines: Drop: Must be done before the drop deadline Withdraw or Grade Option Change: Must be submitted before the last class meeting. You can add, drop, or withdraw by logging into your student portal. COURSE OVERVIEW Course Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. Description of Course: Psychology is the scientific study of behavior. In a sense, each of us is a psychologist; we are curious, we explore our surroundings, we observe ourselves and others, and we try to understand and explain our behavior. Although psychology is definitely a science, it presents challenges not found in the other sciences. The ultimate focus of psychology's study is human subjects, who cannot be controlled as easily as plants, chemicals, or computer programming code. Nevertheless, as students of psychology, we will try to remain as objective as possible as we interpret human behavior. Learning Objectives: The purpose of this class is to: ● Identify the origins of modern psychology ● Identify different research methods in psychology ● Discuss the biological foundations of psychology ● Explain the concepts of sensation and perception ● Describe basic principles of learning ● Describe the psychology of memory ● Describe the relationship between stress and illness, discuss ways of coping with stress and describe lifestyle. influences on disease risk ● Describe the developmental stages from conception to death ● Describe the psychological perspectives in personality theory ● Describe recognized psychological disorders and therapy models ● Recognize the social influences on behavior.
REDUCTION TO AN AXIOMATIC SYSTEM EXAMPLES FOR STUDY & PRACTICE 1. a) Prove in general that for any R-valued X with EX2 < ∞, it follows that (EX)2 ≤ EX2. b) For any R-valued X with (EX)2 < EX2 < 1, prove that there are unique scalars |a| < 1 and 0 that X = a+bZ w. EZ = 0, EZ2 = 1.
BISM7255 Business Information Systems Analysis and Design Assignment Overview Assessment Weight: 35% Individual or Group work: Groups of 2 max Due Date: Friday, 12th September 2025 at 4PM Submissions: Written Report Word Count: 3,000 (excluding title page, summary, references and appendices) Format: PDF or DOCX Learning Outcomes L02, L03, L04, L05 Toy Library Assignment (Part 1) Background Unlimited Quality Play, Learning and You (UQPLAY) is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that runs a community-based Toy Library. The Toy Library lends educational and recreational toys to registered members—primarily families, carers, early childhood educators, and local community groups—with the aim of fostering development through play, supporting learning, and promoting inclusive access to quality toys. UQPLAY’s current operations are entirely manual, relying on spreadsheets, paper records, and phone/email communication. This has become increasingly difficult to manage as the organisation grows and the number of customers, toys, and supplier relationships increases. UQPLAY has now commissioned your team to design a comprehensive information system that will be the foundation for a new digital application. The system must support day-to-day operations and reflect the real-life complexities of running a toy lending service. This assignment represents the analysis and design phase of that project. Your role is to analyse, plan, and model how this application should function. To do this effectively, you will need to research how library systems, inventory-based lending models, and customer service platforms operate—especially in charitable or community-focused contexts. Your system design will need to support a range of activities in four areas: 1- Toy Lending and Inventory Management UQPLAY lends a variety of toys, games, and activity kits, which must be categorised by age range; toy genre/theme (e.g. physical play, logic/puzzle, sensory play, imaginative play); loan duration limits (e.g. short-term vs long-term); flags for cleaning and hygiene checks after each loan before being made available again; and security deposit for high-value items and electronic toys. There must be processes to check-in and out, return and overdue tracking, Log feedback from parents and required maintenance (e.g., missing pieces, broken parts). The maintenance requires a maintenance logbook that documents repair actions taken by staff. 2- Lifecycle and Disposals Every toy has a maximum usable life after which it should be either retired from lending, donated or sold in a community sale. Your system should be able to track how many times a toy has been borrowed and flag toys that are nearing end-of-life for review. 3- Customer Management All users must register with the library to borrow items. Upon borrowing or returning, users can leave feedback or a condition report. The system should track members activities, borrowing history, security deposits, outstanding returns or fines. User feedback should be visible to others browsing items, creating a sense of trust and shared experience. 4- Supplier and Order Management UQPLAY regularly sources toys, accessories, and replacement parts from a network of suppliers. To support procurement activities, the system must also: 1) maintain a supplier registry with contact information, ordering history, and product types offered; 2) track purchase orders, including order date, Items requested, cost and delivery dates, payment status (Condition upon arrival (for quality checks)); 3) track internal restocking and item acquisition, including who placed the order, reason for acquisition (new purchase, replacement, etc.), and associated toys that require replacement parts. Where applicable, the system should be able to record correspondence or delivery issues related to suppliers. Business Goal The new system should bring UQPLAY into the digital age by: • Reducing administrative workload • Improving the toy borrowing experience • Ensuring better hygiene and safety for children • Supporting better tracking of orders, toys, and customer activity • Providing insights into which toys are most used, most loved, or most problematic Your Role As a future business systems professionals, you are formally engaged as a consulting analysis and design group tasked with delivering a comprehensive, high-quality system proposal for UQPLAY’s new digital platform. You are expected to model the system as if it were being prepared for real-world implementation by a development team. You will be responsible for: • Investigating and understanding the operational, customer-facing, and administrative needs of UQPLAY. • Eliciting and documenting functional and non-functional system requirements through a structured and analytical approach. • Designing a complete system solution using industry-standard UML techniques and tools. • Producing a rigorous, well-structured report that would be suitable for delivery to UQPLAY’s management and an external development agency. Deliverables (Report) Your group must produce a professionally formatted Executive Report that presents your system analysis and design for UQPLAY. This report should be clear, structured, and suitable for delivery to both academic assessors and UQPLAY’s management as if it were a real client submission. Your report must include the following core components: 1. Title Page: Including project title, students’ names and IDs 2. Executive Summary (½ to 1 page): A summary of the purpose, scope, and key outcomes of your analysis and design. This should include key challenges identified, your high-level solution approach, and a brief summary of deliverables (e.g. UML diagrams, identified requirements). The summary should be written for a non-technical stakeholder (e.g., UQPLAY’s board or executive team). 3. Table of Contents: Add an autogenerated table of content with major headings and subheadings. 4. Requirements Specifications: Develop a comprehensive set of requirements that reflects a deep understanding of UQPLAY’s operational, customer service, and administrative needs. These requirements must be expressed using the standard User Story format and supported by detailed Acceptance Criteria to ensure clarity and testability. This section will form the foundation for your UML diagrams and system design work. The quality and completeness of your user stories will directly impact how well the system model meets UQPLAY’s expectations. 4.1. Functional Requirements: You must submit at least 10 functional requirements written as User Stories, each with a minimum of 6 Acceptance Criteria. o Each functional User Story must follow this structure: As a [type of user], I want to [perform. an action], so I can [achieve a goal]. o Examples of user types: Registered customer, Library staff etc o Each story must also be accompanied by at least six Acceptance Criteria, written as short, testable conditions that define when the story can be considered “done.” . Acceptance Criteria Format (examples): The system must allow the user to book a toy for a specific loan period. Users cannot borrow more than 3 items at once. o Topics that must be covered in the 10 functional stories include: § Searching/filtering toys by genre, age group, or availability § Booking a toy or game (including deposits for high-value items) § Returning a toy and leaving feedback § Submitting toy maintenance reports (customers and staff) § Tracking overdue returns and generating alerts o Each functional story should be numbered (e.g., F1–F10) for easy reference in other sections of the report. 4.2. Non-Functional Requirements: you must also submit at least 5 non-functional requirements, each expressed as a User Story with 6 or more Acceptance Criteria. o Non-Functional User Story Template: As a system administrator, I want the system to be [attribute], so users have a [quality experience]. o These stories should address quality attributes, including: § Usability (e.g., simple navigation for digitally inexperienced users) § Performance (e.g., loading time, responsiveness) § Security (e.g., data protection, login handling) § Availability/reliability (e.g., uptime, handling failure cases) § Scalability or maintainability o Each non-functional story must also include 6 specific acceptance criteria, such as: § System loads in under 2 seconds for 90% of requests. § Passwords are stored using industry-standard hashing algorithms. o Non-functional stories should be numbered (e.g., NF1–NF5) and clearly distinguished from the functional ones. 5. UML Diagrams Provide an overview of your design methodology. • Justify key decisions in your system design (e.g. what data entities were created, why particular relationships were established, which processes were prioritised). • Show how your design meets UQPLAY’s functional and non-functional requirements. • Include brief descriptions to each of the UML diagrams that demonstrate your understanding of the case. You need to create eight UML models based on the description of business requirements. Document any assumptions you made (if any) underneath each diagram. All UML models MUST be created with Enterprise Architect (EA), and each diagram must be exported as an image and pasted into your final report. This should include: • 2 x Use Case Diagrams showing major actors and their interactions with the system. o At least 2 actors o At least 1 actor generalisations o At least 20 use cases o At least 5 relationships o At least 5 relationships • 2 x Activity Diagrams. DO NOT model the Login or Registration process. o Each diagram must include at least 15–20 activities o At least 3 swimlanes o At least 2 decision points o Clear start and end states o Use of fork/join or parallel flows where appropriate • 2 x Sequence Diagrams showing system and actor messages for key workflows. o Each diagram must include 3 – 4 lifelines o At least 15 messages exchanged o At least 1 example of Self messages o Use of fragments such as alt, loop, or opt as needed • 1 x State Diagram o At least 10 distinct states o Clear transitions between all states o Use of triggers and actions for each transition o Entry and/or exit actions where applicable • 1 x Class Diagram o At least 10 classes o At least 3 aggregation or composition relationships o At least 4 associations o At least 2 generalisation relationships o Each class must include at least 5 attributes with appropriate visibility and data types o Use of multiplicity indicators (e.g., 1..*, 0..1) Some suggestions of possible diagrams for the 2 Use Case, 2 Activity and 2 Sequence diagrams are: • A parent browses the catalogue, checks availability, reserves a toy for their child and receives a confirmation. • Maintenance staff receive a returned toy, inspects it, it is cleaned or repaired, and marked ready for borrowing or prepared for retirement (to be either sold or discarded) and a possible replacement is suggested for order. NOTE: Students are welcome to detail other scenarios if they so wish. 6. Statement of AI Usage This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic, and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submissions independent of AI tools. If AI has been used it must be acknowledged. • Clearly state the extent to which AI tools were used (if any) during the assignment. • Examples may include: using AI to generate placeholder text, assist with formatting, or brainstorm problem statements. • If no AI was used, a statement confirming that should be included. Note: AI cannot be used to generate UML diagrams or requirements models. Any use in those areas will result in a mark of zero for the affected section.
