There are many different psychometric “tests” that attempt to categorize individual mental capacities and behavioral styles. Most of them probably would not pass muster with our Psychology Department, but they are endemic in industry and among working groups in academia. Professor Johnson probably has taken such tests every three years or so, as managers attempt to improve the functioning of their departments and teams. While the specifics of the tests are questionable, it can be a good starting point for considering what makes for effective teams and departments.
For this project, I am not going to ask you to take any of the tests, but I am going to ask you explore on that has been extremely popular in business settings: The Clifton StrengthsFinder Themes. There is a book and a test that one can buy, but I think you can probably narrow in on your own strengths just by reading over the descriptions on the PDF file available at the Gallup site. As you read over the descriptions, pick 3 to 5 that seem to fit you best, currently.
What to Hand In
List the strengths you think describe you best from the StrengthsFinder PDF file. Write a reflection of why you think these fit you. And how would they benefit a software development team?
Consider your technical skills. You will be learning Ruby and Ruby on Rails. Additionally, since these projects are all web-based apps, how much do you know about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript? Can you use them? Can you help someone else learn them?
What project management or leadership skills do you have? Have you been active in student groups or student governance? Have you worked in an internship before? Do you know how to use project management tools such as Trello or GitHub Project? Are you a good public speaker?
Each team will need a manager/Scrum master, Project Owner (who represents the community partner) a communicator (e.g., to coordinate with the community partner and the alumni mentor), a lead presenter, and any other roles you may consider important. Which role(s) are you best suited for? Why?
What are areas in which you wish more practice or the opportunity to grow? How can this team project help you develop or demonstrate skills that you will use in research, industry, or volunteer work?
Turn in a text file to PioneerWeb.
