Teaching systems analysis to software engineering students: experience with a structured methodology

Abstract

An undergraduate degree programme in software engineering was designed to include a systems analysis module, in which the teaching was based on a particular structured methodology. Experience is described of the conflicts that this caused within the curriculum of the degree, and of the way in which these were solved. This involved the development of a structure for the topics forming the subject of systems analysis, which is described along with the new structure for the systems analysis module that was derived from it. It is argued that this structure for systems analysis is also applicable to object oriented approaches and some experience is discussed of applying it within MSc courses as well as undergraduate ones.