PDP Competed P7/P8/M2//D2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkuc1pjWlpjMnJwemc/edit?usp=sharing

My personal development plan could be improved by adding more long term goals. I could also add skills that I need to improve on to complete this course, skills such as animation and graphic design. another way to improve my PDP would be to add more personal goals that I wish to achieve outside of college. I could also get peer assessment on a more regular basis for each of my PDP goals.

MY PDP has improved how I would preform in a positive way in certain situations such as writing a to high standard game review, because I have now learnt how to use a consistent style in my documentation, I also have a much wider knowledge of technological terminology. this is means that is I had to write a game review it would be to a professional standard. My PDP had also improved my time keeping by helping me meet deadlines for work, this would improve my employability prospects by giving me a good college reference and it would also help me in everyday life situations. I have also improved in confidence when talking to a large audience, this is something that I found intimidating at first, but after a practicing in front of my peers and finding out what I did well and what I could improve on, I felt much more comfortable in that situation and I now feel that I could give a professional game pitch. since starting this course in September I have also gained knowledge about how to build and design a computer system, this is a very practical skill as I am looking to build a custom computer in the near future.

(M2)

After I revived my peer evaluation about my PDP I went back and changed certain aspects of my PDP such as, being more consistent with my use of language and terminology. I also went back over my work and added the correct dates to the suitable boxes. making these changes has made my work much easier to understand and has improved to overall quality of my work.

PDP Draft

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkuTzROeWVpX3lwVTQ/edit?usp=sharing

Game Pitch P4/P5/P6/D1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkuS3dhbW1ZMFNZc1k/edit?usp=sharing

I pitched my presentation at a professional level because I used the skills that I have learnt about in communication and employability such as, using a visual aid to keep my audience engaged in my presentation, I believe this was one of the main factors that my presentation went well, this technique is also very good for keeping visual learners engaged, because this uses one aspect of their learning style. My pitch also had bullet point that I made short and to the point, I did this to keep the audiences attention on my voice, instead of reading a large amount of text off each slide.
Another reason my pitch was at a professional standard is because I was dressed suitable, this gives a professional impression to the audience and raises the overall standard of my pitch.
I feel I could have done slightly better in my presentation if I had a done it a little later in the week, due to the fact I started to cough towards the end of the pitch due to sickness. but overall I felt that I spoke clearly and kept the audience engaged. this was done to the interpersonal skills that I have learnt about during my time in the course. I feel I could have improved my pitch by adding in a couple more slide about my target audience, this was a vital piece of information that I missed from my presentation, missing a slide of this Importance made my presentation seem less professional. My during my presentation I should have slowed my speech down a bit more, because some of the audience may of found it hard to understand me a at times. 

Learning Style (M3)

Team Building Exercise

We took part in a team building exercise that required us to be put into groups based on our learning styles. For the task we had to make a circle that could fit all of our group members in out of a single A4 piece of paper.

 

We were put into groups depending on our learning style. Our group included Me (Kin), Conor (Aud) and Joe (Vis). We worked well as a team and completed the task, we worked to together by rotating the roles E.g. Conor would read the instructions while me and Joe cut the paper. I think putting us into groups depending on our learning styles worked well, because we all had specific strengths that we could use to our advantage.

 

Another group that wasn't separated into learning styles(one visual learner and 2 kinaesthetic learners) didn't not work efficiently, because they didn't stop to read the instructions and didn't communicate efficiently.

Reviewing Draft Docs (M2)

I have chosen to use Arial Rounded MT Bold as my title and heading font because it is clear, easy to read and has a good impact.
My normal text is in the font of Franklin Gothic Book because it is also clear and looks professional.
I add a table of contents and page numbers for easy navigation.

Document Before:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkuR3FnUVpoQThONDQ/edit?usp=sharing
Document After:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkuaVQydDI5TVNsLU0/edit?usp=sharing

Using IT to Aid Communication (P5)

Using IT to Aid Communication

People who need to be aided in communication can find many guides on the Internet to help them.

People who have poor vision could for increase the font size of their OS, Internet browser and Applications. this helps because the font would be easier to see and read, the only disadvantage of this is that they must change each individual Applications settings.

People could have a hearing disability, this could cause some communication problems when watching some sort of media with sound. This problem could be solved when watching a video by using subtitles, although the fact that not all videos have a subtitle option could be a disadvantage.

People with who have difficulty with words could find it useful to use a option that allows the computer to speak text out loud, this could help in communication when reading things such as E-Mails, but it may be a disadvantage that some sort of audio output devices is need e.g. speakers.

Word:

I used Word in in my game design document

Advantages:
I found an advantage of word is that you can edit the document easily and quickly in comparison to writing on paper. This was useful because the game design document must be around 20 pages long and with out being able to edit the document quickly it would of taken a considerably longer time to complete.

You can also easily change the font type in word, so that it is more suitable for people with a reading disability, such as dyslexia. This was useful in my game design document because being able to change the font allowed me to make the game design document look more professional.

Word also has a system that allows you to easily change the entire style of the document, this was useful for my game design document because it made the layout of the document look consistent and professional.

An advantage of word is that

Disadvantages:
A Disadvantage of word is that you must buy the software, which is relatively expensive and to run the software you must also have a compatible computer system. I found this a problem when it came to purchasing the software for use in college.

Word may also be hard to navigate if you are not competent with the software, because of the complex menu navigation system. I found this a problem when I was first starting to use Word.

Word also has a poor image placing system, that could be improved drastically. I found it hard to place images in the right area in my game design document.

A disadvantage of Word is that if you are using a different edition e.g. 2003 edition it will not open  correctly in a newer version such as 2007. I found this a problem when trying to open work templates from a newer edition.

PowerPoint:

I have recently used power point for my P4 task of Solutions/Mechanisms to barriers.

Advantages:
PowerPoint allows you to communicate in a professional and clear way. This would help you if you are in a pitching situation with potential investors, because they would be more inclined to like the product or idea you are trying to sell them due to your professionalism.

It can also help people who like to have some sort of visual example. This would help if you are in the situation of presenting to people who are predominantly visual style leaners, who like to have some sort of visual aid to understand information.

PowerPoint also provides a wide range of fonts, this allows you to change the font to accommodate people who mat have dyslexia, by choosing a font that is designed to be easier to read.

Disadvantages:
The PowerPoint software is expensive, making it inaccessible for some people.

PowerPoint also requires a suitable computer to run correctly.

Power is mainly used for presentations via a projector and this is an expensive piece of hardware.

E-Mail:

I use E-Mail on a regular basis to communicate with friends and family

Advantages:
One of the biggest advantages to E-Mail is that it delivers messages almost instantaneously. This makes E-Mail one of the fastest ways of communication.

E-Mail is also one of the most popular forms of communication because it uses the internet as a medium, meaning an E-mail can be sent and received almost anywhere on earth.

E-Mail is one of the most popular forms of communication because it is now accessible via hardware such as mobile phones. This can be extremely useful for people involved in business where they have to carry on work outside of the workplace, because it allows them to communicate with team members or clients anywhere.

E-Mail is also one of the best mediums of communication because it is completely free use to use, all that is necessary is that the sender and receiver have an internet connection. This makes E-Mail available to a huge percentage of people.
Disadvantages:

VoIP:

VoIP stands for voice over IP, VoIP is a form of communication that uses internet protocol networks like the internet as a medium. VoIP is similar to a telephone call but with the added ability to display the caller using hardware such as a webcam.
One of the main reasons VoIP is so popular is the low cost of a call, making it a great choice for large businesses that need to communicate frequently on a large scale.
VoIP is also very popular because it can now be used on a large range of devices from pc's to smartphones. This makes VoIP one of the most versatile mediums for communication.

Evaluation of Written Communication (D1)

Grand Theft Auto 1 Design Document 

The design document I have analysed is Grand Theft Auto 1, the document was only one page, this is very short for a game design document, I would expect the document to be between, 15-20 pages long. although the game document is short it is still interesting to read and keeps the readers attention well, it does this by using written communication skills such as short sentence structures. using short sentences makes the document quick and easy to read, it also gets to the point fast.

 

The layout of the document is done to a professional standard. This is shown by the clarity of each paragraph, he font and size of the text that has been chosen. The Paragraphing could be improved by the addition of a sub-heading, further improving the clarity for the reader. The font size is suitable and makes the document easy to read, although it could be made slightly larger to make it easier to read for some people. the spacing between each line is good   



Solutions/Mechanisms to Barriers (P4)

Solutions/Mechanisms to Barriers

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkudDJlT192TzFaTnM/edit?usp=sharing

Barriers to Communication (P3)/(M1)

Physical: (General Communication)

Temperature:

Temperature could be a barrier in communication, because if someone is not used to a certain climate they could become uncomfortable, and find it hard to think straight.

You could overcome this barrier by wearing suitable clothes or using some sort of temperature changing devices such as air-con.

This could be a particularly common problem in the gaming industry because the employees spend the majority their time working in the environment of an office, where all of the computer systems that are being used for an extensive period of time will raise the room temperature. 

Language: (General Communication)

Technical language:

This could be a barrier because some people may not understand words that are used in a specific subject because they have not been educated in that subject such as I.T.

This barrier could be overcome by using simple language that can be understood by everyone.

This could be a problem in the gaming industry because if the frequent use of I.T terminology that is needed to communicate ideas and instructions to fellow employees 

Perceptual: (Interpersonal Communication)

Personal views:

personal views could be a barrier, because if someone is bias towards a particular group of people it could cause people not to listen to the person because they have a different view

This barrier could be avoided by not reviling information such as what political party you follow or any other personal views.

This could cause a problem in the gaming industry because certain people may have a preference for a specific gaming console due to past experiences. 

Cultural: (General Communication) 

Words/Gestures:

Some word and gestures could be a barrier in other cultures because they could have a different meaning. for example giving somebody a thumbs up could be a sign of disrespect in a different culture.

This barrier could be easily avoided by doing some research on word and gestures that are acceptable in that culture before communicating with someone from it.

This could become a problem in the gaming industry due to the diversity of people that could be working for one gaming company.

Mental: (General Communication)

Physical health and tiredness:

Physical health and tiredness is a possible barrier because if someone has a serious physical injury they could find it hard to communicate because they could be in a serious amount of pain or discomfort and if someone is feeling fatigued they could find it hard to think straight and make correct decisions.

Both of these thing can be avoided by regularly going to the doctors and keeping in good physical shape. Tiredness can be stopped by having a suitable sleeping pattern.

This could become for a company in the gaming industry due to the stress of deadlines that could be causing lack of sleep and stress.  

Personal Attributes Valued by Employers (P1)

Personal Attributes

Employers look for three types of personal attributes: Specific attributes, general attributes and attitudes. Some personal attributes in the gaming industry could include having Computer and technical literacy skills, a programmer would need to have good problem solving skills.



Specific Attributes 

Animating skills: The employer could be looking for an employee to have studied animation at a high level. This could be a vital attribute for a job in animation because without it the candidate would be incapable of completing work to a sufficient standard.

 

Proficient in C++ and visual studio: The employer could be looking for an employee to have studied a specific programing language and a basic knowledge in different programing languages. This would be vital to a programing job and without this the employee would not be able to complete tasks to a sufficient standard.

General Attributes

Teamwork: The employer could be looking for a employee that is good at working in teams because they may need people to work in teams to complete large tasks and projects.

 



Punctuality: The employer will be looking for a candidate that they can rely on to be in work everyday and on time. if an employee is not punctual it means they are not completing as much works as they could be and therefor putting pressure on other staff members to complete their work.

 

Attitudes

Politeness: An employer will be looking for a polite employee because it helps with communication with other staff and it is vital if dealing with customers. Without this attitude employees could struggle to work efficiently and could cause the company to lose customers.

 

Determined: Employers would be looking for someone who is determined because it shows they are passionate about the job and are more likely to do the tasks they are set to an above average standard.  





Effective Communication (P2)

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Go5XyQzJkuTVhZc1daelNyWnc/edit?usp=sharing

Past Present Future

Past

In secondary school I decided I wanted to go down the career path of computer science because I was always interested using computers and how they operate. I was interested in game design because I was spending most of my spare time playing the Xbox 360 online with my friends and that's what developed my interest in how games work and how they are made.

  

   Present   

After secondary school I decided to do my work experience in Cisco Systems and I got to see how great a job in I.T and that is one of the main reasons I decided to do a course in I.T. completing this course will also allow me to pursue my interest in gaming and allow me to improve my skills in the I.T and gaming area. That will in turn help me get into the career path I have chosen because of the connection of game design and computer programing have.

 

Future

In the future I hope to continue my education in game design and computer programming by going on to complete a gaming course in university. Once I have received all of my qualifications I hope to go and gain a few years if experience in a smaller company before going on to work at a leading games company such as Bungie or Blizzard with a job like "raid designer" or start my own games company.