AlgorithmA project: the ten-week mock software company

It is difficult to teach students proper software engineering methodology in a classroom setting. Without hands-on experience, students may not understand why the software engineering process exists. By teaching students via a mock company experience, teaching software engineering can become a rewarding experience while showing the students how simple it is to follow the correct process. Here we show how in the microcosm of a mock software company it is possible to teach very real lessons about software engineering, unfamiliar technologies, teamwork and the realization that when a project ends, the code does not disappear.