Balancing software engineering education and industrial needs

In the world of information and communications technologies the demand for professionals with software engineering skills grows at an exponential rate. On this ground, we have conducted a study to help both academia and the software industry form a picture of the relationship between the competences of recent graduates of undergraduate and graduate software engineering programmes and the tasks that these professionals are to perform as part of their jobs in industry. Thanks to this study, academia will be able to observe which skills demanded by industry the software engineering curricula do or do not cater for, and industry will be able to ascertain which tasks a recent software engineering programme graduate is well qualified to perform. The study focuses on the software engineering knowledge guidelines provided in SE2004 and GSwE2009, and the job profiles identified by Career Space

Bringing Light into the Dark - Improving Students’ Black-Box Testing Competencies using Game-Design Elements

As software becomes increasingly complex, there is a growing need to enhance quality assurance in software engineering. However, the lack of qualified human resources is a barrier to performing software testing activities in software companies. At the same time, software testing can be considered a tedious task and is often not done at the necessary level of detail, e.g., designing test cases. However, it is crucial for novice programmers and testers to acquire and improve their testing competencies, and to utilize testing techniques, e.g., black-box testing. Teaching software testing is often based on theoretical instructions, resulting in limited practical experience. As a result, students may not develop the necessary testing mindset, highlighting the need for more extensive software testing education. To address this issue, this paper utilizes a design science research approach to implement a gamified learning system that promotes black-box testing competencies with empirical insights from a field test

The Development of Digital Forensics Workforce Competency on the Example of Estonian Defence League

03.07.2014 kehtestati Vabariigi Valitsuse määrus nr. 108, mis reguleerib Kaitseliidu kaasamise tingimusi ja korda küberjulgeoleku tagamisel. Seega võivad Kaitseliidu küberkaitse üksuse (KL KKÜ edaspidi KKÜ) kutsuda olukorda toetama erinevad asutused: näiteks Riigi Infosüsteemide amet (RIA), infosüsteemi järelevalveasutus või kaitseministeerium või selle valitsemisala ametiasutused oma ülesannete raames. KKÜ-d saab kaasata info- ja sidetehnoloogia infrastruktuuri järjepidevuse tagamisel, turvaintsidentide kontrollimisel ja lahendamisel, rakendades nii aktiivseid kui passiivseid meetmeid. KKÜ ülesannete kaardistamisel täheldati, et KKÜ partnerasutused / organisatsioonid ei ole kaardistanud oma spetsialistide olemasolevaid pädevusi ja sellele lisaks puudub ülevaade digitaalse ekspertiisi kogukonnas vajaolevatest pädevustest. Leitut arvesse võttes seati ülesandeks vajadustest ja piirangutest (võttes arvesse digitaalse ekspertiisi kogukonda kujundavaid standardeid) ülevaatliku pildi loomine, et töötada välja digitaalse ekspertiisi kompetentsipõhine raamistik, mis toetab KKÜ spetsialistide arendamist palkamisest pensionini. Selleks uurisime KKÜ ja nende olemasolevate koolitusprogrammide hetkeolukorda ning otsustasime milliseid omadusi peab edasise arengu tarbeks uurima ja kaaluma. Võrreldavate tulemuste saa-miseks ja eesmärgi täitmiseks pidi koostatav mudel olema suuteline lahendama 5-t järgnevat ülesannet: 1. Oskuste kaardistamine, 2. Eesmärkide seadmine ja ümberhindamine, 3. Koolituskava planeerimine, 4. Värbamisprotsessi kiirendamine ning 5. Spetsialistide kestva arengu soodustamine. Raamistiku väljatöötamiseks võeti aluseks National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE Framework) pädevusraamistik mida parendati digitaalse ekspertiisi spetsialistide, ja käesoleval juhul ka KKÜ, vajadusi silmas pidades. Täiendusi lisati nii tasemete, spetsialiseerumise kui ka ülesannete kirjelduste kujul. Parenduste lisamisel võeti arvesse töös tutvustatud digitaalse ekspertiisi piiranguid ja standardeid, mille lõpptulemusena esitati KKÜ-le Digitaalse Ekspertiisi Pädevuse ontoloogia, KKÜ struktuuri muudatuse ettepanek, soovitatavad õpetamisstrateegiad digitaalse ekspertiisi kasutamiseks (muudetud Bloomi taksonoomia tasemetega), uus digitaalse ekspertiisi standardi alajaotus – Mehitamata Süsteemide ekspertiis ja Digitaalse Ekspertiisi Pädevuse Mudeli Raamistik. Ülesannete ja oskuste loetelu koostati rahvusvaheliselt tunnustatud sertifitseerimis-organisatsioonide ja erialast pädevust pakkuvate õppekavade abil. Kavandatava mudeli hindamiseks kasutati mini-Delphi ehk Estimate-Talk-Estimate (ETE) tehnikat. Esialgne prognoos vajaduste ja prioriteetidega anti KKÜ partnerasutustele saamaks tehtud töö kohta ekspertarvamusi. Kogu tagasisidet silmas pidades tehti mudelisse korrektuurid ja KKÜ-le sai vormistatud ettepanek ühes edasise tööplaaniga. Üldiselt kirjeldab väljapakutud pädevusraamistik KKÜ spetsialistilt ooda-tavat pädevuse ulatust KKÜ-s, et suurendada nende rolli kiirreageerimisrühmana. Raamistik aitab määratleda digitaalse ekspertiisi eeldatavaid pädevusi ja võimekusi praktikas ning juhendab eksperte spetsialiseerumise valikul. Kavandatud mudeli juures on arvestatud pikaajalise mõjuga (palkamisest pensionini). Tulenevalt mudeli komplekssusest, on raamistikul pikk rakendusfaas – organisatsiooni arengule maksimaalse mõju saavutamiseks on prognoositud ajakava maksimaalselt 5 aastat. Antud ettepanekud on käesolevaks hetkeks KKÜ poolt heaks kiidetud ning planeeritud kava rakendati esmakordselt 2019 aasta aprillikuus.In 03.07.2014 Regulation No. 108 was introduced which regulates the conditions and pro-cedure of the involvement of the Estonian Defence League (EDL) Cyber Defence Unit (CDU) in ensuring cyber security. This means that EDL can be brought in by the Information System Authority, Ministry of Defence or the authorities of its area of government within the scope of either of their tasks e.g. ensuring the continuity of information and communication technology infrastructure and in handling and solving cyber security incidents while applying both active and passive measures. In January 2018 EDL CDU’s Digi-tal Evidence Handling Group had to be re-organized and, thus, presented a proposal for internal curriculum in order to further instruct Digital Evidence specialists. While describing the CDU's tasks, it was noted that the CDU's partner institutions / organizations have not mapped out their specialists’ current competencies. With this in mind, we set out to create a comprehensive list of needs and constraints (taking into account the community standards of DF) to develop a DF-based competence framework that supports the devel-opment of CDU professionals. Hence, we studied the current situation of CDU, their existing training program, and contemplated which features we need to consider and ex-plore for further development. In order to assemble comparable results and to achieve the goal the model had to be able to solve the 5 following tasks: 1. Competency mapping, 2. Goal setting and reassessment, 3. Scheduling the training plan, 4. Accelerating the recruitment process, and 5. Promoting the continuous development of professionals. The frame-work was developed on the basis of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE Framework), which was revised to meet the needs of DF specialists, including EDL CDU. Additions were supplemented in terms of levels, specialization, and job descriptions. The proposals included the DF limitations and standards introduced in the work, which ultimately resulted in a proposal for a Digital Forensics Competency ontology, EDL CDU structure change, Suggested Instruc-tional Strategies for Digital Forensics Use With Each Level of revised Bloom's Taxonomy, a new DF standard subdivision – Unmanned Systems Forensics, and Digital Forensic Competency Model Framework. The list of tasks and skills were compiled from international certification distribution organizations and curricula, and their focus on DF Special-ist Competencies. Mini-Delphi or Estimate-Talk-Estimate (ETE) techniques were applied to evaluate the proposed model. An initial estimation of competencies and priorities were given to the EDL CDU partner institutions for expert advice and evaluation. Considering the feedback, improvements were made to the model and a proposal was put forward to the CDU with a future work plan. In general, the proposed competence framework describes the expected scope of competence of an DF specialist in the EDL CDU to enhance their role as a rapid response team. The framework helps in defining the expected compe-tencies and capabilities of digital forensics in practice and offers guidance to the experts in the choice of specialization. The proposed model takes into account the long-term effect (hire-to-retire). Due to the complexity of the model, the framework has a long implementation phase — the maximum time frame for achieving the full effect for the organization is expected to be 5 years. These proposals were approved by EDL CDU and the proposed plan was first launched in April 2019

Innovative Techniques for the Implementation of Adaptive Mobile Learning Using the Semantic Web

Adaptive Mobile Learning has constantly faced many challenges in order to make course learning more adaptive. This research presents a conceptual framework for using the Semantic Web to obtain students’ data from other educational institutions, enabling the educational institutions to communicate and exchange students’ data. We then can use this information to adjust the students’ profiles and modify their learning paths. Semantic Web will create a more personalized dynamic course for each student according to his/her ability, educational level, and experience. Through the Semantic Web, our goal is to create an adaptive learning system that takes into consideration previously completed courses, to count the completed topics, and then adjust the leaning path graph accordingly to get a new shortest path. We have applied the developed model on our system. Then, we tested the students on our system and a control system to measure the improvements in the students’ learning. We also have analyzed the results collected from the AML Group and the Control Group. The AML system provided a 44.80% improvement over the Control System. The experimental results demonstrate that Semantic Web can be used with adaptive mobile learning system (AML) in order to enhance the students’ learning experience and improve their academic performance

Towards a 21st Century Personalised Learning Skills Taxonomy

There exists a significant gap between the requirements specified within higher education qualifications and the requirements sought by employers. The former, commonly expressed in terms of learning outcomes, provide a measure of capability, of what skills have been learnt (an input measure); the latter, commonly expressed in terms of role descriptions, provide a measure of competency, of what a learner has become skilful in (an output measure). Accreditation traditionally provides a way of translating and embedding industry-relevant content into education programmes but current approaches make fully addressing this requirements gap, referred to here as the Capability-Competency Chasm, very difficult. This paper explores current efforts to address this global challenge, primarily through STEM examples that apply within the United Kingdom and European Union, before proposing a way of bridging this chasm through the use of a 21st Century (C21) skills taxonomy. The concept of C21 Skills Hours as a new input measurement for learning within qualifications is introduced, and an illustrative example is presented to show the C21 skills taxonomy in action. The paper concludes with a discussion of how such a taxonomy can also be used to support a microcredentialing framework that aligns to existing competency frameworks, enabling formal, non-formal and informal learning to all be recognized. A C21 Skills taxonomy can therefore be used to bridge the gap between capability (input) and competency (output), providing a common language both for learning and demonstrating a skill. This approach has profound implications for addressing current and future skills gaps as well as for supporting a transition to more personalised learning within schools, colleges and universities and more lifelong learning both during and outside of employment

How to Teach Mechanical Engineering Design Using Industry Methods While Still Assessing to University Criteria

There is a growing demand from industry for qualified design engineers. Many design engineers are trained in industry at vast expense in time and money, while many more are trained at universities and colleges. This thesis will explore how to maintain the training by universities and colleges to be as up to date and relevant as possible. It will look at the modern techniques and methods such as design teams, use of computer software, communication, use of the internet, and methods to solve design problems. All these techniques and methods are used by world-leading industries during the 21st century; this century, known also as the Third Industrial Revolution, or the Information Technology Revolution. It will show how appropriate techniques and methods can be applied in academia. A challenge is highlighted, and a solution found, how to get students to design to modern industry standards but at the same time make it possible to assess their work to satisfy the needs of academia and achieve the awarding criteria. Modern techniques and methods will be applied to university students and an assessment made of the results. Use of group working will be explored, and an algorithm developed to grade the completed work. What do students need now, to equip them to become competent designers, and how do lecturers support these students in these new methods? A knowledge gap between full-time students and part-time students in their final year of a degree programme was identified. This gap was reduced by reviewing the curriculum from earlier years and specifically targeting improving the student’s knowledge. To reduce the gap further, the development of a new teaching theory based on reverse engineering and a reversed application of Bloom’s Taxonomy was developed. This new teaching theory was applied to engineering student in their final year of a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering Degree. The above methods and theories were validated by experienced industry design engineers from world leading companies

THE DECISION TO UNDERTAKE VOCATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION IN SHIPPING AND LOGISTICS IN THE UK

This work investigates the decision to study shipping and logistics at advanced levels in the UK. Documented evidence reports and analyses the perceptions of students on vocational courses in shipping, transport and logistics and investigates why they chose their particular fields of study. A range of instruments are presented to analyse how students perceived that they had arrived at their study decisions, including national surveys of undergraduates in maritime business, postgraduates in shipping and logistics and professionals contemplating updating short courses. Qualitative, quantitative and mapping methods are presented along with perceptions of relevant professional outcome roles and other factors. Exploratory approaches to proposing and evaluating alternative approaches to teaching aimed at raising the student's perception of the nature of professional skills requirements were predicated by identifying and defining local student schemae and tailoring aids to their specific learning and teaching requirements. A cognitive mapping approach enabled comparisons of perceptions between postgraduates, whose individual beliefs, after being mapped and modelled as a directed network, were analysed, and differences between maps were quantified. Quantitative pairwise map comparisons included 54 individuals generating 1430 synchronal comparisons in one cohort and four diachronal cohort comparisons. These revealed that distance measures constrained by the numbers of transmitters or receivers, and the strength of relationships where appropriate, formed the best discriminators. Empirical and theoretical explanations of maps and attempts to compare particular subgroups and explain differences were often inconclusive. A unified social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice and performance generated useful propositions relating to how individuals manage issues of self-efFicacy, expected outcomes from decisions and their personal goals. Substantive work revealed problems of conflicting domains between students' verbatim statements, only weakly coincident with theoretical concepts. Conclusions that mapping is most powerful/when based on qualitative analysis of the richness and diversity of individual perceptions; infer that no simple standard decision process is operating and hence no single recruitment marketing device is apparent. In applying and disseminating findings, where possible, proposals were made to assist organisations promoting careers awareness and recruitment into relevant professions and university based vocational courses, published by relevant professional bodies