Teaching Motherboard Sorting

Motherboard sorting, like card sorting, is more an educational exercise than a must-have-done job. Here are the goals:


 * Teach terminology we expect them to know
 * Familiarize them with important characteristics of motherboards
 * Teach 'em to use a flowchart
 * Encourage careful observation
 * Secondarily (the practical goal): sort cards so the folks in receiving or eval don't need to go through them individually

These teacher notes may seem long, but if you understand the goals and are patient with the student and observant, it's not a difficult job.

Quick Guide

 * 1) Go over the permutations of different characteristics
 * 2) * Card slots review
 * 3) * Processor socket/slot
 * 4) * RAM slots (and cache slot)
 * 5) * Types of batteries
 * 6) * Power supply connectors
 * 7) Introduce them to the flowchart
 * 8) Walk them through one or two
 * 9) Let 'em at it
 * 10) Check piles and ask if there were unclear ones
 * 11) Shuffle and return example mobos to box
 * 12) Test out & sign off

Detailed Instructions
There should be a binder with up-to-date documentation and an example box of mixed motherboards. Examples of AT and ATX power supplies and of SIMM and DIMM RAM are useful too.

Pull out a few example motherboards (1-digit ZIF, slot-based, and 3-digit ZIF motherboard) for pointing out characteristics. We're not starting out with what's good or bad, but just what the parts are and do. Make sure they can identify the card slots.

As you're showing processor apparatus and RAM slots, give them a basic idea of what those components are to the computer. Point out the numbering of the RAM slots, as they'll need to know that later. It's also useful to show them how the latching mechanisms of each type work (it's a good identifying characteristic). Ya should also show them how to identify processor speed (remember that proc speed is always a multiple of 25 or 33). Practice a few times on different processors.

Once they know the parts, introduce them to the flowchart. Make sure they understand each question and that you start at the top and end at an endpoint (Keep or Recycle). It's usually useful to let them know that this is similar to what they'll be doing with whole systems once they get to system evaluation, to add some context and weight to the experience. It might also help to mention that this is a safe place to practice and get things wrong before going to system evaluation where their diagnosis determines the fate of the systems.

Walk them through a few times, until they seem comfortable with the process. Then let them go.

Check back when they're just about done to see if there were any mysteries or seeming inconsistencies. You'll probably want to check through the "recycle" pile and make sure they can name the reason for recycle for each one.

If they seem to be skipping around in the flowchart or not remembering important tidbits, encourage them to practice further. You may have to walk them through the ones already on the table, following each step. At this point, it becomes something like a drill. This is ok and for some people necessary. Be encouraging, ok? Everyone learns differently.

The test for this station is walking through the flowchart with one or a few motherboards and getting it right. Asking them to point to the parts in question may also be a good idea. Before they leave, the space should be left clear - the motherboards "shuffled" and put back in the example box.

When you pass someone out of a task, you need to be sure to initial their builder status sheet.

Pointers

 * Motherboard Sorting