What are my exams like?

Daniel asked the question, but maybe others would also like to know ...

My midterm from last fall is at http://www.cs.uoregon.edu/classes/07F/cis422/midterm.html

Here's the final exam from that term (which was a sit-down exam, while the midterm was a take-home exam):

Final exam, CIS 422, Fall 2007

You may write (legibly) by hand, or you may use your laptop computer and turn in a plain text file by USB. Text files should be named JohnDoe.txt (but use your own name), and your name should also the first thing I see inside the file. I need your name if you use paper, too.


1. We sometimes replace recall tasks by recognition tasks to reduce memory load. Considering this goal, very briefly describe why each of the following is or is not a good application of replacing a recall task with a recognition task in an online shopping application that is used only occasionally (say, once a month) by each user.
2a) Instead of typing a date, pop a calendar chooser.
2b) Instead of typing the user's state (e.g., OR for Oregon) in the delivery address, pop a menu of states.
2c) Instead of choosing a brown sweater by clicking on its picture (in a row showing brown, blue, and red sweaters), pop a menu with color choices.
2d) Instead of typing "sleeveless turtleneck" in a search interface, check the "sleeveless" and "turtleneck" boxes in an array of style choices.

2. "Visibility" in a software development process means being able to assess how we are doing at each point along the way. The general concept of visibility applies both to schedule (are we on schedule? how far behind or ahead?) and to qualities like maintainability, usability, and dependability.

Visibility is a major challenge in project planning. Briefly describe:
• A visibility issue faced by your project team (whether or not you successfully addressed it)
• One or two actions your team took to address that challenge, AND/OR
• One or two actions you wish your team had taken to address that challenge
To the extent possible, describe how the actions your team took or might have taken relate to processes we have discussed in class.