Preparing Computer Science Students for Global Software Development

This paper describes an innovative study undertaken in an undergraduate capstone software engineering course to give students exposure to the realities of global software development. In this study, students from Pace University in New York worked as part of an extended team with students from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, developing software for Cambodian customers. This paper explains the goals of the study, describes the teams and their projects, and emphasizes the required logistics for a study of this nature. The findings are discussed, and some lessons for computer science education and global software development are provided. The paper finishes with a brief account of our continuing work in the area