Teaching Software Process Models to Software Engineering Students: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

A software process model (SPM) provides an abstract description of the order in which related activities of software development will be undertaken. Many process models available that can be adapted for software development. However, the selection of the best suitable process model with reference to the problem definition, constraints, and stakeholder requirements is a challenging task. Typically, in a Software Engineering (SE) course, students gain knowledge about SPM and realize their usage via classroom lectures and course projects. It is felt that if the basic knowledge imparted, through the fundamental SE course, is supplemented with some focused sessions about the SPM, then it will not only enable students to think in terms of the SPM but will also motivate them to harness the best practices of software development. This paper presents a preliminary study highlighting our experience on SPM-oriented teaching to impart the concept of requirement elicitation and process modeling, by performing a play (drama skit) annotating real-world scenarios. The feedbacks of students have been collected to evaluate whether this exercise helped them in understanding the processes they have to undergo during software development. Additionally, we have compared the student's feedback and performance in the project and reported the finding of the study.