QUERY Getting a Good Problem Statement
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:18 pm
Posted by Jim Hines [mailto:jim@ventanasystems.com]
Jean-Jacques Laublé writes
>> I prefer plain text [to express the problem definition]
No doubt an undiagnosed dyslexia is to blame, but I'm anti-text when it comes to problem statements.
After a few years teaching an SD Applications course, I dropped the step of writing a text problem statement (a step that had come immediately after getting reference modes) and ultimately banned text problem statements altogether. The reason: text statements seemed to prevent students from describing problems dynamically. In contrast, students could be positively eloquent when simply speaking spontaneously about the reference modes.
Prior to teaching that course, my consulting experience had made me suspicious of text problem statements. The sheer time that a group of managers could spend word-smithing a problem statement amazed me. If we already had reference modes, the time was wasted; worse, if we **didn't** already have reference modes, creating a text-based definition seemed to get us started down the wrong path. The only saving grace: Word-smithing is sufficiently slow that we didn't get very far down the wrong path.
Note: I am anti-text, but proudly pro-Laublé.
Jim Hines
jim@ventanasystems.com
Posted by Jim Hines [mailto:jim@ventanasystems.com] ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌPosted by Jim Hines [mailto:jim@ventanasystems.com] _______________________________________________
Jean-Jacques Laublé writes
>> I prefer plain text [to express the problem definition]
No doubt an undiagnosed dyslexia is to blame, but I'm anti-text when it comes to problem statements.
After a few years teaching an SD Applications course, I dropped the step of writing a text problem statement (a step that had come immediately after getting reference modes) and ultimately banned text problem statements altogether. The reason: text statements seemed to prevent students from describing problems dynamically. In contrast, students could be positively eloquent when simply speaking spontaneously about the reference modes.
Prior to teaching that course, my consulting experience had made me suspicious of text problem statements. The sheer time that a group of managers could spend word-smithing a problem statement amazed me. If we already had reference modes, the time was wasted; worse, if we **didn't** already have reference modes, creating a text-based definition seemed to get us started down the wrong path. The only saving grace: Word-smithing is sufficiently slow that we didn't get very far down the wrong path.
Note: I am anti-text, but proudly pro-Laublé.
Jim Hines
jim@ventanasystems.com
Posted by Jim Hines [mailto:jim@ventanasystems.com] ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌPosted by Jim Hines [mailto:jim@ventanasystems.com] _______________________________________________