1. Trends in Graduate Software Engineering Education
Dennis J. Frailey
(Retired) Principal Fellow, Raytheon Company
Adjunct Professor of Computer Science, SMU
Presented at CSEET 2013

2. The Growth of Computer Science
Computer Engineering
Software Engineering
Computer Science
Information Science
Information Technology

3. Elements of a Profession
Public
Licensing Authority
Regulator
Body of Knowledge
Curriculum
Principles
Research
Performance Norms
We also have a project whose goal is to identify the fundamental principles of software engineering. It was started in It is targeted for completion by July 1999.
Body of knowledge - common knowledge and skills expected of most practitioners
Performance norms - criteria to be achieved by competent partictioner
Curriculum - sequenced presentation of knowledge to potential practitioner
Work Force
Professional
Practice

4. Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge
What an Experienced SW Engineer Should Know
GSwE2009 Graduate Software Engineering Curriculum Model
What a Terminal MS in Software Engineering should Teach

5. SWEBOK coverage* in 2007 across 28 SwE MS programs
Study showed wide diversity in what is required/semi-required (>50% chance it is required) in master’s programs in software engineering. Schools were primarily in the U.S., but also included 3 from outside U.S. While some diversity is clearly good, especially at the graduate level, the high degree of diversity in today’s programs supports idea that reference curriculum is needed.
*Coverage in required and semi-required courses

6. How Conservative Is the Education Establishment?
Of 68 institutions that have survived the past 500 years
2 are churches (Catholic, Lutheran)
2 are governments (Iceland, Isle of Man)
64 are universities
This information may be a sign that universities know how to survive
Which may be a sign that their relevance to society is lower than that of anything else!
But the harder they resist, the harder they fall .....
Silber, John, “Straight Shooting; What’s Wrong with America & How to Fix it”, 1990

7. The Changes in Computing

8. We Must Innovate! Re-invent Re-engineer Re-think the way we educate
... or someone else will do it for us
they already are!
We faced similar problems in industry with competition from global competitors and such
The way we have survived is to reengineer ourselves
That means redesigning how we design, produce and deliver our products
Those of us who don’t innovate are going out of business
What We Teach
How We Teach

9. Lectures broadcast by:
An Example: Expanding the Reach of a Conventional Graduate SW Engineering Program
Lectures broadcast by:
Microwave >> Videotape >> DVD >> Internet
Many more students per course
Students from all over the world
All materials now downloaded from www
All communication via internet ( )
Exams conducted via on-site proctors
Or re-engineered to not need proctors
Assignments graded as completed
Here is one very modest example that I have been involved with
At Southern Methodist University, where I am an adjunct professor, we have introduced a large number of videotape courses
Our entire graduate program in engineering is available on videotape
These courses change a lot of the incidental aspects of how we educate
But the result is lower cost and better customer satisfaction

10. Student Observations
Recorded is better than live because I can watch it any time I want to.
I can rerun the recording if I did not understand.
Better Organized
I can schedule around personal obligations.
A large portion of the students taking these courses are working people doing this part time
Students are generally quite enthusiastic about it
Here are some of the comments made by students in the program
The most important benefit is that the approach fits the students’ lives better than conventional courses

11. Sample Personal Difficulties Accommodated With This Program
Spouse passed away
Developed multiple sclerosis
Used computer to do assignments because could not write by hand!
Soldier reassigned to Bosnia
Did assignments via www / internet
Divorced
Crash project at work
To illustrate, here is a representative sample of real-life developments in students’ lives that we have been able to accommodate with this program
Every one of the examples I am using here is from a student who did finish the courses - whereas with many conventional courses they would have been forced to drop out of the course or even the whole program

12. The Way Forward is to Re-engineer How We Educate
Experience from Corporate Reorganizations:
Technology helped
But rethinking the process made the biggest impact
We must rethink education the way we rethink the design of systems when they are too slow or too large
Remember from my previous remarks that technology is only a small part of the solution
The larger opportunity comes with reengineering the process
Which means taking education very seriously and reinventing how we do it
-----
Here again, engineers have an edge ...

13. The Special Opportunity for Software Engineers
Software engineers make applications faster, smaller, & more efficient
We use techniques such as re-engineering, optimization, etc.
Systems Thinking
And we use
We understand processes and process engineering because that is what engineering is all about
Consider some analogies ....

14. Concluding Remarks
If higher education is to survive and grow, we must innovate
Software engineers are uniquely well qualified to do this
We know the technology
We understand processes
If we don’t, somebody else will
Graduate Software Engineering can lead the way
To summarize
If traditional university education is to continue to thrive, we must do things differently
As engineering professionals we have a lot of advantages
We know the technology
We know processes
Let’s do it!

15. PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE REENGINEERING
Recommended Reading
Goldratt, Eliyahu M. & Jeff Cox, The Goal, (North River Press, 1984, ISBN ) Also, Theory of Constraints and It’s Not Luck.
GOLDRATT’S THEORIES OF CYCLE TIME, CONSTRAINT MANAGEMENT, AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ON WHICH TO REENGINEER.
Hammer, Michael & James Champy, Reengineering the Corporation, (Harper Collins, 1993, ISBN )
PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE REENGINEERING
Swartz, James B., The Hunters and the Hunted, (Portland, Oregon, Productivity Press, 1994) ISBN
PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, WITH EMPHASIS ON CYCLE TIME AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO IMPROVEMENT
Weinberg, Gerald M. Quality Software Management, Volume 1, Systems Thinking, (New York, Dorset House, 1992) ISBN Also Volume 2, First Order Measurement, 1993, ISBN
EXPLORES QUALITY AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENT WITH MANY INSIGHTS FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL VIEWPOINT
This is a bibliography of relevant reading material

16. Questions?