Team-Based Software/System Development in the Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) Program

The Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) program is an undergraduate education program that operates in a research context. Undergraduates who join VIP teams earn academic credit for their participation in development tasks that assist faculty with their research efforts. The teams are: multidisciplinary – drawing students from across campus; vertically-integrated – maintaining a mix of sophomores through PhD students each semester; and long-term – each undergraduate student may participate in a project for up to three years. The continuity, technical depth, and disciplinary breadth of these teams enable the completion of projects of significant benefit to research efforts. This paper provides: overviews of three VIP projects to show the range of computing topics that are addressed; a summary of the resources and practices that enable the teams to create sophisticated software and systems; and an explanation of how student performance is evaluated.

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