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Athabasca University

Section 1

Section Goals

  • To define software engineering.
  • To describe the main areas of knowledge in software engineering.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objective 1

  • Define software engineering.
  • Describe the need for a software engineering discipline.
  • Define the characteristics of the software engineering profession.
  • Explain the differences between software engineering and computer science.
  • Describe the disciplines related to software engineering.

Objective Leading Questions

  • When was the term "software engineering" coined by a NATO study group?
  • What are the main characteristics of any profession, and what is the role of the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge in characterizing the software engineering profession?
  • What is the relationship between computer science and software engineering?
  • What disciplines are related to software engineering?

Objective Readings

Required Readings

"Foreword" to SWEBOK [Bourque and Fairley 2014].

"Introduction" to SWEBOK [Bourque and Fairley 2014].

Parnas, D.L. (1998), "Software Engineering Programmes are not Computer Science Programmes," Annals of Software Engineering 6, 19-37. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018949113292

Engle, C.B., Jr. (1989), "Software Engineering is Not Computer Science," In Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Vol. 376. Software Engineering Education, G. Goos and J. Hartmanis (Series Eds.), and N. E. Gibbs (Vol. Ed.), Springer, Berlin, Germany, pp. 257-262. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0042363

Learning Objective 2

  • Define the main areas of knowledge in software engineering.
  • Identify the concepts that define software engineering.

Objective Leading Questions

  • What are the key factors driving change in the field of software engineering?
  • Name the eight main concepts that are the foundation of software engineering.
  • Describe in detail the main characteristics of each of these concepts.

Objective Readings

Required Readings

Wasserman, A.I. (1996), "Toward a Discipline of Software Engineering," IEEE Software 13, 6, 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1109/52.542291

McConnell, S. (1999b), "Software Engineering Principles," IEEE Software 16, 2, 6-8. https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.1999.754046

Glass, R.L. (2003a), "The State of the Practice of Software Engineering," IEEE Software 20, 6, 20-21. https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2003.1241361

Updated August 25 2021 by FST Course Production Staff