Developing Software Engineering Class Projects with an Internal Client

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Developing Software Engineering Class Projects
with an Internal Client

• Dr. Christelle Scharff
• Computer Science Department
• Internal Client Michelle Perez
• Director Office of Housing Residential Life
• Contact Diana White
• Office of Housing Residential Life
• Students Asif Baksh, Sze-Man Chan, Brian
  Hernandez, Zulfikar Shameer, Denny Singh, Sonny
  Szeto

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Outline

• Software Engineering
• Software Engineering Class CS 389
• Project Requirements
• List of Projects for Spring 2004
• Partnering with an Internal Client
• How? Why? Impact? Assessment?
• Students Interviews
• Demonstration
• Conclusions and Future Work

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Software Engineering

• Software Computer Program Documentation
• Software Engineering is a discipline, which is
  concerned by all aspects of building high-quality
  software from the early stages of software
  specification, development and validation, to the
  maintenance of the system after it has been
  deployed
• Quality depends on the methods, techniques and
  tools used during the software engineering
  process

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Some Numbers

• In 2002, 34 of software products were completed
  on budget, and 17 were complete failure
  Standish Group
• Defective software cost companies more than 200
  billions annually Sustainable Computing
  Consortium
• It takes 10 to fix a bug during development,
  100 to fix a bug during quality assurance, 1000
  to fix a bug during beta test, and 10,000 to fix
  a bug post-deployment Alan Zeichlick, SD Times

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Software Engineering Course CS 389

• Core course of the Computer Science curriculum
  taken by junior and senior students
• Main Topics
• Software Engineering Process Models
• Requirements Engineering
• Object-Oriented Design and UML
• Programming and technologies
• Testing
• Semester-long software development group project
• Students choose their groups and projects
• Students have the opportunity to work with an
  internal client

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Two Important Questions Concerning the Project

• What software engineering process model to use?
• Waterfall model
• How to best simulate the real world conditions?
• Type of project, group work, technologies,
  deliverables, deadlines and other constraints,
  client

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Projects Spring 2004

• Online Web Pages Builder 8 students
• Online Wedding Planner System
• Online Volunteers Management 7 students
• System for NYC 2012
• Online Pace University Schedule Builder
• Online Room Transfer Requests 6 students
• System
• Online Work Order Requests System

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Projects Requirements

• Communication skills
• Documentation
• Feasibility Study
• Requirements Document
• Design Document
• Testing Document
• Code Listing
• Professional experience
• Impact Users Satisfaction Survey
• Visibility (web page)
• Programming
• Learn at least one new technology
• Practice with at least one CASE tool

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Partnering with an Internal Client

• Steps
• First Contact with the Housing and Residential
  Life Office
• Regular follow up with the client and the
  students
• Invitations to presentations and demonstrations
• Assessment

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Survey Results Why Some Students Did not Work
with the H RL?

• 15 students out of 21
• Proposed projects not challenging enough
• Scope and size of the proposed projects too large
• Decision of the team
• Interest in their own software to be developed
• Needed to be ensured that the H RL will be
  committed and helpful
• Needed to be ensured that the software will be
  deployed and used
• Needed an extra-curriculum reward!

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Advantages of Partnering with an Internal Client 1

• Real world experience
• Understand clients needs and changes in
  requirements
• Project management experience
• Development of communication and negotiation
  skills
• Acquire experience and diverse skills valuable on
  the market place

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Advantages to Partnering with an Internal Client 2

• Experiential learning to support students
  academic, ethical, and social development
• Developing software that will directly benefit a
  large number of students peers
• Intimate understanding of various policies and
  procedures
• An opportunity to directly impact the quality of
  services students receive
• Inspires students to become involved and active
  citizens of the residential community

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Experience as a Client

• Initial Contact
• The process
• Time investment to meet the students
• Attendance to demonstrations and presentations
• Interest Customized software developed to meet
  the specific needs of the residential community
• Significant needs of customized software for the
  residential community

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Survey Results Students who worked with H RL

• Why did they choose to work with a client?
• Challenge, gain experience, resume, participating
  in the community , time management and follow-up
• Experience with the client
• Very proactive, helpful, committed and
  understanding client
• Changes in the requirements were introduced
  smoothly because of the regular meetings and
  discussions
• All of the students would repeat the experience

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Students Interview

• How much time did you spend on the project? What
  required the most time?
• How would you describe your experience with the
  internal client?
• Was the scope and size of the project
  well-defined from the beginning?
• Would you like to see partnerships like this one
  in other Computer Science classes?
• What do you believe are the impacts of this
  experience on your career?

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The OLWOR System

• OnLine Work Order Request System
• Asif, Damian, Denny
• Client Michelle Perez, Director of Housing
  Residential Life
• Supervisor of the project Diana White. H RL

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OLWOR Stakeholders and Main Features

• All users of the system (Residents, H RL Staff
  and Direction) have a profile in OLWOR
• Residents can submit work order requests online
• DoIt, BG, SS, CoinMac
• Confirmation emails sent to the staff and
  residents about all requests and updates
• Residents keep track of the status of their work
  order requests (submitted, in progress, closed)
• Staff and Director of H RL have access to all
  work order requests (using different criteria)

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OLWOR Demonstration
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Conclusions and Future Work

• Problems and questions
• Server? Support for the Server?
• Financial support?
• Availability and willingness of the students to
  finish the project?
• Maintenance of the system afterward?

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Conclusions and Future Work

• Success story Deployment of the OLWOR system
• Internship offered by the Office of Housing and
  Residential Life
• Summer I 2004 Deployment
• Summer II 2004 Use of the system by the RAs in
  Marias Tower, and assessment
• Fall 2004 Use of the system by the students in
  Marias Tower, and assessment
• On the road for Fall 2004 and Spring 2005

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Questions Answers