Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a1157
From: a1157@mindlink.UUCP (Reece Markowsky)
Newsgroups: comp.object
Subject: Re: class ideas
Message-ID: <3174@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 13 Sep 90 20:06:15 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 21

Hi I completed a software engineering course at Simon Fraser University a few
terms ago.  I love software engineeringa and enjoyed the course to no end.
There were students who did not, however, share my enthusiasm.  The project was
a word processor, and although it provided for a good project, it lacked in
motivation.  Projects where the student is simple faced with a software
solution do not supply the necessary motivation, or insight into the real world
problems that software engineering is there to solve.   My suggestion, to you,
for your class, is to let them to out and solve a real world problem.   Form
groups of four.  And there should be one student in each group that has a part
time job.  I did, at an self-serve Esso.
The student with a part-time job should approach his boss, and put forward the
idea.  That is, that the group will be implementing a software to be used in
his office/store/kiosk etc...
The boss should be aware that this is only a class project and will probably
not exist permanently.  This provides real-life specifications gathering...
the real life communication problems... etc.....

The students, if serious enough, can even complete their product after the
class ends!..

Reece Markowsky