A Case Study on Artefact-based RE Improvement in Practice

Most requirements engineering (RE) process improvement approaches are solution-driven and activity-based. They focus on the assessment of the RE of a company against an external norm of best practices. A consequence is that practitioners often have to rely on an improvement approach that skips a profound problem analysis and that results in an RE approach that might be alien to the organisational needs. In recent years, we have developed an RE improvement approach (called \emph{ArtREPI}) that guides a holistic RE improvement against individual goals of a company putting primary attention to the quality of the artefacts. In this paper, we aim at exploring ArtREPI's benefits and limitations. We contribute an industrial evaluation of ArtREPI by relying on a case study research. Our results suggest that ArtREPI is well-suited for the establishment of an RE that reflects a specific organisational culture but to some extent at the cost of efficiency resulting from intensive discussions on a terminology that suits all involved stakeholders. Our results reveal first benefits and limitations, but we can also conclude the need of longitudinal and independent investigations for which we herewith lay the foundation

On Evidence-based Risk Management in Requirements Engineering

Background: The sensitivity of Requirements Engineering (RE) to the context makes it difficult to efficiently control problems therein, thus, hampering an effective risk management devoted to allow for early corrective or even preventive measures. Problem: There is still little empirical knowledge about context-specific RE phenomena which would be necessary for an effective context- sensitive risk management in RE. Goal: We propose and validate an evidence-based approach to assess risks in RE using cross-company data about problems, causes and effects. Research Method: We use survey data from 228 companies and build a probabilistic network that supports the forecast of context-specific RE phenomena. We implement this approach using spreadsheets to support a light-weight risk assessment. Results: Our results from an initial validation in 6 companies strengthen our confidence that the approach increases the awareness for individual risk factors in RE, and the feedback further allows for disseminating our approach into practice.Comment: 20 pages, submitted to 10th Software Quality Days conference, 201

Case Studies in Industry: What We Have Learnt

Case study research has become an important research methodology for exploring phenomena in their natural contexts. Case studies have earned a distinct role in the empirical analysis of software engineering phenomena which are difficult to capture in isolation. Such phenomena often appear in the context of methods and development processes for which it is difficult to run large, controlled experiments as they usually have to reduce the scale in several respects and, hence, are detached from the reality of industrial software development. The other side of the medal is that the realistic socio-economic environments where we conduct case studies -- with real-life cases and realistic conditions -- also pose a plethora of practical challenges to planning and conducting case studies. In this experience report, we discuss such practical challenges and the lessons we learnt in conducting case studies in industry. Our goal is to help especially inexperienced researchers facing their first case studies in industry by increasing their awareness for typical obstacles they might face and practical ways to deal with those obstacles.Comment: Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Conducting Empirical Studies in Industry, co-located with ICSE, 201

Naming the Pain in Requirements Engineering: A Design for a Global Family of Surveys and First Results from Germany

For many years, we have observed industry struggling in defining a high quality requirements engineering (RE) and researchers trying to understand industrial expectations and problems. Although we are investigating the discipline with a plethora of empirical studies, they still do not allow for empirical generalisations. To lay an empirical and externally valid foundation about the state of the practice in RE, we aim at a series of open and reproducible surveys that allow us to steer future research in a problem-driven manner. We designed a globally distributed family of surveys in joint collaborations with different researchers and completed the first run in Germany. The instrument is based on a theory in the form of a set of hypotheses inferred from our experiences and available studies. We test each hypothesis in our theory and identify further candidates to extend the theory by correlation and Grounded Theory analysis. In this article, we report on the design of the family of surveys, its underlying theory, and the full results obtained from Germany with participants from 58 companies. The results reveal, for example, a tendency to improve RE via internally defined qualitative methods rather than relying on normative approaches like CMMI. We also discovered various RE problems that are statistically significant in practice. For instance, we could corroborate communication flaws or moving targets as problems in practice. Our results are not yet fully representative but already give first insights into current practices and problems in RE, and they allow us to draw lessons learnt for future replications. Our results obtained from this first run in Germany make us confident that the survey design and instrument are well-suited to be replicated and, thereby, to create a generalisable empirical basis of RE in practice

Preventing Incomplete/Hidden Requirements: Reflections on Survey Data from Austria and Brazil

Many software projects fail due to problems in requirements engineering (RE). The goal of this paper is analyzing a specific and relevant RE problem in detail: incomplete/hidden requirements. We replicated a global family of RE surveys with representatives of software organizations in Austria and Brazil. We used the data to (a) characterize the criticality of the selected RE problem, and to (b) analyze the reported main causes and mitigation actions. Based on the analysis, we discuss how to prevent the problem. The survey includes 14 different organizations in Austria and 74 in Brazil, including small, medium and large sized companies, conducting both, plan-driven and agile development processes. Respondents from both countries cited the incomplete/hidden requirements problem as one of the most critical RE problems. We identified and graphically represented the main causes and documented solution options to address these causes. Further, we compiled a list of reported mitigation actions. From a practical point of view, this paper provides further insights into common causes of incomplete/hidden requirements and on how to prevent this problem.Comment: in Proceedings of the Software Quality Days, 201

Towards Guidelines for Preventing Critical Requirements Engineering Problems

Context] Problems in Requirements Engineering (RE) can lead to serious consequences during the software development lifecycle. [Goal] The goal of this paper is to propose empirically-based guidelines that can be used by different types of organisations according to their size (small, medium or large) and process model (agile or plan-driven) to help them in preventing such problems. [Method] We analysed data from a survey on RE problems answered by 228 organisations in 10 different countries. [Results] We identified the most critical RE problems, their causes and mitigation actions, organizing this information by clusters of size and process model. Finally, we analysed the causes and mitigation actions of the critical problems of each cluster to get further insights into how to prevent them. [Conclusions] Based on our results, we suggest preliminary guidelines for preventing critical RE problems in response to context characteristics of the companies.Comment: Proceedings of the 42th Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications, 201

Sport education model versus traditional model: Effects on motivation and sportsmanship

El objetivo de este trabajo fue comparar los efectos que provocan los modelos de enseñanza Tradicional y de Educación Deportiva en la motivación y deportividad del alumnado de educación física, incluyendo también un tercer nivel de tratamiento, variante del modelo de Educación Deportiva, en el que se empleó material autoconstruido. Se realizó un diseño cuasi-experimental con tres niveles de tratamiento y medidas pretest y postest de cuatro variables dependientes: metas de logro, metas de amistad, necesidades psicológicas básicas y la deportividad durante la enseñanza del ultimate. Accedieron a participar un total de 295 estudiantes de secundaria y bachillerato cuyas edades oscilaban entre los 12-17 años. Los resultados indicaron mejoras significativas en las metas de evitación del rendimiento, metas de amistad, necesidades psicológicas básicas y subescalas de deportividad en ambos grupos de Educación DeportivaThe goal of the present project was to compare the effects of three different instructional models: (Traditional, Sport Education and Sport Education with Self-Made Materials) on physical education students' motivation and sportsmanship. A quasi-experimental design with three levels of treatment was used. Pretest and posttest scores on achievement goals, friendship, psychological needs and sportsmanship were obtained after the application of a learning unit of ultimate in a school in the northern part of Spain. A total of 295 secondary school students, ages 12-17, agreed to participate. Results showed significant increases in performance-avoidance goals, friendship goals, basic psychological needs and sportsmanship in both Sport Education groups. Sport Education seems to offer more advantages than the traditional teaching method to develop adolescents achievement and social goals, as well as sportsmanship, in physical educatio

Integrating basic competences into physical education (Pe) in Primary Education

El objeto de este estudio fue evaluar la percepción de los maestros de Educación Física (EF) del Principado de Asturias sobre el proceso de incorporación de las competencias básicas (CCBB) en el currículo del área. Un total de 151 maestros de EF (46,6% de la población) contestaron a un cuestionario ad hoc compuesto por 12 ítems mediante una escala Likert de 6 puntos. Los resultados mostraron una plena incorporación de las CCBB a las programaciones, sin embargo, el nivel de desarrollo en la práctica resulta ser más bajo. Ser mujer, joven y contar con una elevada formación específica emergieron como factores diferenciales del trabajo competencial. Las competencias de carácter transversal fueron valoradas de mayor relevancia que las relacionadas con determinadas áreas curriculares. Se discute la profundidad del cambio emprendido por los docentes y el supuestamente requerido. Finalmente, se abordan sus implicaciones de cara al tipo de formación específicaThe purpose of this study was to assess Primary Education Physical Education (PE) teachers’ perspectives of the process of incorporating the Basic Competences (BBCC) into the curriculum of the Principality of Asturias. A total of 151 PE teachers (46.6% of the whole population) answered an ad hoc questionnaire of 12 items using a 6-point Likert scale. The results showed a full incorporation of the BBCC in the PE program. However, the degree of development in practice turned out to be lower. Being female, young, and having a high-level and specific training emerged as differentiating factors. Cross-cutting skills were valued more than those related to the specific curricular areas. The depth of change undertaken by the teachers compared to the required changed are discussed. Finally, implications to address specific training are also introduce

Efectos de dos formatos instructivos, Educación Deportiva e Instrucción Directa, en la respuesta psicológica de estudiantes de secundaria

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of two instructional approaches, Sport Education and Direct Instruction, in a large sample of Spanish secondary education students’ psychological response. 217 (113 males, 104 females) students (12-17 years) from one urban, coeducational high school (grades 8-11th) agreed to participate. On each grade, all subjects were randomly distributed in two study groups: the experimental group experienced Sport Education, while the comparison group experienced Direct Instruction. Several subscales extracted from different questionnaires (PLOC, BPNES, IMI, SGS-PE, PMCSQ-2) were used to measure the effects of the intervention program. All data was analyzed using the SPSS 19.0 statistical program. Results showed that the Sport Education group significantly improved intrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence, interest, boredom, social responsibility, social relationship and cooperative learning. The Direct Instruction group showed significant gains only in autonomy, social responsibility and cooperative learning. Sport Education can significantly promote adaptive psychological responses in adolescents.El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar los efectos de dos formatos instructivos, Educación Deportiva e Instrucción Directa, en la respuesta psicológica de un grupo de estudiantes de secundaria. 217 (113 varones, 104 mujeres) estudiantes (12-17 años) de un colegio urbano (de 1º a 4º ESO) accedieron a participar. En cada nivel, todos los sujetos fueron distribuidos aleatoriamente en dos grupos de estudio: el grupo experimental experimentó Educación Deportiva y el grupo comparativo experimentó Instrucción Directa. Diferentes sub-escalas extraídas de varios cuestionarios (PLOC, BPNES, IMI, SGS-PE, PMCSQ-2) fueron usadas para medir los efectos del programa de intervención. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando el programa estadístico SPSS 19.0. Los resultados mostraron que el grupo de Educación Deportiva mejoró de manera significativa la motivación intrínseca, la autonomía, la competencia, el interés, el aburrimiento, la responsabilidad social, las relaciones sociales y el aprendizaje cooperativo. El grupo de Instrucción Directa mostró mejoras significativas solo en autonomía, responsabilidad social y aprendizaje cooperativo. La Educación Deportiva puede promover respuestas psicológicas adaptativas en adolescentes