Student view of SE study program at FER, Zagreb Ivan Belfinger Mentor: prof. dr. sc. Krešimir Fertalj Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Overview Introduction Analysis of three years of undergraduate study Other issues Conclusion DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Introduction Study program at Faculty of EE and Computing - 3 years undergraduate + 2 years Masters DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

First year of study program 1st semester: Programming and Software Engineering: Fundamentals of programming, C programming language 2nd semester: Algorithms and Data structures: Hash and sort algorithms, data structures (OO programming removed few years ago), C programming language Computer Architecture 1: Processor and computer architecture; ARM too early? DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

First year of study program Badly organized Large number of students Uninterested professors and assistant profesors Low criteria because of the students who have courses they might not find useful in later years DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

C programming language problem Used extensively during first years Ok for basic concepts that are being demonstrated – hard to use for future projects Students finish first few years with a thought that C programming language is only language they need to know Problems in later years practically unsolvable using C Alternatives: Python, Java, migration? DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Second year of study program 3rd semester: Operating Systems: Operating system design, multithreading, C programming language 4th semester: Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science: Automata and grammars, programming language of choice Databases: Relational databases, SQL – useful! DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Second year of study program Noise – courses in Physics 2 and Electronics Useless in their current form, badly lectured, high criteria Computing courses are marginalised; at the end of the second year, only few useful courses in computing Introduction to Theoretical C.S. issue Problems unsolvable using current knowlege C is not enough Some students buy solutions from older colleagues DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Third year of study program 5th semester Communication Networks, Software Design Project Programming Language Translation: Students write their own compiler in teams, again, without proper programming skills Software Design: Based on Sommerville book Team project (8 students per team) Theory hardly applicable in practice DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Third year of study program 6th semester Development of Software Applications, Programming Paradigms and Languages, Design Patterns in Software Design, Artificial Intelligence etc. Students lack fundamental knowlege, most courses have to start from beginning OO programming is taught for the first time DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Later years Because of the shortcomings in study program, students suffer the most Student who are warned about these problems by older colleagues and fill gaps in knowledge themselves, have better results Temporary solution – warn students about those problems Premanent solution – change study program in first years DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Literature and lectures Doesn’t seem to be reviewed by those who use it most – students Understandable to those who wrote it; isn’t adapted for studying Important stuff isn’t emphasised enough DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Motivation Students aren’t motivated enough with interesting problems E.g.: Programming for social networks, smartphones, graphical interfaces Programming can and should be interesting Lecturers sometimes seem uninterested to their own lecture (students notice that) DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

OO paradigm Lectured too late Lectured too fast – concepts that take months to understand are lectured in just a few weeks It’s importance is demonstrated too late Alternatives: Make enrolment to at least one skill course of object oriented language obligatory (Java, C#, Python) DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Team projects Extremely positive experience Students learn from other students, especially from older colleagues Best students in teams are often preoccupied These students often learned most things themselves Overworked because of their previous extra work Encourages mediocrity DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Syllabus Before: three cycles + one repeated exam; now: two cycles + multiple indepedend exams Positive change, allows students to adress gaps in their knowlege and not lose an entire year Less stress, more chance to rectify mistakes But, distribution of problems during semester and literature at some courses stayed the same DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

ECTS credit Distribution of ECTS credits is nonrepresentative: Programming and Software Engineering – 6 credit Skills of Communication – 3 credit Development of Software Applications – 4 credit Development of Software Applications takes more time than both of those courses, by the factor of at least 3 Examples are abundant This makes planing a semester hard (especially during semesters with elective courses) DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Conclusion Many positive and negative examples of courses and lecturers Some professors are uninterested Others put a lot of effort and energy into teaching (weekend skill courses) Big gaps in knowledge Earlier segregation of study programs and modules? Offer older students to work with younger students in exchange for extra credit? Feedback by polls (surveys) – ignored by students and professors DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –

Q & A Thank you! 19 DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. –