SEF9 - 27 Fulfilling my promise to answer important questions. (Week 4 SEF9)

This material refers to contents at our Google Group Email sent on June 04, 2013 with the subject SEF9 - 06 When it comes to big and complex software, ... bla bla bla. I promised that I will provide the version of my answers to the questions below.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

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(Q1) Why do people buy and study textbooks if they can learn just by going through the internet?
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(1a) The textbooks are written by authors who are generally subject matter experts. Anybody can write comments and views on any subject on the internet. So we must be very careful. If we go to authors' websites, we get to read materials from the authors themselves.

(1b) Textbooks are selected by lecturers for use in a subject. The lecturer may select textbooks that are popular and used worldwide, so what you learn are also learned by people in other universities in the world. "Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach (SEPA)", is the world's most widely used software engineering textbook. Worldwide, this book has sold more than 3-4 million copies and is the world's best selling book in software engineering. The book has been translated into eight languages, recent translations include: Chinese (2 dialects), Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian. The book has been used at over 500 Universities worldwide. SEPA is widely used in industry and is required reading for many industry and government short courses.

How many of us normally read the contents of the "Preface" in a textbook? I always read it because it tells me a lot about the textbook. As an example, in the Preface (page 27) of our textbook (Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach (SEPA), 6th edition, Dr Roger S. Pressman) - Begin quote, "A wide variety of student resources includes an extensive on-line learning center encompassing study guides, practice quizzes and a variety of web based resources including software engineering checklists, an evolving collection of ..... bla bla bla." End quote.

GO TO THE LINKS BELOW.
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073375977/information_center_view0/table_of_contents.html
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073375977/student_view0/chapter1/multiple_choice_quiz.html
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073375977/student_view0/chapter10/multiple_choice_quiz.html

(1c) A textbook is "physical". Software is not "physical". Well, if you learn from the internet, you have to have your computer turned on, browse some website, or download a PDF document, and start reading. You are limited to reading one page at a time on your computer screen, or your IPad, Android handphone, etc. With a textbook, you can carry them around, read at anytime and at anyplace you like, and you do not need electricity or batteries. You can flip pages in a book back and forth. You can read a book while waiting for a bus, riding a train, before going to bed, in a toilet, etc, and you do not have to worry about running out of battery power.

He he he.

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(Q2) Why must we attend lectures and tutorials in addition to studying from textbooks and the internet?
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(2a) When we study on our own, how do we know which topics are important? For example, is every topic important at the URL http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073375977/information_center_view0/table_of_contents.html ? OK if you say, everything is important, then do we have the time in the world to study everything at that URL? Ha ha ha.

We attend lectures and tutorials because the lecturer will mention only topics that are important to the subject. The lecturer will not ask you questions in the exams, quizzes, etc, on topics that were not covered in the lectures and tutorials. That does not mean that the those unmentioned topics are not important. It means that we only have time in one semester to cover a few selected topics.

(2b) Think about this. If you attend lectures and tutorials, and study of course, you will pass the exams with good grades. This means that you understand the subjects and topics taught in the lectures and tutorials within the current semester. Now, if the lecturer taught you those topics in the next (i.e. another) semester regarding those that were not covered in the current semester, and you study of course, you will pass the next exam with good grades too.

Now, based on my argument in item (2b) above, you should be able to answer by yourself the question, "Why must we attend lectures and tutorials in addition to studying from textbooks and the internet?". Ha ha ha. I hope you can. And get your answers right. Kah kah kah.

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(Q3) Can we just study on our own, choose our own topics and use our own style and our own schedule?
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(3a) Of course you can. It is a free world, right? Ha ha ha. Study on your own, choose your own topics and use your own style and your own schedule. But make sure you submit your assignments, attend and take the quizzes, and attend and take the final examination.

(3b) I do not know how to advise you regarding the mandatory (80%) attendance to the lectures and tutorials required by MMU.

(3c) How about you printing your own degree (Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science), name your own university, and award the degree to yourself? Kah kah kah. It is a free world, right? If you want to be awarded a degree by somebody else, you must follow their requirements and instructions. Does this make sense? Ha ha ha.

Thank you. I rest my case.

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WASSALAM
wruslan.hahaha

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