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| <title>Interview with Sun's Course Developers in Bangalore, India</title> |
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| value="Who writes your Hava courses? Here is an interview with the course |
| developers in India who are responsible for developing the content of\ |
| courses such as SL-275 and FJ-310."> |
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| <h1>Interview with Sun's Course Developers in Bangalore, India</h1> |
| |
| <p><TABLE><tr> |
| <td><img |
| src="../../../images_www/articles/sun-course-developers-india.png" align="right" border="0"></a></td> |
| <td width="10"> </td> |
| <td><p>SL-275, FJ-310... if you know what these identifiers mean, |
| then you've probably taken at least one of Sun's Java courses. But |
| how are they written? And who writes them? In this interview, we meet |
| a team of content developers in Bangalore, India, who are responsible |
| for analyzing and filling out the content of several of Sun's Java courses. During |
| this interview, the following Java courses are mentioned:</p> |
| <ul> |
| <li><a href="http://www.sun.com/training/catalog/courses/SL-110.xml">Fundamentals of the Java Programming Language (SL-110)</a> |
| <li><a href="http://www.sun.com/training/catalog/courses/SL-275.xml">Java Programming Language (SL-275)</a> |
| <li><a href="http://www.sun.com/training/catalog/courses/FJ-310.xml">Developing Applications for the Java EE Platform (FJ-310)</a> |
| <li><a href="http://www.sun.com/training/catalog/courses/SL-285-SE6.xml">Developing Applications With the Java SE Platform 6 (SL-285-SE6)</a> |
| </ul> |
| <p><p>Three other courses mentioned in this interview, DWS-300, DWS-3111, and DWS-4112, |
| are currently in progress and no page like the above is available for these yet. |
| <p>In the photo, you see Uma Sivakumar and Venu Poddar in the front row. Behind |
| them, from left to right, are Paromita Dutta and Bhuvaneshwari Panchapakesan. Lets |
| meet them, find out something about their background and the work that they do... |
| |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </TABLE></P> |
| |
| <p><h3>So, tell us who you are and what you do at Sun?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Uma:</b> I work as a content developer in Sun Learning Services. |
| I've been into technology and development for the past 10 years, primarily on content development |
| in the areas of Java, J2EE, and SOA. Here at Sun I've developed a course on web services, |
| mostly focusing on the security of web services, and on new Java SE 6 features. |
| Currently, I am developing a composite application using the NetBeans Enterprise pack. |
| |
| <p><b>Paromita:</b> I've been with Sun since February 2006. I have 7 |
| years of experience in the training and learning domain. At Sun I've developed |
| a course on web services, DWS-3111, called Creating Web Services Using Java Technology. |
| The labs have been created using NetBeans IDE 5.5. Before this, I worked at NIIT as |
| an instructor. NIIT is India's primary learning provider and a delivery partner |
| for Sun Training in India. I also created SL-110, Fundamentals of the Java |
| Programming Language. Future versions of this course may be delivered in |
| NetBeans. Currently, I'm working on SL-275, with Asok Perumainar in |
| the US. Here, the labs have been developed using NetBeans IDE 5.5 and the course |
| is based on Java SE 6. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> I've been with Sun for the past 3 years. I'm a Java certified programmer. Until I joined |
| as a content developer in April 2006, I was a developer and QE engineer, working in the area of JMS. I |
| have used Swing, as well as other core Java technologies. I started off with understanding the content development |
| process, and working with others on web service courses. Right now I'm working on SL-285, about developing applications |
| with the Java SE platform, along with Venu. We are enhancing this course with NetBeans IDE 5.5 features such as JUnit, |
| JMX, and Matisse, which is the NetBeans GUI Builder. We are enhancing several labs with these latest feature in NetBeans IDE. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> I've been a course developer at Sun for the past year. Prior |
| to this, my major experience was also as a content developer, where I created course |
| content for NIIT, on Java SE, Java EE, and the Redhat Linux platform. |
| In the past year I've worked on the DWS-4112 course, which is about designing Java |
| web services. Currently I am working on SL-285, revision e, together with Bhuvaneshwari. |
| I am focusing on the introduction of Matisse, the NetBeans GUI Builder, in this course. |
| |
| <p><h3>And how do you feel about NetBeans IDE?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Uma:</b> I've been using NetBeans for all the courses I've worked on. One good thing is that |
| it is very intuitive and easy to use. What I don't like is that I don't find code completion as good as in JDeveloper. But |
| I hear that code completion is going to be improved in NetBeans IDE 6, so I'm looking forward to that. Also, I miss |
| an HTML editor. As a courseware developer, I use DreamWeaver for web content development, but would prefer to use NetBeans |
| to do so. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> Previously, I worked in Eclipse. Moving to NetBeans was a very easy transformation, I |
| didn't ecnounter any problems. Some features I found better. I used EJB 2 before in Eclipse, which is now EJB 3, so the |
| entire concept has changed and the NetBeans tooling is very good. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> It is really great to have the integrated Sun Java System Application Server and the Tomcat Web Server. |
| |
| <p><b>Paromita:</b> It is very intutive. Eclipse appears a bit complicated for |
| a non-programmer. I ran a session on NetBeans recently for an external audience. |
| Their tool usage was mixed, some using NetBeans and some Eclipse. There was one |
| CEO of a small company who wished to migrate all his Eclipse projects to NetBeans. |
| He wanted a checklist so that the migration is smooth. They found the introduction |
| of Matisse, and also the Profiler, very useful. One of them has been using the Mobility pack of |
| NetBeans extensively. There were queries around the performance of the IDE as they |
| found that Eclipse took a lot of time to build very large projects. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> What I don't like are all the start up messages you see when starting the Sun Java |
| System Application Server. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> At least those messages should be more specific. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> They used to have many like that with RedHat, but later they moved them, and now you can choose |
| whether you want to see them. A progress bar is normally enough. By the way, this complaint does not mean I don't like |
| NetBeans! In fact, I am very happy with it. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> The best thing is that is is available for free! |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> I've found it very easy to pick up NetBeans. And I have some |
| experience with both Eclipse and JDeveloper. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> I've worked with WebSphere, JDeveloper, Visual Age for Java... |
| I've used a variety of different tools, and transitioned from one to the other. |
| With NetBeans, the transition has not been tedious, in fact, it has been quite easy. |
| The <a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/index.html">NetBeans tutorials</a> provide really clear-cut steps that enable programmers to |
| get started easily and makes them really comfortable quickly. Being able to go to the Update |
| Center to add plugins, makes everything very simple. |
| |
| <p><h3>Now let's talk about <a href="http://www.netbeans.org">netbeans.org</a>. How have your experiences been?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Uma:</b> The new look and feel is great... |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> ...and so is the large size of the download button! |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> It really is a one-stop-shop for everything, |
| including all related technologies. And the Search functionality is much better. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> The content management is really good. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> The Flash demos and tutorials I saw there are very nice. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> Flash demos and tutorials are easy to submit, there isn't much bureaucracy. |
| |
| <p><b>Paromita:</b> The <a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/index.html">Docs and Support</a> link is very useful. If I've been out of |
| touch, and I need to know what new has come up in the Java EE space, I can go to |
| <a href="http://www.netbeans.org">netbeans.org</a> and get the latest information. So it is a dual deal... you can see |
| what NetBeans supports, and thereby see what the latest technologies are. |
| |
| <p><h3>Anything that needs to be improved on <a href="http://www.netbeans.org">netbeans.org</a>?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Uma:</b> I like how the site doesn't overload |
| you with stuff, nor repeat stuff. I hope it will stay this way! |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> More discussions, questions/answers, FAQs, is always good. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> I read about the interesting collaboration feature, |
| whereby one can talk on-line. That's really cool. Nothing I can think |
| of that needs improving. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> I use information and tutorials on the NetBeans Enterprise pack. |
| I find it all really good. |
| |
| <p><h3>Now please tell us a bit about the workflow of putting together one |
| of Sun's Java courses.</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Uma:</b> We follow the ADDIE model. That means Analysis, |
| Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. For each course, |
| we follow each of these phases. |
| |
| <p>In the analysis phase, we asses what is needed for the course, |
| and the output of this phase is a content outline and a concept document. |
| Then we enter the design phase, where we estimate resources. Resources |
| include cost, timing, and scheduling. At this stage we need to get buy-in from |
| various people involved, such as the engineering team and the delivery people. |
| These first two phases are driven by curriculum managers in the US. |
| We do have input here, but most of it is the responsibility of |
| the curriculum managers. |
| |
| <p>The third phase, development, is our core work as course developers. We use |
| OpenOffice.org and Framemaker to fill in the details of the content outline. The four |
| of us do this work, together with two colleagues, Rick Evans and Asok Perumainar, in the US. We |
| create our own schedules and need to adhere to them. |
| |
| <p><b>Paromita:</b> We create the schedule. The content development team |
| is driven in time with the product release. For example, the web service courses |
| are delivered in tandem with the related NetBeans pack releases. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> Another example is the composite application that I am working on, |
| for DWS-300, which will be released together with the related release |
| of the NetBeans Enterprise pack. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> In the next phases, we need to evaluate the content that |
| we create. This is called "Beta Teaching". We select the audience internally, consisting |
| of anyone from engineers to instructors. They evaluate the course in terms of timelines, |
| scheduling, and validation of labs. We also create a classroom environemnt, |
| on a "jump start server". And we create "jump pack" bundles that set up |
| the environment for the courses, on multiple server. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> Depending on the resources and schedules, course |
| development can be distributed to outside vendors too. In the meantime, |
| we send for a "cascaded edit" process, which includes technical reviews, |
| editorial reviews, and validation. |
| |
| <p><h3>So, how do you develop the content of a course?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Venu:</b> We use OpenOffice.org and Framemaker. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> Our content is based on the design document. |
| |
| <p><b>Paromita:</b> We write content on the topic in question and refer |
| to technical articles from Sun engineers. And the engineering group helps |
| in reviewing and validating content, and also in designing appropriate labs. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> The "Beta Teach" is the way by which we |
| get content validated. And it is for free. It is done in a process, whereby |
| managers are involved, because it means the people in question are in a training |
| course for 2, 3, or 5 days. |
| |
| <p><h3>Are there any new developments coming up in the way you deliver courseware?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Uma:</b> Well, we're beginning with something called "chunking". This |
| refocusing is on modular content. We have found that not all customers want to |
| follow an entire course. Therefore, we're going to make courseware available as "chunks" |
| or modules, so that customers can pick and choose what they want. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> For example, in SL-285, there is a module on JUnit and another |
| module on JMX. The whole module can be taken out of the course and taught separately. |
| |
| <p><b>Bhuvaneshwari:</b> Another example is in the NetBeans Enterprise pack, |
| where we have a module on |
| the XML Schema Editor. This is a standalone module, which can be taken out of |
| the complete course and delivered as one whole separate module. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> Similarly, the BPEL process is a module. So, people will not need |
| to enroll for the whole course. This saves time and money and lets the student learn |
| exactly what they need, just focusing on those modules that are of interest to them. |
| |
| <p><b>Venu:</b> The "chunking" approach is currently still in development, but is |
| looking very promising. During the "Beta Teach" phases, we're trying to get |
| information on what areas can best be chunked. |
| |
| <p><h3>Finally, don't you think using an IDE for teaching gets in the way |
| of learning Java?</h3> |
| |
| <p><p><b>Venu:</b> Well, we separate the tool-specific instructions into |
| a separate Tool Reference Guide. The courseware and labs are about generic |
| Java concepts and tasks. Only when something is specific to NetBeans IDE, do |
| we provide a reference to the Tool Reference Guide, where the required steps |
| are outlined. |
| |
| <p><b>Uma:</b> We really want to communicate the message that we |
| want to teach Java using an IDE, because it makes developers much more productive. |
| This is absolutely a real life scenario, because no one asks you to |
| develop code in a textpad anymore! |
| |
| |
| <p><h3>Thanks for all this useful information and thank you very much for |
| playing such an important role in producing Sun's Java courses!</h3> |
| |
| |
| |
| <p> |
| <hr> |
| <p> |
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