An Integrated Software Engineering Curriculum Through Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Yalda Afshar; Mohammad Moshirpour; Emily Marasco; Jalal Kawash; Laleh Behjat; Mahmood Moussavi

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: Software Engineering Division Technical Session 2
Page Count: 13
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--40924
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/40924
Download Count: 354

Request a correction

Dr. Laleh Behjat is a professor at the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary, Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering - Prairies. Her research focuses on developing mathematical techniques and software tools for automating the design of digital integrated circuits and education on developing to teach innovation and creativity in post-secondary education. She is an advocate for underrepresented groups in science and engineering and works on removing systemic barriers that exist in their advancement.

visit author page

author page

Mahmood Moussavi University of Calgary

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Software development lifecycle is an integrated process which involves many different tasks including requirements engineering, design, development, and testing. Software engineering students not only need in-depth knowledge of each of these areas, they also need to have a practical understanding about how they integrate together. However, courses such as object-oriented programming, architecture, testing and databases which have many possible connections are typically delivered as separate courses. While this current approach may benefit proficiency in a specific subject, students often lack an understanding of how varied course concepts integrate together as a larger process. Adopting an integrated learning approach helps students face software development challenges earlier in their studies while building resiliency and problem-solving skills. Literature examples show how OOP, data structures and software design courses can be integrated through project-based learning [1]. Evaluation results showed improvement in students' technical, personal and interpersonal skills, all of which are useful for their professional careers. While project-based learning (PBL) is designed in favor of real industry processes and projects, this approach can pose several challenges for instructors in academia [2] [3] including efficient time-management, effort required, and effective student support. In this paper we propose a novel pedagogical approach to integrate final projects of two separate courses in a course-based masters of software engineering program. Students work on a joint project for a) software design and architecture and b) database design, using a model-first approach to integrate important concepts from both courses. In this project, students implement the object-oriented programming (OOP) phase in the first course, then they continue implementing its database in the second course. The goal of this research is to narrate the experience in course integration through PBL and evaluate students’ challenges as well as the effectiveness of this approach.The data is collected from an end of term survey and final project artifacts. We analyzed students’ coursework by comparing their UML, ER and relational model design decisions with the mismatch problem solutions. We also adopted qualitative and quantitative analysis to understand students’ perception about the conflicts between the object-oriented design and the relational database as well as students’ level of preparedness for implementing each of the two phases of the project. The results show that students faced all ORM mismatches when translating UML to ER diagram and while implementing the project. All the students opt for only one mapping solution for each of the five mismatched problems in the project. Therefore, it will be helpful if all ORM problems and their mapping strategies are discussed in the OOP class to give students the opportunity to face all ORM mismatches and try different mapping approaches Also, following a PBL approach in course integration removed the challenges of changing the course structure at the department level. In this way, each instructor can make use of tutorial time independently and focus on relevant material while defining a joint project. Overall, this study demonstrated clear student satisfaction and evidence of student preparedness in implementing an integrated software development project. [1] Ribeiro AL, Bittencourt RA. A pbl-based, integrated learning experience of object-oriented programming, data structures and software design. In2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) 2018 Oct 3 (pp. 1-9). IEEE. [2] Shoham D, Paul R, Moshirpour M. STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN A SOFTWARE ENGINEERING COURSE. InThe 16 th International CDIO Conference (Vol. 1, p. 268). [3] Silva LH, Castro RX, Guimaraes MC. Supporting Real Demands in Software Engineering with a Four Steps Project-Based Learning Approach. In2021 IEEE/ACM 43rd International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering Education and Training (ICSE-SEET) 2021 May 25 (pp. 50-59). IEEE.

Citation
Format

Afshar, Y., & Moshirpour, M., & Marasco, E., & Kawash, J., & Behjat, L., & Moussavi, M. (2022, August), An Integrated Software Engineering Curriculum Through Project-Based Learning (PBL) Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40924

TY - CPAPER
AB - Software development lifecycle is an integrated process which involves many different tasks including requirements engineering, design, development, and testing. Software engineering students not only need in-depth knowledge of each of these areas, they also need to have a practical understanding about how they integrate together. However, courses such as object-oriented programming, architecture, testing and databases which have many possible connections are typically delivered as separate courses. While this current approach may benefit proficiency in a specific subject, students often lack an understanding of how varied course concepts integrate together as a larger process. Adopting an integrated learning approach helps students face software development challenges earlier in their studies while building resiliency and problem-solving skills.
Literature examples show how OOP, data structures and software design courses can be integrated through project-based learning [1]. Evaluation results showed improvement in students' technical, personal and interpersonal skills, all of which are useful for their professional careers. While project-based learning (PBL) is designed in favor of real industry processes and projects, this approach can pose several challenges for instructors in academia [2] [3] including efficient time-management, effort required, and effective student support.
In this paper we propose a novel pedagogical approach to integrate final projects of two separate courses in a course-based masters of software engineering program. Students work on a joint project for a) software design and architecture and b) database design, using a model-first approach to integrate important concepts from both courses. In this project, students implement the object-oriented programming (OOP) phase in the first course, then they continue implementing its database in the second course. The goal of this research is to narrate the experience in course integration through PBL and evaluate students’ challenges as well as the effectiveness of this approach.The data is collected from an end of term survey and final project artifacts.
We analyzed students’ coursework by comparing their UML, ER and relational model design decisions with the mismatch problem solutions. We also adopted qualitative and quantitative analysis to understand students’ perception about the conflicts between the object-oriented design and the relational database as well as students’ level of preparedness for implementing each of the two phases of the project. The results show that students faced all ORM mismatches when translating UML to ER diagram and while implementing the project. All the students opt for only one mapping solution for each of the five mismatched problems in the project. Therefore, it will be helpful if all ORM problems and their mapping strategies are discussed in the OOP class to give students the opportunity to face all ORM mismatches and try different mapping approaches
Also, following a PBL approach in course integration removed the challenges of changing the course structure at the department level. In this way, each instructor can make use of tutorial time independently and focus on relevant material while defining a joint project. Overall, this study demonstrated clear student satisfaction and evidence of student preparedness in implementing an integrated software development project.
[1] Ribeiro AL, Bittencourt RA. A pbl-based, integrated learning experience of object-oriented programming, data structures and software design. In2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) 2018 Oct 3 (pp. 1-9). IEEE.
[2] Shoham D, Paul R, Moshirpour M. STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN A SOFTWARE ENGINEERING COURSE. InThe 16 th International CDIO Conference (Vol. 1, p. 268).
[3] Silva LH, Castro RX, Guimaraes MC. Supporting Real Demands in Software Engineering with a Four Steps Project-Based Learning Approach. In2021 IEEE/ACM 43rd International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering Education and Training (ICSE-SEET) 2021 May 25 (pp. 50-59). IEEE.

AU - Yalda Afshar
AU - Mohammad Moshirpour
AU - Emily Marasco
AU - Jalal Kawash
AU - Laleh Behjat
AU - Mahmood Moussavi
CY - Minneapolis, MN
DA - 2022/08/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - An Integrated Software Engineering Curriculum Through Project-Based Learning (PBL)
UR - https://peer.asee.org/40924
DO - 10.18260/1-2--40924
ER -