Software Engineering

This  Software Engineering course, part of the Software Development MicroMasters Program, introduces how teams to design, build and test multi-version software systems.

This Software Engineering course covers the basic principles and concepts of software engineering; system requirements; secure programming in the large; modeling and testing; object-oriented analysis and design using the UML; design patterns; frameworks and APIs; client-server architecture; user interface technology; and the analysis, design, and programming of extensible software systems.

Sample labs and assignments:
– Evaluating the performance of various simple software designs.
– Adding features to an existing system.
– Testing a system to verify conformance to test cases.
– Building a GUI for an application.
– Numerous exercises building models in UML, particularly class diagrams and state machines.
– Developing and presenting a simple set of requirements (to be done as a team) for some innovative client-server applications of very small size.
– Implementing the above, using reusable technology to the greatest extent possible.

Additional teaching considerations:

– This Software Engineering course is a good starting point for exposing students to moderately sized existing systems. With such systems, they can learn and practice the essential skills of reading and understanding code written by others. Students should write code in the context of a particular domain, for example, the biological, physical, mathematical, or chemical sciences or even wider spectra such as game programming, business applications, and graphics and animation.

– It is suggested that a core subset of UML be taught, rather than trying to cover all features.

– It may be challenging for instructors to convey the nature of SE to students; however, this challenge may be addressed through strategies such as field trips to businesses and industries that utilize large software systems, guest lectures by developers and users of large software systems, and discussions about embedded systems in everyday life including ATMs, wireless devices, cell phones, various mobile devices, and computer games.

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