S90.09A test success - SOA Design & Architecture Lab Updated: 2024

Cellebrite sees silver lining in the NetSuite cloud

It’s only natural that companies invest in business software solutions to bring about growth in their organisation. But in times of uncertainty, the narrative is around doing more with less, how to increase productivity and efficiency through automation, and how to get better control of supply chains. We see how one company is doing just that Continue Reading

The A-level test results are out in the UK. Over 350,000 teenagers have been placed on undergraduate courses, according to UCAS, the organization that manages applications to UK full-time higher education courses. And while they jump for joy, excited at the prospect of going to university, some social commentators and education critics are harrumphing.

They feel that despite their success, these exam-savvy youngsters are woefully ill-prepared for the real world. And that the ones who go to university are simply entering outdated institutions that don’t prepare them for the world of work.

Most university courses aren’t vocational. Yet, the debts that mount up throughout a course (an average of £50,000) are forcing students to create a “personal brand” and a portfolio of work before they leave – so that they have a chance of competing in a crowded marketplace once they graduate.

In the past, students were only expected to step-up their writing, thinking and analytical skills while at university. Now, they’re expected to take Instagram-worthy internships and use social media to network their way to success. They’re expected to document their skills and capabilities across a range of social media so that they can effectively secure work opportunities.

A report from the Department of Education showed that in 2017, graduates and postgraduates had higher employment rates than non-graduates. And that the average, working-age graduate earned £10,000 more than the average non-graduate.

So good, so far. But this emphasis on securing work is contributing to a hole in their university life. This manifests as poorer quality practicing and writing skills on the essays they write throughout their course. And the writing they do in the business world. This is not new. And it’s not down to youngsters spending more time on Snapchat than perusing the abridged works of Shakespeare. But it’s a skill gap that doesn’t seem to be closing.

Many arrive at university after years of teachers “teaching to the test”. Students haven’t necessarily been given the opportunity to think for themselves. At least, not in an academic sense. Their teachers have been judged on results throughout their teaching careers. So, their primary task hasn’t been to help students to write fluently, or accurately. In fact, while 26.4% of exams scored an A or A*, just 1.8% of English language exams were graded A*. Overall, the teachers have done their jobs, which has been to get their pupils to pass. And the overall pass rate for 2018 sits at 97.6%.

But when school leavers get to university, many will find themselves in a quandary. It’s likely that they’ll feel a pressure “to get their money’s worth”. Yet, they’ll also be faced with a barrage of new concepts and theories. And they may not have the writing skills to communicate them effectively. Ironically, this can hamper their chances in the job market.

A Royal Literary Fund report called “Writing Matters” labeled the writing skills of students “shocking” and “inadequate”. What’s more, an academic survey cited in this report found that 90% of lecturers said it was necessary to teach writing skills to students. Yet, university is structured so that the teaching of writing skills is not embedded into courses. It’s a veritable chicken-and-egg situation.

In any case, qualifications alone don’t sell themselves anymore. So, students need to see themselves as a package, not as a vessel for their test results. They need to hone their soft skills – their ability to think well, write well, be emotionally intelligent and communicate with themselves and others.  Employers want to hire people who are creative, resourceful and resilient.

So, as students crack open the prosecco and celebrate their results – I say we deliver them a break. Going to university is a massive life transition in itself, as is starting work for the first time. It’s easy to forget the days when you couldn’t boil an egg. And it’s easy to forget that it’s the system itself that isn’t teaching students the writing and communication skills they need to truly succeed in life and work.

The OpenEdge division of Progress Software on Monday rolled out a program to help VARs accelerate the ability to enhance their business applications with a series of products, services and best practices through a systems-oriented architecture (SOA) enablement process.

The Accelerator Program allows new application partners to subscribe to a customized program that helps them rearchitect their applications and go-to-market with Open-Edge-based applications. The new program is based on the company's Application Transformation Approach (ATA).

"With these programs, we can offer partners more of a common-sense approach to adopting newer technologies or rearchitecting existing ones without being disruptive to their business. We can provide the business resources and the technology to deliver adaptive SOA-enabled applications," says Julie Christiansen, director of partner development and marketing for the Progress OpenEdge Division.

The program has several offerings, including the Learning Accelerator, which company officials describe as a first step toward becoming a Progress partner. The program offers new solution providers specific information on how Open Edge products can support their application.

Another offering is the Development Accelerator, which supports new solution providers with technical and business resources they need to migrate their application over to the OpenEdge platform. A third offering is the Market Accelerator, which gives solution providers who have already rearchitected their application help in shaping a go-to-market strategy, company officials says.

ATA is based on the OpenEdge Reference Architecture--essentially a blueprint and best practices for designing applications built to exploit an SOA. ATA supplies a phased methodology with assessment, analysis and modeling, along with redesign and the reuse of existing components. The architecture also helps with the building and testing of pilot modules so partners can extract all they can from their existing technology.

HP's new SAP program follows the latter company's service-oriented architecture blueprint for improving workflow, automating business processes, and distributing information throughout an organization. The components supported by HP include SAP NetWeaver Portal, Exchange Infrastructure, and Business Intelligence.

The SAP-based services include HP's tools and applications for SOA quality testing, governance, security, and management. The latest offerings are part of HP's full life cycle of SAP services, which stretch from strategy and design through implementation, integration, and management.

HP's SOA service partners include chipmaker Intel and IDS Scheer, a specialist in business process management.

Students should double check the location of their test prior to arriving at the Accommodated Testing Center. PTS uses other locations across campus as needed and will change the location in the PTS Student Portal. The PTS Accommodated Testing location is STEW G59.

Check-in Process

To check in for an exam, students will need the following items:

• PUID (required for all testing appointments)
• Pens/pencils, erasers, rulers, calculators, etc.*
• Any materials students are allowed to use on their test as specified by their instructor and/or accommodations

* PTS will not provide writing utensils or calculators. Students must bring their own supplies.

Students will be asked to place all of their electronics (i.e. cell phone, smart watch, etc.) into an envelope and turn them in to the Proctor prior to receiving their exam. If students have any questions during their test or they feel as though their accommodation is not being met, they are asked to inform the PTS Staff immediately.

Student Expectations

Breaks: Students are expected to treat breaks as they would in most classrooms. Bathroom breaks will not be allowed unless specified otherwise. If students have concerns about breaks during examinations, they may contact their access consultant.

Food and Drink: Only a CLEAR water bottle will be allowed in the testing rooms.

Keeping Time During an Exam: Clocks will available on the walls in the test rooms to keep track of the test time. There will not be clocks at each individual seat. If a student feels the need to keep time at their seat, they may wear a non-smart watch that does not make noise. Their watch must be approved by the proctor in order to take it into the test room. Official time of the test will be kept by PTS staff.

Personal Belongings: All items (hats, purses, scarves, hoodies, etc.) will need to be stored in a bag provided to the student upon their arrival to the Testing Center. These bags are sized to fit under their testing station during their test time.

We do ask students not to bring additional items other than what is required for their test to the Testing Center.

We understand that students may be taking exams in-between classes and may have backpacks. In this case, they will need to store them in one of the bags provided by the PTS staff.

If a student is seen reaching into the provided bag during an exam, they are at risk of having their exam terminated as a possible breach of academic integrity. Students will continue to turn in their cell phones and smart watches to the proctor at the time of check-in as has been the procedure in the past.

Exam Start Time: Students must start their test within 15 minutes of their scheduled start time. Failure to start on time may result in not being able to take the exam. Please be sure to take this into consideration when planning travel to the Testing Center.

PUID: Students are required to present their PUID to check-in for each exam. No other form of ID will be accepted and students will be at risk of not being able to take their test without their PUID.

Scantrons: All scantrons must be completed within the allotted test time. If students have an accommodation that requires PTS staff to fill out their scantron, the student must inform the proctors at time of turning in their exam. Failure to do so may result in a scantron not being filled out and answers not graded.

Joe McKendrick is an author and independent analyst who tracks the impact of information technology on management and markets. As an independent analyst, he has authored numerous research reports in partnership with Forbes Insights, IDC, and Unisphere Research, a division of Information Today, Inc. Joe speaks frequently on cloud, data, and enterprise computing courses at industry events and Webcasts. He is co-author, along with 16 leading industry leaders and thinkers, of the SOA Manifesto, which outlines the values and guiding principles of service orientation. In a previous life, Joe served as director of the Administrative Management Society (AMS), an international professional association dedicated to advancing knowledge within the IT and business management fields. He is a graduate of Temple University.

Securing Eurovision’s online voting system against cyber attacks

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we discover how Once.net and Cloudfare defended the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest against cyber attacks. Our buyer’s guide continues to look at integrating software-as-a-service applications, with the governance of SaaS connectivity to the fore. Also, HCLTech’s Ashish Gupta relates how the company has embraced a new, pandemic-influenced, remote working model. And we find out how retail tech leaders influence their boards on transformation projects. Read the issue now. Continue Reading