Course Expectations and Tentative Syllabus

CSC:481 Project Design Spring 2002

Olney 201 Th 6:15-8:55pm

Professor: Dr. Michael Redmond

330 Olney Hall (215) 951-1096

redmond@lasalle.edu

http://www.lasalle.edu/~redmond/teach/481/

Office Hours: MWTh 12-12:50pm, MW 3-3:50pm, Th 5:00-6:00pm

And at other times by appointment. Also, by phone and e-mail.

Text:

Sommerville, I., Software Engineering, Sixth Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2001

Course Description:

This is the second course in a two course senior sequence of courses. The intent is for these two courses (480 and 481) to act as a “capstone” on the undergraduate experience. To do this, we develop a large semi-realistic project. We also cover basics in software engineering – which is a field within computer science devoted to applying rigor to the software development process in order to increase the odds of successful projects.

The catalog description of 480 says:

Basic concepts and major issues of project design using a software engineering approach; project planning; cost estimation; requirements definition. Requires a team project to design a software system.

The catalog description of 481 says:

A continuation of CSC 480; Implementation issues; programming language features; validation techniques; software maintenance. Requires a team project to develop, document, test, and maintain a software system.

This course focuses most heavily on development and control of development, validation and maintenance. We continue with the project started in 480.

Course Objectives

Concepts:

1. The student should understand the concepts and strategies behind system validation and testing, and quality management.

2. The student should understand important aspects of change management, including configuration management, and problem tracking.

3. The student should understand important aspects of project management including managing people and estimating costs.

4. (time permitting) The student should understand the additional issues involved with maintaining and evolving legacy systems.

Applications:

1. The student should gain further experience in a significant team development project.

2. The student should gain further experience managing a significant project.

3. The student should gain experience carrying out iterative, evolutionary prototyping.

4. The student should gain experience using OO design tools such as UML.

5. The student should gain additional appreciation for and experience with concepts covered in CSC 480.

6. The student should have a final prototype that they can be proud of.

Grading:

Midterm 15%

Final Exam 15%

Small Assignment 5% (probably UML)

Project

Midterm version 10%

Final Version 30%

Presentation 10%

Reflective Paper 5%

Participation 10%

Final Grades:

A 92-100 A- 90-91

B+ 88-89 B 82-87 B- 80-81

C+ 78-79 C 72-77 C- 70-71

D+ 68-69 D 60-67 F < 60

Makeup exams only by advance arrangements or for documented real emergencies, such as medical problems. Makeup may involve oral exam or double counting the final exam.

I expect one “smaller” assignment in addition to the project. This will probably be assigned one week and be due the next week. If you need to miss class (for a business trip for example), make sure you find out what happened.

The project is a group project. You will be assigned to groups. Part of your responsibility is to make the group work (as in the real world). Groups will be shuffled from last semester. The project has two delivery points over the course of the semester, and again you will present your project at the end of the semester. This presentation will be more of a sales job. In addition, you will again write a short, reflective paper about what you learned in working on the project. More details will be available later.

Class attendance and participation are important, and is counted in the final grade.

We will dive right into continuing the project. Most classes will include some time for groups to meet and to meet with me. It is expected that significant additional time and communication outside of class will be necessary.

Note also that, to discourage slackers, that if you do not do your share of the project you can get a lower grade than the group grade. If there appears to be a problem in a group, first try to solve it internally. You may find it beneficial to have one person who serves as a team leader. This semester, I may also play the role of a higher level manager, in addition to other roles. I reserve the right to assign different project grades to different team members if effort appears to be unequal.

Tentative Course Plan:

Date Material Reading

Jan 17 Intro to Class,

Verification and Validation Chapt 19

Project – Another Look at Requirements

Jan 24 Software Testing Chapt 20

Project – Group Organization

Jan 31 Configuration Management Chapt 29

Project - Revising Requirements

Feb 7 UML Supplemental

UML Assignment

Project – Revising Design

Feb 14 Project - Prototyping

Feb 21 TEST

Feb 28 Project – Prototyping and Testing

Mar 7 SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS

Mar 14 Software Change Chapt 27

Project – midterm prototype due

Mar 21 Quality Management Chapt 24

Project – Revisiting Requirements

Mar 28 Managing People Chapt 22

Project – Revising Design

Apr 4 Cost Estimation Chapt 23

Project – Revising Prototype

Apr 11 Legacy Systems Chapt 26

Project – Prototyping and Testing

Apr 18 Project – Prototyping and Testing

Apr 25 Project –Presentations – final prototype due

May 2 Final Exam