Software process improvement in graduate software engineering programs

Abstract

At the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), software process improvement (SPI) is taught in lecture format and with a 10-week implementation project in an organization by teams of students of the graduate software engineering curriculum. The SPI course is taught using a ‘problem- goal-solution’ approach where students learn that any process improvement initiative must be based on issues preventing an organization in achieving its organizational goals whether the organization is a company or a not-for- profit organization. An important aspect of this course is the management of technological change where students learn and put in practice in their project the ‘soft’ issues which are part of most SPI organizational initiatives