Methodology

The subject of Software Engineering has a strong applied component, but also requires a theoretical part, the result of experience, from which practical decisions are implemented. Therefore, the assignment will not be purely ABP (Problem Based Learning) but a mixture of ABP and traditional method. The student will be proposed a practical case (generic problem) of real dimension, around which the problem sessions and the practical work will be structured. The student will have to acquire the profile of analyst / architect of the software to take the opportune decisions that conclude in the construction of a proposal of design of the proposed system. The teacher will play the role of tutor and, in certain situations, of client, encouraging simulations of developer-client dialogue.

FOLLOW-UP PRACTICAL WORK

There will be no face-to-face lab sessions. Students will solve the guiding problem autonomously in small groups, and will be monitored during class hours on a regular basis. The practice strips (6 sessions of 2 hours during the course) will consist of two parts. First, each practice team will present to the rest of the class the progress of their work (the person in charge of making the presentation will be the person who acts as the scrum master in that iteration). In the second part of the session the internship tutor will have an individual interview with each team to monitor and evaluate. A SCRUM-based development is followed, where each increment, called a sprint, corresponds to one session. Attendance at follow-up interviews will be MANDATORY for all students. The absence will have a negative impact on the evaluation of the practical work, leading to not passing the evaluation if the number of non-attendances exceeds 15% of the sessions. In the event of a justified absence, teachers will consider compensation mechanisms. The size of the internship teams will be determined at the beginning of the course. As a guide they will be teams of 5 people. Since attendance at follow-up sessionsis mandatory, and will be done during class hours, it is important that all members of an internship team are enrolled and attending the same group.

PRACTICAL WORK

A guide problem will be given to students at the beginning of the course. This problem will have two functions. First, it will be used as an example in theory classes and seminars, solving parts appropriate to the contents of each moment. Second, it can be understood as the statement of a practice that is solved in stages throughout the course. The students will be organized in work teams of 5 people (according to the number of enrolled). The resolution of the work will be done autonomously, with the weekly follow-up described above.

 

ACHIEVEMENT OF COMPETENCES

    T03 - Work in a team. We will work on practical work where students will form teams of 5-6 people, and where teamwork is considered one of the skills to work on. The students will have to distribute the roles that would be in a software project, and each week one of them will act as coordinator (scrum master). It will be evaluated as one of the indicators of practical work.
    CRI03.03 - Understand the importance of negotiation, effective work habits, leadership and communication skills in all software development environments, at an advanced level: Work will be done on specific problem sessions where requirements capture techniques will be proposed, in particular gamestorming, and also in practice, where working groups are organized following the principles of the SCRUM methodology, and in each week (session) one of the team members will be required to assume the role of SCRUM master (coordinator). It will be evaluated from the individualized follow-up of the practical work (from the acts that the Scrum master does of the follow-up meetings).
    CRI08.01 - Design and maintain applications following criteria of robustness and reliability and CRI08.02 - Design applications knowing how to select the most appropriate software development paradigm: They will work both in face-to-face sessions, in particular problems, and in practical work. It will be evaluated with the written test (theory exam, first control) as well as with the qualification of the practical work.
    CRI16.01 - Understand what requirements analysis is and why it is important and CRI16.02 - Know the process of developing agile software: They will work on the first sessions of the theory and problems course (first four weeks), as well as in the first practice sessions (first two sessions). They will be evaluated with the written test (theory exam, second control) as well as with the qualification of the practical work.
    CRI17.02 - Know the notation and construction of UML and E03.02 diagrams - Design and evaluate person-computer software interfaces that guarantee the accessibility and usability of computer systems, services and applications: The central sessions of the theory and problems course will be worked on (week 5 to week 10), as well as in the practice sessions (sessions 3 to 5). They will be evaluated with the written test (theory exam, second control) as well as with the qualification of the practical work. Students will be offered optional exercises that they can submit to have additional scores in the exam corresponding to this part.
 

The course consists of 4 hours per week in person. There is no distinction between theory schedules, problems, and laboratory practices. During the contact hours, theory, problem or practice classes will be alternated according to the planning that will be indicated on the day of the planning of the subject. In general, the explanation of the fundamental theoretical contents will be concentrated during the first sessions of the course (approximately the first 6 weeks), but some sessions of problems and practical cases will also be gradually interspersed. Once the theoretical contents have been taught, all the remaining sessions will be dedicated to problem-based work, identifying some compulsory attendance sessions where the practice will be carried out in teams of 5 people or problems will be delivered at the end of the session.

 

THEORY

It consists of master classes with multimedia material available on the UAB Virtual Campus. The main goal of these classes is to introduce the basics of processes, methods, and tools related to viewing the software lifecycle from an engineering standpoint. It will explain the principles and paradigms of software engineering, the different activities and the tasks to be performed in each activity. Theory classes should allow the student to take a real view of the rigor, planning and systematics required by the professional development of the software. It will not deepen in the concrete subjects since in asignaturas of later courses these already develop, but will explain the necessary concepts so that the student understand the process of development of complete software.

SEMINARS / PROBLEMS

Seminars are classes with student participatory work. Depending on the purpose of the seminars, the students of the group will be divided into smaller subgroups. They have a dual function, linking on the one hand with the master classes and on the other with the practical sessions on the problem to be solved in teams. On the one hand, the seminars will complement the technological contents exposed in the master classes, completing their understanding. On the other hand they will be the framework in which to discuss, lay the groundwork and develop the guiding problem. The student will be given the knowledge necessary to carry out the practical work or will be told where to get it. In the seminars the capacity of analysis and synthesis is promoted fundamentally, as well as the critical reasoning and the decision-making of the student in front of the resolution of the guide problem. Since this is a very practical subject and where the theoretical contents are of low complexity, the practical work with problem solving or the work of participatory activities is often reinforced. The contents of the seminars will be coordinated with the stages to be solved in the work of the practice.

E03.01 - Understand what design is and how to achieve a good design that includes the requirements of accessibility, ergonomics, usability and security of computer applications and E03.02 - Design and evaluate human-computer software interfaces that guarantee accessibility and usability of computer systems, services and applications: Like the previous competence, they will work in the central sessions of the course of theory and problems (week 5 to week 10), as well as in the sessions of practices (sessions 3 to 5). They will be evaluated with the written test (theory exam, second control) as well as with the qualification of the practical work.
    E05.01 - Understand what software is, what are the objectives of developing software and the problems associated with its development. Work will be done in the final sessions of theory and problems (weeks 11 and 12), as well as in the practice sessions (session 6). It will be evaluated with the written test (theory exam, second control) as well as with the qualification of the practical work.
    E09.04 - Know and apply methods of communication and effective negotiation in carrying out the tasks of the profession. Basically, work will be done in the practice sessions where students will have to defend in front of the teachers decisions taken in their project. The teacher will play the role of client to simulate what a real project would be. It will be evaluated in the qualification of the practical work.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.