Professionalism In The First Year Of A Software Engineering Curriculum

Professionalism is an important part of any subject of study where graduates subsequently move into a professional career following their degree course. Most professional bodies therefore require accredited degree programmes to include this topic in the curriculum. The British Computer Society gives guidelines to institutions in the UK. These guidelines have been followed in the construction of the current Software Engineering Curriculum in the Department Of computer Science at the University of Sheffield. However it is unclear how effective the current form of presentation is. This report seeks to investigate this and look to possible ways of improving the presentation, particularly in the first year. I conclude that the most important factor in teaching professionalism; is the professionalism of the teachers. Students seem to learn these skills best by example, and therefore the greatest improvements are likely to be found by implementing common standards for teaching practice across the syllabus

Graduate Curricula in Software Engineering and Software Assurance: Need and Recommendations

In discussions about the development and use of computer systems and software products, the term “professional software engineer” is used repeatedly. In the last two decades there has been significant effort devoted to enhancing and advancing the state of professional software engineering (SwE) – new software engineering processes, methods, tools, and practices; creation of a software engineering body of knowledge [1]; development of a code of ethics and professional conduct [2], and software certification and licensing programs [3] . In 1989 the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University published a landmark report on graduate education in software engineering [4]. The guidelines in that report were used by several universities in establishing graduate software engineering degree programs that helped address the problem of improving professional software engineering. Since then, software’s scale, complexity, and criticality have accelerated; yet, until recently, no significant effort has been made to revisit and update the original SEI guidelines. This paper discusses two related efforts to provide guidance about improving professional software engineering through graduate education: a project which produced the Graduate Software Engineering 2009 (GSwE2009): Curriculum Guidelines for Graduate Degree Programs in Software Engineering [5] and a current SEI project which is developing a Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum (MSwA2010)

Software engineering and Ada (Trademark) training: An implementation model for NASA

The choice of Ada for software engineering for projects such as the Space Station has resulted in government and industrial groups considering training programs that help workers become familiar with both a software culture and the intricacies of a new computer language. The questions of how much time it takes to learn software engineering with Ada, how much an organization should invest in such training, and how the training should be structured are considered. Software engineering is an emerging, dynamic discipline. It is defined by the author as the establishment and application of sound engineering environments, tools, methods, models, principles, and concepts combined with appropriate standards, guidelines, and practices to support computing which is correct, modifiable, reliable and safe, efficient, and understandable throughout the life cycle of the application. Neither the training programs needed, nor the content of such programs, have been well established. This study addresses the requirements for training for NASA personnel and recommends an implementation plan. A curriculum and a means of delivery are recommended. It is further suggested that a knowledgeable programmer may be able to learn Ada in 5 days, but that it takes 6 to 9 months to evolve into a software engineer who uses the language correctly and effectively. The curriculum and implementation plan can be adapted for each NASA Center according to the needs dictated by each project

A two-year Software Engineering M.Sc. degree designed under the Bologna Declaration Principles

This paper presents and discusses the syllabus of a second cycle degree on Software Engineering in which any student that finishes any undergraduate Computing degree (Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, and Software Engineering) can enroll. In the first year, the degree is composed of two 30 ECTS modules, one dedicated to software analysis and design and the other devoted to software quality and management. Each module is composed of five curricular units, being one of them dedicated to the experimental integration of the module’s topics. The second year allows two different paths to be followed by the students. The professional path includes a 30 ECTS industrial project, while in the scientific path students must write a 45 ECTS master dissertation. The degree is mainly structured to consider the Bologna Declaration that is now being used in Europe to recast all university degrees. Additionally, we also considered the Software Engineering 2004 Curriculum Guidelines and the Knowledge Areas described in the SWEBOK.(undefined

A Competency-based Approach toward Curricular Guidelines for Information Technology Education

The Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society have launched a new report titled, Curriculum Guidelines for Baccalaureate Degree Programs in Information Technology (IT2017). This paper discusses significant aspects of the IT2017 report and focuses on competency-driven learning rather than delivery of knowledge in information technology (IT) programs. It also highlights an IT curricular framework that meets the growing demands of a changing technological world in the next decade. Specifically, the paper outlines ways by which baccalaureate IT programs might implement the IT curricular framework and prepare students with knowledge, skills, and dispositions to equip graduates with competencies that matter in the workplace. The paper suggests that a focus on competencies allows academic departments to forge collaborations with employers and engage students in professional practice experiences. It also shows how professionals and educators might use the report in reviewing, updating, and creating baccalaureate IT degree programs worldwide

An Overview of the New ACM/IEEE Information Technology Curricular Framework

ACM and IEEE have developed a curricular report titled, “Information Technology Curricula 2017: Curriculum Guidelines for Baccalaureate Degree Programs in Information Technology,” known also as IT2017. The development of this report has received worldwide content contributions from industry and academia through surveys as well as many international conferences and workshops. An open online publication of the report was made available in December 2017. This paper presents a digest of the content of the report, the IT curricular framework, and suggestions for its use in developing new information technology programs or enhancing existing ones. The heart of the IT curricular framework is a set of competencies identified through knowledge, skills, and dispositions, as supported by pedagogical research. The paper also describes ways in which institutions could use the curricular framework not only to develop information technology degree programs, but also to improve and enhance related computing programs

Computer game development education at university

This paper articulates some of the challenges for computer game development courses at university level. A typical course development of this type is described. The need to include creative methods alongside more formal software development methodologies as core elements of computer game education is proposed and placed within the context of an industry specific framework. The evolutionary nature of the computer game industry requires that computer game development programmes at university should be equally evolutionary and adaptable to change

ACM/IEEE-CS information technology curriculum 2017: A status update

The IT2008 Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information Technology has been showing its age, and in 2014, the ACM Education Board agreed to oversee the creation of a revision, now being referred to as IT2017. Much progress has been made, and a version 0.6 will be ready by Oct 2016. All proposed panel members are members of the IT2017 Task Group