A Framework for Software Engineering Education: A Group Projects Approach

Software Engineering (SE) programmes at institutions of higher education aim to produce software engineering specialists who have the required knowledge of the SE tools, techniques and methods as well as the technical expertise to design and develop complex software. These programmes are generally well designed, however, those completing such programmes do not necessarily possess the required skills because of several inherent issues. This paper presents a framework for the provision of SE education using a Group Projects approach and suggests that there is a need to provide opportunities for students to work individually and in pairs in their first year of the course, in groups of 4-6 in the second year and in larger groups of at least 10 in the final year. Discussing the issues, the paper presents solutions to some of the difficulties that are often encountered with respect to team working, in particular: team formation, allocation of projects, group dynamics and project management and assessment. The aim is to put forward proposals to improve the effectiveness of SE programmes.