Tim’s Blog

Hi, This is my final entry and vodcast.

Enjoy!

From Tim!

Today was my final day working with Peter in the Information Systems department of Melbourne UNI. I admit I have become a little slack with this blog over the last few days however I have been busy building a php driven user management system and database modulation and comparrison web applet. This is designed to both manage admin users and compare two databases and return values that are depicted in both tables.

I am writing this system for use by Peter and his collegues as part of the eQuit Project with the Victorian Cancer Council that Peter is also involved with.

 My Fifteen days with peter have offered me a great insight into life in the industry and I hope to keep in touch with Peter into the future.

Bye,

Tim

PS. VODCAST to come.

Hi!

I have started back today with the ICT High achievers program at Melbourne Uni. I think I will be doing around 4 days these holidays. Today I am working on troubleshooting one of the new machines that is restarting after mounting a the USB, I am also going to be helping Peter over the next few days to research and perhaps set up a wiki account or wiki server for use in his classes later on.

I am also going to be researching the use of Databases and helping him to work on those. He is helping to set up a new system and call registry (SMS Quit) for Quit (smoking) Victoria.

I will also be involved in the research and purchase of a new printer for the IDEA lab.

Bye!

Today I have attended two seminars/lectures on Human - Computer Interaction or HCI which has a lot to do with the things that are studied here in the Department of Information Systems. This is my last day for this holiday break so I will not be likely to add to my blog until the next holidays (in about 10 weeks from today).

Thanks, For reading.,
Tim

Today I completed setting up the new equipment for the IDEA lab upgrade and have now had a chance to start using it to experiment with ways in which it can be used in the lab environment…

Most of what I set up during today was the audio/visual equipment for monitoring subjects of trials and mixing in various audio and visual sources.

Today I completed the installation of necessary software onto the two new machines with the help of Matt (The DIS Tech. Guy) and Peter (My Mentor). I have also set the new equipment up in appropriate locations for monitoring users. (One of the machines is intended for use as an operator machine, while the other is to be setup as a monitored user machine using Morae).

Today I am continuing work on the new machines, I have finished one of them and installed it into the IDEA lab for use. This has taught me a lot about the way Melbourne University’s infrastructure works. I am going onto work in the eye tracking system tomorrow and complete the setup of the Vista side of one of the machines - a lot of the work has to be done manually because the University does not “officially” support Vista as of yet.

Today we picked up two new computers for the IDEA Lab upgrade worth about $10,000 all up, these machines are beasts :p. I have been involved with installing new software onto these machines and setting them upi for use. They will require some special software for monitoring the users. I am also starting to set up an eye tracking system for future use, however I intend to work on this later next week because the two new systems have me pretty busy.

More about the IDEA LAB:
The Idea lab is set up a lot like an interrigation room of sorts with a lot of one way glass for observing the users.

For the first part of this placement I have decided to help with the IDEA lab upgrade in the Department of Information Systems (www.dis.unimelb.edu.au). A lot of what gets studied here are the interfaces and ways in which people interact with computers. The IDEA lab is designed to study people when using new interfaces or can be hired out to companies for research into how users react to the software and the interfaces for which are designed for it.

Today I started my ICT High Achevers work place placement at Melbourne University. Today was more of an introduction into the work that goes on here and the OHS/Health and Safety within the Department of Information Systems in which I am based. The university is HUGE and the staff within this department are really friendly. I have been told to have a think between now and when I next come in about what I want to get out of this expirience.

Peter Benda is my mentor and has been really kind and helpful throughout today.