Forum for Advancing Software engineering Education Volume 6 Number 12 May 28, 1996 Contents: Training Requirements Engineers ISWorld Net Faculty Directory Engineering of Embedded Computing Systems Course Re: Engineering of Embedded Computing Systems Course Web Site for Social Issues of Computing Personal Software Process CONCUR96 - CALL FOR DEMOS Ada courseware available ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kpierce@d.umn.edu (Keith Pierce) Subject: Training Requirements Engineers REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERS ARE NOT TEMPORARY WORKERS: How do you train people to determine the requirements of a complex system that needs to be designed? By making them go through the complete life cycles of system projects. "A requirements engineer must embrace end-to-end responsibility for a product's requirements. This support begins with the initial customer discussions, continues through development, and is sustained into maintenance." So the best way to let requirements engineers gain the needed skills is to have them experience the system life cycle from beginning to end. A project is over when the system is (eventually) replaced... and not a moment sooner. (IEEE Software Mar 96 p12) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kpierce@d.umn.edu (Keith Pierce) Subject: ISWorld Net Faculty Directory ISWorld Net is an on-line resource for the global IS community. ISWorld Net can be found at: USA: http://www.isworld.org/isworld.html Australia: http://www.dis.unimelb.edu.au/isworld.html Ireland: http://http://smagal.ucd.ie/isworld.html We are very pleased to announce that we now have available on the World Wide Web a complete revision of the ISWorld Net Faculty Directory. The directory now features: - --complete, current contents of the US-Canada directory maintained at Minnesota by Jan DeGross - --complete, newly updated contents of the Asia Pacific directory compiled by Guy Gable at Queensland University of Technology - --complete, newly updated European directory courtesy of Niels Bjorn-Andersen at Copenhagen - --new southern Africa directory compiled by Derek Smith at Cape Town - --all the directories combined in one single searchable database - --built-in update capability so that you can submit changes to your own record - --a new entry feature for IS faculty and researchers who are not listed in a directory - --a new section for doctoral students only - --more features and contents being developed The ISWorld Net Faculty Directory can be found through ISWorld Net (see URLs above) or directly at: http://webfoot.csom.umn.edu/isworld/facdir/home.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Bruce McMillin" Subject: Engineering of Embedded Computing Systems Course We're trying to develop a course with an interdisciplinary focus on engineering embedded computing systems. The interdisciplinary aspect of the course comes from integrating both mechanical engineering students as well as CS students in a collaborative effort to build an embedded system. The idea is to both enhance the CS students' ability to deal with engineers and engineering projects and to expose the engineers to CS concepts and Software Engineers. From the CS aspect, we want to choose a software engineering paradigm which will (1) aid in the development of the embedded system software and hardware and (2) be understandable and usable both both the CS and mechanical engineering undergrads; the latter of the two may have limited CS experience. I'm interested in hearing other experiences with such a project, either from a curriculum basis or from an industrial perspective, and, of course, from a formal methods aspect. Bruce ---- Bruce McMillin Associate Professor Department of Computer Science University of Missouri-Rolla 325 Math-Computer Science Rolla, MO 65409 USA ff@cs.umr.edu (573)-341-6435 (573)-341-6434: Lab (573)-341-4501: FAX http://www.cs.umr.edu:/~ff/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: dick@csci.csusb.edu (Dr. Richard Botting) Subject: Re: Engineering of Embedded Computing Systems Course You might look into the CORE method for expressing requirements. I don't go much for the diagrams, but the tables seem to be a pragmatic solution to the problem of expressing complex logical conditions. They also have a clear philosophy about distinguishing what is true because of the physical world (like: the robot arm does not bend much except at the joints) from what is needed (like: to put the nut on the bolt...) and what is real (like: the angle of the elbow) from what is sensed (like: the voltage on anlog input channel 21 that is read from the potentiometer in the elbow joint). Here is a ref: Faulk et al 92, Stuart Faulk & John Brackett & Paul ward & James Kirby Jr, The CORE Method for Real-Time Requirements, IEEE Software magazine V9n6(Sep 92)pp22-33 SPC 93, Software Procutivity Consortium Services Corporation, Consortium Requirments Engineering(CoRE) Gudebook(SPC-92060-CMC), Version 01.00.09(Dec 93) However.... this would just be for the requirements part of the embedded system.... for program design perhaps Shaler-Mellor might be a basis (but less formal), or perhaps a Prolog spec/prototype? dick botting http://www.csci.csusb.edu/dick/signature.html Disclaimer: CSUSB may or may not agree with this message. I have no reason to reccommend the above except a hunch based on 25 years experience. Copyright(1996): Copy freely but say where it came from. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: kpierce@d.umn.edu (Keith Pierce) Subject: Web Site for Social Issues of Computing Check out this web site for information on the social issues of computing. http://www.engr.csulb.edu/~jewett/social/ This page is designed to serve as a single entry point into a set of resources dealing with social issues of computing, connecting some of the work of Rob Kling, at U.C. Irvine, Tom Jewett, at C.S.U. Long Beach, and many other sources listed below: Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices, 2nd Edition, written and edited by Rob Kling, published by Academic Press (due Jan 96). Teaching Social Issues of Computing: Challenges, Ideas and Resources, by Tom Jewett and Rob Kling, published by Academic Press (due Jan 96). Sources of Information about courses in social issues of computing, organizations and on-line information, and more. The Information Society, an international quarterly journal, edited by Rob Kling Our "meeting place", where we provide links back to pages with links to this site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 May 1996 07:58:24 -0600 From: Nancy Mead Subject: Personal Software Process Tom Hilburn and I are trying to assess the extent of interest in Personal Software Process in the academic community. Accordingly, Tom has drafted a note and questionnaire to the attendees of the CSEE BOF on PSP. FASE subscribers are also invited to participate. From: Tom Hilburn, ERAU and Nancy Mead, SEI Subject: Personal Software Process Dear Colleagues: This mail was addressed initially to those that attended the 'bird of a feather" meeting on PSP held on 4/23/96 at the 9th CSEE in Daytona Beach. Discussions at this meeting and other conversations at the Conference indicated that there is some interest in continuing a dialogue about PSP concepts and its use in the academic community. This note is meant to start a forum for such a discussion and solicit discussion, suggestions and opinion about how we might proceed, if there is sufficient interest. First, let me summarize what went on in the Birds of a Feather: 1. Most of the group were from academic institutions and most were either teaching some aspect of PSP in a course or were planning on doing so 2. Soheil Kahjenoori (from Embry-Riddle) gave on overview of PSP and discussed how it is being taught at Embry-Riddle 3. Soheil and Susan Macke (from Motorola) discussed how PSP was implemented in the Motorola Paging Products Group 4. Most of the discussion centered around how to integrate PSP into existing undergraduate courses/curricula - there were questions/comments about student motivation, need for resources, pedagogy and faculty training. 5. A few expressed reservations and some skepticism about the value of PSP - there seems to be a need for furnishing experiential and evaluative results related to the teaching of PSP. In order to get things started, I would like to suggest that we begin with a questionnaire to collect information about our experience and interest in PSP and related matters. This will give us a feeling for whether this effort should continue and what sort of things might be helpful and productive. So, I would like to ask each of you to fill out and return the enclosed questionnaire. I will be glad to collect the forms and provide a summary of results to all participants. Please return the form by June 13, 1996. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PSP Questionnaire Name: _____________________________________________ Position: _____________________________________________ Institution/Company: _____________________________________________ Telephone: ___________________ e-mail: ____________________ e-mail: Mail Address: _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ << please return to hilburn@db.erau.edu by June 13, 1996. >> ------------------ << please pass copies of this to others that you think might be interested >> 1. Indicate your level of interest in establishing a group for exploring the use of PSP in an academic setting by checking one of the following: a. _____ I am not interested in participating in the establishment of such a group. (If you checked here, you do not need to complete the rest of the questionnaire. Thank you for your response.) b. _____ I am not interested in participating in the establishment of such a group; but, I would like to be kept apprised of the group's activities? c. _____ I am interested in participating in the establishment of such a group. 2. Describe your current or anticipated experience/interest in PSP ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. What sort of activities do you think we need in order to support the effective use of PSP in undergraduate/graduate curricula? Please check those you think should be pursued at this point. Add any special comments. a. ____ tutorials/ short courses Comments: _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ b. ____ Web page (resources, news, shared experiences, etc.) Comments: _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ c. ___ panel discussions (e.g., SIGCSE, CSEE) Comments: _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ d. ____ newsletter Comments: _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ e. ____ coordinating committee (Would you be willing to serve on such a committee?) Comments: _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ f. ____ other ____________________________ Comments: _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. Please use the below space to make any additional comments - ideas, suggestions, or special insights. Comments: ___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Thanks you for your response. Tom Hilburn Department of Computer Science Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach FL 32114 e-mail: hilburn@db.erau.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: priami@di.unipi.it (Corrado Priami) (by way of kpierce@d.umn.edu (Keith Pierce)) Subject: CONCUR96 - CALL FOR DEMOS CONCUR96 - CALL FOR DEMOS August 26 - 29 Pisa - ITALY In connection with the international conference CONCUR'96, some sessions devoted to demonstrations of (semi-)automatic academic tools for the analysis and verification of concurrent systems are organized. We have a limited number of slots available, thus we will make a selection of the demonstrations on the basis of proposals prepared as specified below. CONCUR'96 and Demonstrations will take place at Pisa, Italy, on August 26-29, 1996. Authors are invited to submit proposals according to the following format - - names, affiliations and addresses of the authors - - an abstract of one page describing goals and functionalities of the tool - - a precise description of the hardware and the software needed Proposals that are not prepared according to the above guidelines will not be considered for selection. Proposals for academic tool demonstrations must be sent to (electronic submissions are solicited) Corrado Priami Dipartimento di Informatica Universita' di Pisa Corso Italia, 40 56100 PISA - Italy Tel. (+39) 50 887 268 Fax (+39) 50 887 226 Email: priami@di.unipi.it Important dates: Deadline for submission: June 10 1996 Notification of acceptance: July 1 1996 For any information, please send requests to priami@di.unipi.it Corrado Priami Universita' di Pisa Tel.: +39 (0)50 887268 Dipartimento di Informatica Tlx.: 590291 DIPISA I Corso Italia, 40 Fax: +39 (0)50 887226 I-56125 PISA, Italia Further details on the conference and on the demonstrations are available by WWW at the location http://www.di.unipi.it/~ugo/CONCUR96/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: jdalbey@cymbal.aix.calpoly.edu (John Dalbey) Subject: Ada courseware available SOFTWARE ENGINEERING APPRENTICE PROJECT Courseware Availability Announcement The Software Engineering Apprentice project is a curriculum development effort funded by a grant from DISA. We have developed a set of innovative programming exercises in Ada that can be used in a Fundamentals of Computer Science course sequence. Instead of the typical small "throwaway" programs often assigned in a first course, the exercises we developed require students to test, maintain, and enhance already working Ada programs that are several hundred to several thousand lines long. The courseware includes the source code, specifications, test plans, and design documents for eight "case studies" as well as the student exercises and instructor notes and solutions. Here is a brief description of the eight case studies: Pizza - Calculates unit price of a pizza. Moon Lander - A simulation of landing a rocket on the moon. Hurkle - A simple guessing game in which the user tries to guess where the computer has hidden a "hurkle" on a square grid. Jotto - A more sophisticated guessing game in which the user tries to guess a five letter word chosen by the computer. Inventory - Display, search, and update a simple flat database stored in a text file. Mahjongg - A very sophisticated solitaire game based on the popular PC game. Prospero - A simulation of a priority queue in the context of guests waiting to visit the king. Animals - A "20 questions" style game in which the computer tries to guess an animal that the user has chosen. The instructional materials and computer software are very portable across hardware and software platforms. The laboratory materials can easily be adopted to augment any existing introductory course in Ada programming. The materials are not dependent upon a specific textbook or lecture format and can easily be customized, modified, or enhanced. These course materials are available free of charge from the Software Engineering Apprentice Project. A three page summary can be read by pointing your WWW browser to: http://www.csc.calpoly.edu/~jdalbey/swebrief.html The complete courseware package (in ZIP format) is available via anonymous ftp from: ftp://statler.calpoly.edu/pub/disa/cs1_labs/cs1_labs.zip Dr. John Dalbey jdalbey@calpoly.edu Computer Science Department (805) 756-2921 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 E------------------------------------------------------------------- FASE Volume 6 Number 12 Send newsletter articles to one of the editors, preferably by category: Articles pertinent to corporate and government training to Kathy Beckman, sdmce@access.digex.net; Academic education, and all other categories to fase@cs-server.d.umn.edu, or to Keith Pierce, kpierce@d.umn.edu. Send requests for information or to add or delete a subscription to fase-request@cs-server.d.umn.edu with one of the words HELP, SUBSCRIBE, or UNSUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT line. Send problem reports, returned mail, or other correspondence about this newsletter to kpierce@d.umn.edu You can retrieve back issues by anonymous FTP from from ricis.cl.uh.edu or through WWW at URL http://ricis.cl.uh.edu/FASE/ Keith Pierce -- Academic/Misc Editor and ListMaster University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812-2496 USA Phone: 218- 726-7194 Fax: 218-726-6360 Email: kpierce@d.umn.edu Kathy Beckman -- Corporate/Government Editor Computer Data Systems One Curie Ct., Rockville MD 20850 USA Phone: 301-921-7027 Fax: 301-921-1004 Email: sdmce@access.digex.net David Eichmann -- FASE Archivist University of Houston - Clear Lake Box 113, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058 USA Web: http://ricis.cl.uh.edu/eichmann/ Phone: 713-283-3875 Fax: 713-283-3810 Email: eichmann@rbse.jsc.nasa.gov or eichmann@cl.uh.edu Laurie Werth -- Advisory Committee Taylor Hall 2.124 University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 USA Phone: 512-471-9535 Fax: 512-471-8885 Email: lwerth@cs.utexas.edu Nancy Mead -- Advisory Committee Software Engineering Institute 5000 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA Phone: 412-268-5756 Fax: 412-268-5758 Email: nrm@sei.cmu.edu