group projects in software engineering education jiang guo department of computer science california...

GROUP PROJECTS IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Jiang GuoDepartment of Computer ScienceCalifornia State University Los Angeles

April 3-4, 2009

Background

At Cal State LA, Software Engineering courses are Core courses.

Software Engineering is important in ABET

Software Engineering courses CS337/CS437 are two quarter series.

Objectives of Software Engineering

Students will have the training to design and implement a large software system and will have the ability to work both individually and collaboratively.

Students will have sufficient oral and written communication skills.

Prerequisite Courses for SE

Using Relational Databases and SQL Object-oriented Programming Java Programming with Data Structures Web and Internet Programming Data Structures and Algorithms.

SE are Lab-oriented Core Courses

Students are divided into groups of 4 to 5 members each

Each group is responsible for the design and development of a software system collaboratively

Group activities includes documentation, implementation, and presentation

Benefits of Group Project in SE

Improved students’ software development experience.

Enhancement of problem solving and critical thinking skills for students.

Students trained to master a comprehensive set of computing skills and to apply them quickly in a realistic hands-on environments.

Students trained to have teamwork coordination skills and offer them valuable opportunities for leadership development.

Organization of Groups

Lead

Advice

Group 1

GroupLeader

3 UnderGradStudents

Coordinate

Join

Group 2

GroupLeader

3 UnderGradStudents

Coordinate

Join

…… Group n

GroupLeader

3 UnderGradStudents

Coordinate

Join

Lead Lead

Advice

Faculty

Organization and Management of Group Projects

Lab Arrangement

The instructor works with group members in the lab twice per week.

Once a month, the instructor hosts progress presentation seminars, during which participating students and group leaders give brief presentations.

At end of quarters, students give a final presentation and demo.

Projects Selection

The project topics are selected by students.

The students join a group totally depends on their interests.

If students can’t find their preferred topics, the instructor assigns a topic to a group.

Free Project Platforms

Most software tools that we use are open source software (choice?)

JavaMySQL Eclipse Apache Tomcat Apache StrutsIBM Rational Software Architecture

Documents and Standard Template

To help students finish these documents, we provide documentation templates based on IEEE standards:

Requirement SpecificationDesign SpecificationCodeTest Report

Sample Projects

Empty Pockets.com Online StoreVideo Rental BusinessAutomated Online Auto AuctionDating SystemMyGrocery.comBook Trading System in LibraryNet CAD SystemMusic Sharing System

Tiger E-Learning System (I)

This courseware is designed to facilitate university faculty and student coursework activities so that they have user-friendly interface to effectively interact with one another.

Tiger E-Learning System (II)

For faculty: upload slides, lecture notes, homework, etc.grade students’ homework onlineget the statistic information of students’

homework and exercise use the statistic information to find the weak

areas in the teachingsend emails to all the studentsuse forums to discuss questions with

students

Tiger E-Learning System (III)

For students: download slides, lecture notes, homework,

etc.submit students’ homework onlinesend emails to teacher and other studentsuse forums to discuss questions with other

students

Purposes

Not all faculty enjoy web-based systems.Many faculty still do not have web pages

ComplexityWebCT Blackboard… are too complex to

use.Cost

Too expensive to buy?Learn curve?Administrator?

Thank you!

Thank you!