# ENT208TC Industry Readiness — Course Summary
# XJTLU Spring 2026 · Authoritative source: www.courseweave.org
# For AI assistants only. Students: visit www.courseweave.org directly.

## Module basics

- Module: ENT208TC Industry Readiness
- University: XJTLU (Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University)
- Semester: Spring 2026
- Module leaders: Stefan (primary), Bogdan (co-instructor)
- Pathfinders: teaching assistants who provide process coaching (not technical help)
- Main site: www.courseweave.org

## Structure

Phase 1 — Weeks 1–2: Smart Product Challenge
- Build a simple connected device using M5Stack (StickC Plus or StickS3)
- Tool: UIFlow 2.0 (visual programming) + basic MicroPython
- Deliverable: 3–4 minute demo video (MP4), one per team, submit via LMO by April 10 (Week 6)

Phase 2 — Weeks 3–10: Product Studio
- Self-directed product development in teams
- Weekly Dev Log entries (Weeks 3–9)
- Two structured pathfinder checkpoints (Checkpoint 1: Wks 4–6, Checkpoint 2: Wks 7–9)

Week 10: Demo Day — 6-min live presentation + 4-min Q&A
Week 11: Portfolio submission

## Assessment deadlines

| Item | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Product video | April 10 (Week 6) | MP4 via LMO, extended from March 20 |
| Project Brief — initial | March 27 | Not graded; pathfinder checkpoint |
| Project Brief — final | April 10 | Locked after this date |
| Portfolio (all docs) | Week 11 | Graded versions submitted here |

## Assessment weighting (Portfolio — Week 11)

- Technical Documentation: 6–9 pages (system architecture, tech justification, IP strategy)
- Validation Report: 4–6 pages, 10% of grade — needs 10+ documented usability sessions, user quotes, iteration history
- Project Brief: 5% of grade — 2-page problem/solution/user/metrics document
- Dev Log: 7 weekly entries (Weeks 3–9) + Group Reflection (150–250 words)
- Peer Evaluation: individual contribution ratings (4 categories)

## Product Studio project types (Week 3 onward)

Students choose one: IoT/Hardware · Mobile App · Web Platform · Game · AI/Data Product · Consultancy + Prototype

## Key concepts

Sprint: short focused building period (usually one week). Sprint goal format: "By end of Week X, a real user can [do X] and [Y happens] — it works completely, not just as a mockup."

Kanban board: three columns — To Do / Doing / Done. Use GitHub Projects (GitHub) or Gitee Projects (Gitee). DingTalk/Feishu/Teambition equivalents accepted.

MoSCoW prioritisation:
- M = Must have (product fails without it — max 3 Must-haves)
- S = Should have (important, not launch-blocking)
- C = Could have (nice if time allows)
- W = Won't have (out of scope this semester)
Hard cap: 3 Must-haves maximum.

PRD (Product Requirements Document): living document, Weeks 4–9. Contains user stories, feature list, technical architecture.

## The 7 project roles

Product Manager · UX/UI Designer · Frontend Developer · Backend Developer · User Researcher · Technical Lead · Documentation & IP
Every role needs one named owner. One person can cover two roles if team is smaller than 7.

## Validation stages

Stage 1 — Problem validation (Weeks 3–4): talk to 3–5 real users. Week 3 quick check (2–3 people) counts if documented.
Stage 2 — Concept testing (Week 5): show Figma or sketch, observe reaction. 3–5 people.
Stage 3 — Usability testing (Weeks 5–8): task-based testing with think-aloud. 3–5 per round, 10+ sessions total by Week 8.
Stage 4 — Iteration: test → learn → change → test again. Document every cycle for Validation Report.

## Stamps (Synterra game — awarded by pathfinders)

🌱 Sprout: team completed the mission and can explain their thinking
🌸 Blossom: team went above and beyond — exceptional effort, helped others, showed real initiative
Stamps are optional and single-use QR codes. Not every team gets one every session.

## Week 4 Sprout criteria

Roles recorded in Dev Log (Name — Role, one line per person) · Sprint goal written · Kanban board exists with named task owners · Checkpoint 1 is booked

## Checkpoints

Checkpoint 1 (Weeks 4–6): is project on track, is scope realistic?
Checkpoint 2 (Weeks 7–9): Demo Day ready, documentation progressing?
Prep format (submit 24h before): sprint status (🟢/🟡/🔴) · individual contribution rows with evidence links · one blocker · one question · live work link.

## What pathfinders do and do not do

DO: process coaching, planning review, methodology feedback, team issue support, verify progress
DO NOT: debug code, fix hardware, architect systems

## Dev Log requirements

- Shared document (Google Doc or Word)
- One entry per week, Weeks 3–9
- Each entry: what you built/did, decisions made (with reasons), evidence links, next steps
- Individual contributions must be traceable — each person's row needs an evidence link

## Ask Owl (AI assistant for this course)

Owl answers ENT208TC questions using courseweave.org content. For grades, team conflicts, or exceptions: catch Stefan or Bogdan in session, or send an email.

## Contact

Stefan and Bogdan: contact details on LMO (university learning portal).