Seabase I Case Study

[Note: Thanksgiving break intrudes]

When the team comes back from Break, JoAnn tries to pull it all together. She emails the team three times:

Subject: get together? monday noon??
Dear Ken and BOB:
Ken, can we get together tomorrow to put our heads in the code? And if Bob wants
to join us? Noon? in the CS conference room??
Please confirm.
JoAnn

Subject: two meetings tuesday, please confirm!
Dear Bob and Ken and Dave;
Tuesday 11:30 (sponsors meeting) and Tuesday 2pm (code review)
---------- CONFIRM! PLEASE ------------
Dave was the only reply to my request for meeting today at noon to review code,
so we didn't meet, but he suggested meeting tomorrow. Two pm is ok with all our
schedules.

According to my list of our schedules, only BOB can possibly go to meeting on
tuesday at 11:30. So Bob, let us know if you can go and if you go, please report
back if possible (minutes even?).

Ken: We still really need to meet. I've been starting and stopping reading the
code and get super bored.

Dave wants to meet with us over the code tomorrow, (I talked to him by phone),
so he's available at 2 and our schedules say we're available then also. 

Please confirm Ken, if you can meeting tomorrow (tuesday) at two pm in CS
department to look at code, Bob, if you can join us, that would be great.

I'mnotstressingI'mnotstressingI'mnotstressing :-)
THanks for confirming if can meet.
JoAnn

Subject: Bob can go
Good news! Bob can go to sponsors meeting tomorrow at 11:30 and will help with
code also! Thanks Bob! -JoAnn

And the next day, sets out what's to come:

Dear Ken:
I understand about the other team meeting. We missed you, but I feel like I'm
sort of on track now. We'll see you on thursday in class and if you want to talk
about what's up, let me know! 
My assignment is to continue trying to understand the code and to review minutes
and make short report for next team of what the project is and how to proceed
(the correct stuff we learned this term).
JoAnn

On the 1st of December, the team formalizes what they will do with the project at a meeting.

Attached are minutes detailing the current chore assignments and what we
discussed this week.
-JoAnn

JoAnn attends two meetings: one with Bob and Dave, then one with Ken:

Minutes of Nov. 30 AND Dec. 1 CS Team meetings

At the meetings, the team assesses where they are with the project and how they can summarize their knowledge for the next CS team so they can jump right into the project.

1. Is JoAnn "stressing"? Rightly or wrongly?
• What are the factors contributing to that stress? How would you deal with it?
• If you were on the "next team", is this what you want to know?
2. What information can the team pass on to the "next team"? Describe what sort of documentation you would like to see.

The team wraps up the semester.

Interesting discussion topics for wrapping up the case:

• Reflect on JoAnn's stress, and its source(s)
• Look through minutes: are they telling next semester team the things YOU would want to know?
• Does it seem like they are "hiding" anything to prevent embarrassment?

Concerns that have come up before-if students have kept responses, they could go back through them and do a final reflection on the genesis of a topic:

• JoAnn's language continues to undercut her authority
• Lack of shared goals (team/group issues)
• Gender issues
• Age issues
• Project management

Why do you think the group came unraveled, and what would you recommend they do differently and why?