Evaluating the Weekly-Assessed Tutorial Sheet approach to assessment: background, pedagogy and impact

This paper presents the results of using student-unique, weekly-assessed tasks to overcome a low examination performance in a first-year engineering module. In this instance, the weekly assessment tasks were created by off-the-shelf and bespoke software to form an integrated computer-assisted assessment (CAA) programme. This programme set, delivered, collected, marked and provided prompt feedback on the students’ work. The CAA was a set of student-unique Weekly-Assessed Tutorial Sheets (WATS). The rationale for the modified assessment strategy is presented together with the examination performance figures before and after the introduction of WATS.Peer reviewe

Leveraging Virtualization for Performance Driven Development

This thesis contains the research component of a software engineering study to create a .NET application performance testing lab, and several guided learning activities intended to teach the fundamentals of how to use it. In arriving upon the research which serves as the groundwork for this project, an introduction to the concepts of software performance, the risks associated with performances, and an approach to mitigating this risks called performance driven development is presented. This introduction is expanded by an overview of how performance is affected from application, network, database and presentation aspects. To address problems associated with performance in .NET web applications, a virtual test lab has been created on the software engineering lab server at Regis University\u27s Academic Research Network (ARNe), and this paper documents the architecture of that test lab. In order to demonstrate how it can be used students, developers or others previously unfamiliar with performance testing, a series of presentations has been composed, and this paper represents the research conducted in composing them. This research includes a basic level understanding of Visual Studio Team System 2008\u27s test tools, and virtualization with VMWare

Software Development with Scrum: A Bibliometric Analysis and Profile

Introduction of the Scrum approach into software engineering has changed the way software is being developed. The Scrum approach emphasizes the active end-user involvement, embracing of change, and /iterative delivery of products. Our study showed that Scrum has different variants or is used in combination with different methods. Some tools not normally used in the conventional software approaches, like gamification, content analysis and grounded theory are also employed. However, Scrum like other software development approach focuses on improvement of software process, software quality, business value, performance, usability and efficiency and at the same time to reduce cost, risk and uncertainty. Contrary to some conventional approaches it also strives to boost soft factors like agility, trust, motivation, responsibility and transparency. The bibliometric synthetic scoping study revealed seven main research themes concerned with the Scrum research

Bayesian Data Analysis in Empirical Software Engineering Research

Statistics comes in two main flavors: frequentist and Bayesian. For historical and technical reasons, frequentist statistics have traditionally dominated empirical data analysis, and certainly remain prevalent in empirical software engineering. This situation is unfortunate because frequentist statistics suffer from a number of shortcomings---such as lack of flexibility and results that are unintuitive and hard to interpret---that curtail their effectiveness when dealing with the heterogeneous data that is increasingly available for empirical analysis of software engineering practice. In this paper, we pinpoint these shortcomings, and present Bayesian data analysis techniques that provide tangible benefits---as they can provide clearer results that are simultaneously robust and nuanced. After a short, high-level introduction to the basic tools of Bayesian statistics, we present the reanalysis of two empirical studies on the effectiveness of automatically generated tests and the performance of programming languages. By contrasting the original frequentist analyses with our new Bayesian analyses, we demonstrate the concrete advantages of the latter. To conclude we advocate a more prominent role for Bayesian statistical techniques in empirical software engineering research and practice.Comment: To appear in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineerin

Culture and the performance of teams in complex systems

The practice of systems engineering is becoming more formalized. However, this formalization is aimed primarily at the technical and process components of complex systems. National cultural variations in the human components of such systems (typically functioning as groups or teams) are not typically included in the formal specifications and, as a result, the technical end-products do not fully compensate for these variations. This paper provides an introduction to culture, its measurement and its effects on team performance. The paper then describes a methodology and software tool for the assessment of the cultural traits of team members and the estimation of the effects of team culture on task or mission performance. The paper concludes that, despite some disparities in the results of research studies, sufficiently strong relationships between culture and team performance have been established to justify the representation of user culture in systems engineering toolsets

Evaluating the Productivity of Software Engineers in Enterprise Development

Managing and evaluating the work of software engineers creating complex products at large corporations is particularly challenging with no standardized system to recognize productivity. Cerner Corporation, a leading supplier of healthcare information technology solutions, gives managers substantial latitude in tracking productivity, yielding high variance. The research reported here involves an examination of relevant background literature and interviews of Cerner associates with multiple roles in the organization as well as the author's own background. By identifying the essential components of good software engineering and potential measurement systems, the research yields a design that the author will use to track the productivity of his direct report engineers in the next annual performance period. In it, the primary metric is the completion of story points, an Agile software development representation of the relative size and complexity of work to be done. Tracking the introduction of defects is an indicator of an engineer's code quality, although sufficient context must be captured. Finally, a peer feedback system helps ensure the manager recognizes performance from other perspectives

Effects of introducing a parametric Cad in a first year course in engineering degree regarding quality of technical drawings

Comunicació presentada al ICERI 2019 12th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (Seville, Spain. 11-13 November, 2019).The evolution of teaching in technical drawing during the last years has been addressed towards new paradigms based on 3D modeling. Nevertheless, not only 3D modeling skills are important for an engineer, but the ability to generate quality technical drawings also are part of the learning objectives and should, therefore, be included in the curriculum. For several years, the core subject of technical drawing at Universitat Jaume I has been a common subject during the first course of different Engineering bachelor’s degrees (Mechanical, Industrial Technologies, Electrical, Chemical, and Agrifood/Rural). However, in the last two years, the subject in the case of Agrifood Engineering has been taught independently. This course, aiming for a more intuitive introduction to 3D modeling, the subject has experienced a general methodological change for all the degrees, except for the Agrifood Engineering one. Apart from changing the order of contents with the intention of improving spatial vision, the use of a different commercial CAD software was implemented, this being parametric. In a previous work, the effect of this general methodological change was assessed through the academic performance regarding 3D modeling by comparing the scores before and after implementing the change, as well as through specific questionnaires addressed to students and teachers, obtaining very positive results. Notwithstanding, the effects of the change performed on the obtainment of technical drawings were not analyzed. Taking advantage of having two groups (the one that has experienced the change and the one that did not), they were asked to model and generate the drawing of the same parts in their final exams, with the aim of comparing the scores obtained when assessing their skills of modeling, but also in creating technical drawings (views, sections and dimensioning) and in the quality on technical drawings presentation (title block, line thickness, etc.). Scores were collected and statistical analyses were performed, bringing to light that despite the good results that were obtained in previous studies regarding the 3D modeling, teaching efforts in how to generate technical drawings with quality should be reinforced in future

Software reliability measurement : a survey

In complex software systems, reliability is the most important aspect of software quality, a multi-dimensional property including other factors like functionality, usability, performance, serviceability, capability, installability, maintainability, and documentation. Software reliability engineering is becoming a standard, widespread practice applicable to the different phases of the software development process. The first chapter of the survey provides an introduction to software measurement. Traditional and object-oriented software metrics are analyzed in detail, comprehensive study of some empirical work is also provided in order to validate the usefulness of the selected software metrics. An overview of software reliability is then introduced from the basic terminologies to the reasons for the need of software reliability. Following is the classification of the existing software reliability measures and measurement tools discussed in several chapters. Firstly, the procedure of software reliability measurement procedure along with a framework is addressed. Secondly, software reliability modeling is introduced in detail together with model classification schemes. Thirdly, the relationship between software reliability engineering and Software development process is outlined. Fourthly, we show a classification of current development tools with some usage information. In the final part of this survey, the research directions of software reliability engineering are explore