Element A (Iteration 2): Redefine & Rejustify the Problem

Week 13: Redefine & Rejustify the Problem

PLTW Element A, Iteration 2 — Identification and Justification of the Problem, revisited in light of Trimester 1 results.

This begins the Capstone’s second iteration through the Engineering Design Process. You already have a working Alpha prototype and real evaluation data — use it.

Changelog: Trimester 1 Failures & Pivots

• Create a version-controlled changelog (a CHANGELOG.md in your repo, or a pinned GitHub Issue) that logs every significant failure, pivot, or scope change from Trimester 1, with dates and reasons.
• This is not the same as your Element K reflection — the changelog is a factual log; the reflection was interpretive.

Root-Cause the N@tM & Sprint 3 Issues

• For each major issue raised at N@tM or in your Element I test data, do a root-cause pass: is it a design flaw, an implementation bug, a scope/requirements gap, or an external constraint you didn’t account for?
• Root causes, not symptoms, are what should drive the Sprint 4 redesign.

Revise the Problem Statement

• Rewrite your Problem Statement using post-Alpha evidence: real user feedback (Element J), real test data (Element I), and mentor input (Weeks 5 & 9) — not just your original assumptions from Sprint 1.
• Be explicit about what changed between your Sprint 1 problem statement and this one, and why.

Core Deliverables

• Version-controlled Trimester 1 changelog.
• Root-cause analysis of N@tM/Sprint 3 issues.
• Revised, evidence-backed problem statement.