FIT4002 Software engineering studio project - Semester 1, 2014

Students will undertake a large project and work in groups on a software project for a client. The client may be internal to Monash or from the industry or research organisation. In general, projects involve all aspects of the system development lifecycle. Groups are responsible for their own project management, with guidance from a supervisor. Some projects will warrant students working in pairs or individually.

Workload Requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

• One 2-hour seminar
• One 2-hour laboratory

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

• A minimum of 8 hours additional study per week including undertaking all stages of the software lifecycle for the project, preparation of project documentation, preparation for individual and group presentation, software walkthroughs and SWEBOK interviews. Students are also expected to attend fortnightly group meetings with project supervisor, hold regular meetings with client (may be off-campus) and attend regular meetings of the project group.

Additional workload requirements

For Software Engineering Studio unit, the workload commitments are for 2 semesters of study

Unit Relationships

Prohibitions

CSE4002

Co-requisites

FIT4004

Prerequisites

FIT2002 and FIT3077

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Your feedback to Us

Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit

More regular peer assessment and feedback will take place throughout both semesters.

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

• experience of all stages in the development of a SE project
• experience of the role and responsibilities of clients and developers in a SE project
• understanding of the way in which computer systems are designed, developed and implemented;
• understanding of the role of methodologies, tools and techniques;
• understanding of the processes and components of a quality system;
• ability to adopt a systematic and professional approach to the production of quality computer systems;
• understanding of ethical behaviour;
• ability to plan and manage the full range of activities in an SE project;
• ability to work productively in a team and individually;
• ability to communicate effectively with clients and users;
• ability to develop and deliver on time a computer system that meets the specified requirements.

Unit Schedule

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Teaching Approach

• Studio teaching
  Studio teaching is a facilitated active, participatory, peer learning approach.
• Seminars
  Students will listen to presentations from the unit-coordinator, guest speakers and fellow students on topics relevant to the studio project.

Assessment Summary

Assignments: 100%

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Participation

Attendance at all seminar classes is expected.  

Students are also expected to attend weekly or fortnightly meetings with project supervisors.

• Assessment task 1

  Title:

  Individual seminar presentation

  Description:

  Each student will be required to give a short seminar presentation to the class on a relevant topic (topic to be prior approved by the unit coordinator).

  Weighting:

  5%

  Criteria for assessment:

  Assessment criteria will be:

  • Amount of research and preparation
  • Understanding of the topic
  • Quality of the oral presentation

  Due date:

  In seminar slot in semester 1 (Weeks 7 to 9)

• Assessment task 2

  Title:

  Software walk throughs

  Description:

  Each semester, each project group will undertake a software walkthrough with the project supervisor. The unit coordinator and/or the client may also attend.

  Weighting:

  20%

  Criteria for assessment:

  There will be one software walkthrough each semester (10% each).

  For each walkthrough, 5% will be a group mark, 5% an individual mark.

  For the group mark, the assessment criteria will be the overall quality of the project group's code as a whole.

  For the individual mark, the assessment criteria will be their individual contribution to the project group code, as well as their demonstrated understanding of the code.

  Due date:

  One code walk through scheduled each semester (Weeks 9 and 10)

• Assessment task 3

  Title:

  Group presentations

  Description:

  Each project group will give a presentation each semester in the class seminar time slot. In semester 1, it will be presentation on the project and progress to date. In semester 2, the presentation will describe the project as a whole and the final software product.

  Weighting:

  20%

  Criteria for assessment:

  There will be one group presentation each semester (10% each).

  For each presentation, 5% will be a group mark, 5% an individual mark.

  All students in a team will get the same group mark (5%) for the following assessment criteria:

  1. Selection and organisation of content 
  2. Co-ordination of multiple speakers
  3. Quality of visual aids
  4. Timing

  Each student will receive an individual mark (5%) for the following assessment criteria:

  1. Quality of presentation (understandability, coherence) 
  2. Voice (audibility, intonation, variation)
  3. Use of language (e.g., vocabulary, appropriate level, use of jargon)
  4. Non-verbal communication (e.g., body language, eye contact)

  Due date:

  One presentation each semester in the seminar slot (Weeks 11 and 12)

• Assessment task 4

  Title:

  Individual SWEBOK interviews

  Description:

  Each semester, the student will be interviewed on their knowledge and understanding of SWEBOK, and how it relates to their project. The 15-30 minute interview is a formal exam will be with the unit coordinator, the project supervisor and other members of the BSE teaching group.

  Weighting:

  5%

  Criteria for assessment:

  Assessment criteria:

  • Knowledge and understanding of the fundamental areas of software engineering (SWEBOK)
  • Ability to relate SWEBOK to their particular project

  Hurdle requirements:

  The semester 1 interview will be a hurdle, where the student will receive written feedback. The semester 2 interview will be marked.

  Due date:

  Will be scheduled during the examination period

• Assessment task 5

  Title:

  Process and project documentation

  Description:

  There will be a variety of process and project documentation to be produced during the project, which must be updated as required. See Moodle site for the unit for details.

  Weighting:

  20%

  Criteria for assessment:

  Each piece of documentation will be assessed on:

  • Appropriateness of content
  • Technical quality of content
  • Quality of writing and presentation

  While there will be a single overall mark out of 20 for this assessment component, the marks each individual team member receives may be adjusted to reflect their individual contribution to the project.

  Due date:

  Different due dates throughout the project. Final versions of all documentation will be assessed at the end of the project (see unit schedule and more detailed breakdown on Moodle site).

• Assessment task 6

  Title:

  Software product

  Description:

  The final software deliverable for the project. 

  Weighting:

  30%

  Criteria for assessment:

  The overall software deliverable for the project will be assessed on:

  • Scope of functionality
  • Performance on acceptance testing
  • Quality of software artifacts (e.g. reusability, maintainability)

  While there will be a single overall mark out of 30 for this assessment component, the marks each individual team member receives may be adjusted to reflect their individual contribution to the project.

  Due date:

  Client acceptance sign-off due semester 2 (Week 11), final project website with all software artifacts due end of semester 2 (Week 12)

Learning resources

Reading list

• Relevant Journal Articles and Conference Proceedings depending on the project chosen.
• Gilb T and Graham D, Software inspection, Addison-Wesley, 1993
• Stiller, Project-based Software Engineering, Prentice-Hall, 2001
• Humphrey W, Managing the software process, Addison-Wesley,1989
• Pfleeger S.L., Software Engineering Theory and Practice, Prentice Hall 2001
• Somerville I.S., Software Engineering Addison Wesley 2001
• Sallis P, Tate G and MacDonell S, Software Engineering: Practice, Management, Improvement, Addison-Wesley, 1995
• Humphrey W, Introduction to the Personal Software Process, Addison Wesley 2000
• Pressman R.S., Software Engineering, A Practitioner's approach, Fifth Ed., McGraw Hill, 2001
• Maciaszek, Requirements Analysis and System Design: Developing Information Systems with UML 2001, Prentice-Hall, 2001

Feedback to you

• Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes
• Interviews
• Other: Verbal feedback on progress from supervisor in fortnightly meetings; written comments on drafts of project documentation; written feedback on first SWEBOK interview; marking guide on group presentations; verbal feedback from supervisor and client during software walkthrough

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Assignment submission

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Required Resources

Customised Software Engineering laboratory (the MUSE lab) at Clayton with the standard lab image plus high end software engineering & testing tools from IBM/Rational, Websphere software from IBM, Testing tools from Compuware. Open source tools such as Eclipse, Junit & coverage testing tools.

Field trips

May require visit to project client.

Other Information

Policies

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student Charter

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit