CS CS1980/CS1640 CAPSTONE

Spring Semester 2020

MIDTERM UPDATE PAPER AND PRESENTATION

This proposal paper is required for all students in the project sections of the Capstone (CS1980 and CS1640)

It is not required for students in the internship or research sections (CS1900 and CS1950).

The midterm presentation is a short (5 - 10 minute) explanation of what you have done do far and what you are planning to do. Except in extraordinary circumstances, you MUST show a working version of the software (although it will not, of course, be feature-complete). Such circumstances may include NDA other customer-set limitations or the work being research-based. Other exceptions will be handled and approved on a case-by-case basis (ask me in advance).

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

The paper must be 3 pages or more in length, using a relatively standard font and point size (e.g., 12-point Times New Roman or Computer Modern). Judicious use of charts, graphs, and/or illustrations is encouraged, especially if it helps me to understand. Margins should be of standard size (1” or less).

Please ensure that your name as well as the name of the project you worked on is listed, along with the name of the customer.

This is a group project - only one midterm paper and presentation is expected from each group.

DETAILS

This update should include an assessment of the current status of the project, what has been changed since the initial proposal, and what is expected for the rest of the term.

Here are some example questions I would like to see answered. This does not mean that you need answer all of them, or even any of them, but I would recommend that you think about all of them now and discuss them with your group.

  1. What is the general status of the project? Are you on track to complete it?
  2. Are there any features/user stories that you have needed to add/remove since the Proposal?
  3. Have you made any changes to your process since the proposal?
  4. What parts of the software development process are working well? Which ones are working poorly?
  5. What are major risks to the project?
  6. What questions are still outstanding about the project?
  7. Do you need to make any further “course adjustments”?
  8. What kinds of trade-offs are you making? How are you determining priority?
  9. What are the major issues that you have been experiencing?
  10. What has been easier than you thought?

Other

Please feel free to email me or come to office hours to discuss any problems you have.