Evaluating Research Impact in Computing: A Slippery Slope?

An abstract is not available

Onshore to near-shore outsourcing transitions: unpacking tensions

This study is directed towards highlighting tensions of incoming and outgoing vendors during outsourcing in a near-shore context. Incoming-and-outgoing of vendors generate a complex form of relationship in which the participating organizations cooperate and compete simultaneously. It is of great importance to develop knowledge about this kind of relationship typically in the current GSE-related multi-sourcing environment. We carried out a longitudinal case study and utilized data from the 'Novo pay' project, which is available in the public domain. This project involved an outgoing New Zealand based vendor and incoming Australian based vendor. The results show that the demand for the same human resources, dependency upon cooperation and collaboration between vendors, reliance on each other system's configurations and utilizing similar strategies by the client, which worked for the previous vendor, generated a set of tensions which needed to be continuously managed throughout the project

‘Social’ or ‘Anti-Social’ Software: content production in Web 2.0 - who benefits?

No abstract

Everybody must cut code! Educational imperative, fad or fantasy?

No abstract

Diverse virtual social networks: Implications for remote software testing teams

This paper evaluates offshore outsourcing in the IT testing industry and determines what conditions determine its success. There is particular focus on the influence of diversity in teams on group relationships. Two studies are described: the first, investigated the perceptions of professional software testers on the critical factors of offshore outsourcing; and the second study looked at the ability for diverse teams to form close working relationships through virtual networks. We find that overt diversity factors inhibit interaction across nationality boundaries. The limitations of virtual networks for fostering personal communications is apparent in preventing group members from overcoming the initial aversion to mix with out-group members, which could be achieved with closer and more personal communications between members with different diversity factors in normal face to face communications. Where software testing teams are outsourced globaly, and must rely on virtual communications, there seems potential for significant difficulties in developing close working relationships, which on the one hand, can be negative for group cohesion, but one the other hand, can be positive for encouraging imparitality

Supervision for critical thinking: challenges and strategies

An abstract is not available

‘Follow the Moon’ Development: Writing a Systematic Literature Review on Global Software Engineering Education

This presentation reflects on method and practice in Computer Science Education Research, through introducing the process of conducting a Systematic Literature Review. While Systematic Literature Reviews are an established research method within the Software Engineering discipline, they are a relatively unfamiliar research approach within Computer Science Education. Yet research disciplines can be strengthened by borrowing and adapting methods from other fields. I reflect on the rationale and underlying philosophy behind Systematic Reviews, and the implications for conducting a rigorous study and the quality of the resulting outputs. This chronicle of the journey of an ITiCSE working group, outlines the process we adopted and reflects on the methodological and logistical challenges we had to overcome in producing a review titled Challenges and Recommendations for the Design and Conduct of Global Software Engineering Courses. I conclude by discussing how systematic literature reviews can be adapted to an undergraduate teaching setting

The Many Ways of the BRACElet Project

This paper provides a retrospective snapshot of the first two years of a multi-institutional multi-national study (MIMN) in Computer Science Education called the BRACElet Project. This study has been inquiring into how novice programmers comprehend and write computer programs. The context for the study is outlined, together with details of how it has evolved and those who have participated. Some challenges encountered during the project are highlighted and pointers for the successful conduct of such a study are provided. The paper concludes by noting pitfalls to be avoided, some open research questions, and current plans for furthering the project

Challenges and Recommendations for the Design and Conduct of Global Software Engineering Courses: A Systematic Review

This SLR we are conducting traverses the many options available to Computer Science (CS) educators teaching CS courses involving global collaboration. The challenges and solutions in conducting global software engineering courses will be addressed. While there is a rich source of literature covering this topic, there is limited consolidated guidance available for CS educators wishing to implement a global course, in collaboration with other institutions. So building upon the existing knowledge in the literature in the area will help to produce a report that will serve as a broad ranging resource for global software engineering educators. The SLR focusses on two areas: 1. Learning GSE Theory: Developing courses based on GSE theory. I.e. How to teach students about developing software across multi-site teams (to include things like cultural training – i.e. how to build trust amongst a team that hasn’t met face to face, etc.). AND 2. Learning GSE by doing: Developing courses that show how to apply GSE methods in the classroom. E.g. where students develop software in multi-site teams (where the software developed is not really the focus, but ‘how’ to develop the software is what we would be looking at). We also include studies that take a hybrid approach by including a combination of theory and practice. I.e. research that presents experiences of running hybrid courses aimed at developing student capabilities in working as global professionals which have varying degrees of cross-site collaboration, and theorypractice balance

Preparing the Global Software Engineer

With a goal of preparing software engineering students for practice in today’s global settings, Uppsala University has for some years run courses involving global collaboration. The “IT in Society” course is one such course which applies an ‘Open Ended Group Project’ model, in partnership with a local health sector client and global educational partners. Within each iteration of the course, students across the partnering institutions are given a brief around an open-ended problem. They work in collaboration with their client and stakeholders to investigate options and produce a report with their findings and recommendations, informed by global perspectives. The report may or may not be supported by working software prototypes. We analyze student evaluations & reflections on the course to unpack their perceptions of software engineering, the perceived relevance of a global learning experience and its role in reshaping their identities as global software engineers