Leveraging avid use of technology in software engineering education

Abstract

Most undergraduate computing students have limited professional software development experience due to which they lack the motivation to study software engineering, which is a mandatory course in their curricula. To compensate for this inherent lack of motivation, instructors of introductory software engineering courses continually devise novel strategies to enhance the appeal of SE education. These strategies seek to tie key SE concepts to industrial practices as well as students' real-life experiences. This paper presents one such approach; it leverages the prevailing reality that most computing students are now avid users of software technology. The approach consists of developing “focused questions”, where each question pertains to a specific SE concept, technique, or a best practice. Students are then asked to find evidence that illustrates this concept from their everyday encounters with technology. This paper analyzes the students' responses from two such focused questions. The analysis finds the students' responses to be thoughtful, broad, diverse, well rationalized, nuanced and deeply anchored in their own personal experiences. Moreover, the responses also highlight the students' knowledge and awareness of how software is now an integral part of the social and cultural landscape. Finally, anecdotal comments written by the students while reviewing the course at the end of the semester indicate that the students received this focused question approach in a positive light. They view it as a way to bring realism into the classroom, to keep them engaged and to encourage class participation.