Rationale Successful software design and development requires not only good technical skills but also the ability to work well within a team. Typical computer science courses restrict students to working alone on focused well defined assignments. Most students have little opportunity to refine ambiguous requirements especially in the context of working with clients and fellow students. From the onset, this course stresses the importance of teamwork and uses TabletPC technology to enhance the environment for communication and collaboration. Students gain experience with software development concepts, development tools and technology as well as social aspects of software development. The technology is used to support a studio approach to learning, emphasizing active and collaborative work.

Implementation (pedagogy) The format of CS435: Software Engineering (formerly called Software Design and Development) was changed from using prescheduled lecture or lab meetings, to a studio-like approach. Class meetings are held in a wireless classroom/conference room where we are able to dynamically configure physical layouts to support the required activities. One class meeting can now be used to support multiple activities: lecture, individual, and group work and discussion. The course now places an early emphasis on the importance of teamwork. Technology (Tablet PCs and software) to aid collaboration and communication is introduced near the beginning of the semester. The use of exercises to promote and underscore the value of communication and teamwork, while teaching subject matter and how to use technology, is a hallmark of this method. Rather than expecting the students to just "figure out how to work in a group" on their own, help is be given during class to ease the transition from working individually towards working as a team. In order to emphasize active learning (see ref.), class length lectures will be de-emphasized and replaced with much smaller lectures coupled with discussions, examples and group activities motivated by project work.

Implementation (technology) Students were assigned a Tablet PC for their use throughout the semester. Each student was to bring their Tablet PC to every class meeting. Projects and exercises using group work were enhanced by the use of Tablet PCs. Class meetings contained a mix of short lecture, examples, project status discussions, and project work time. Students were instructed throughout the course on the value and practices of good teamwork. The class met 4 days a week. 1. Group install and familiarization - in groups, students prepared Tablet PCs by installing and testing installations of software required for the course. 2. Orientation - teams of students engaged in an activity to learn a basic concept in Agile software development (refactoring, the planning game used in Extreme Programming, etc.). Working first with physical artifacts (paper, tokens, etc.) to help promote group interaction, then continuing by using Tablet PCs. 3. Working in pairs - students reviewed and marked-up sample code while helping each other become acquainted with development principles and practices and the software tools installed on their Tablet PCs. 4. To enhance communication further - each pair shared information with a wiki and a source code repository as they developed a practice project (a game). This gave more in-depth experience with programming tools and development methodology while learning the value of teamwork. 5. Working for an external client - the class, first as smaller groups and then merging into a single team, iteratively developed an application for an external client (F06:robot navigation simulator, F07:sensor network simulator, F08: ad hoc mobile wireless network simulator). The class as a whole communicated with face-to-face conversations, white board, a project wiki, and source code repository.

Resources and References Using Tablet PC: A Guide for Educators, Microsoft Education, 2004. Patterns for Active Learning, J. Eckstein, J. Bergin, H. Sharp, (submitted to PLoP 2002). XP.BE - The XP Game, V. Peeters, P. van Cauwenberghe Xp123 - Exploring Extreme Programming, William Wake. CS435:Software Engineering (formerly called Software Design and Development in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008), Michael Wainer Publications [1] "TabletPCs and Robots: Technology as Platform and Motivator for Explorations and Collaboration", M. Wainer, H. Hexmoor, and M. Riley in Proceedings of the 2007 International Symposium on Collaborative Technologies and Systems, Orlando, FL, May 2007, pp. 115-121. [2] "Realizing the Software Studio Pedagogy: Expanding Opportunities with Technology", M. Wainer, Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society(IADIS) e-Learning 2008, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 2008, pp. 169-176.

This project supported in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Impact on Teaching Early exercises with the Tablet PC are used to coach the social aspects of teamwork as well as the technology. To promote easy and free communications, respect and humility are stressed. Tablet PCs help promote group work by supporting a studio approach which allows the physical layout of classes to adjust to the work plan of the day. Lecture time is reduced and content adjusted to support more ongoing active group work in class. Students are able to increase the quantity and quality of team experiences as well as the familiarity with software that promotes teamwork (version control, wiki etc.). Version control software is introduced earlier allowing students to gain much more experience with this essential tool. Project logs, class observations (including real-time access to the software repository) and student retrospectives are used to help assess attitudes and experiences.

Active Collaborative Learning Students are introduced to an important software development concept as they become acquainted with tabletPCs and teamwork in an early exercise.

Impact on Student Learning Computer Science students, often shy and accustomed to working alone, must learn social skills to work productively within diverse software development teams. Previously, tight schedules, inappropriate workspaces and the lack of instruction in team skills, left many students to find these skills outside of their coursework. This project actively addresses the social aspects students need to become responsible team members. TabletPCs made possible an earlier introduction to collaborative software and allowed more time for supervised hands-on activities. In their retrospective comments, students realized first-hand the value of good communications and teamwork. They each experienced episodes when it worked well and when it could have been better. A typical reaction was a feeling of gratitude for getting this collaborative experience before they enter the professional world. Example quotes from student retrospectives follow: "Teamwork is best learned through experience and I think there is no better way of teaching it." "... I think this kind of process allows us to learn from one another and measure ourselves against our peers to see how we can become better programmers and contributors in future projects ... " "I enjoyed the format of this class very much. ... The TabletPCs were a critical part of this project and I shudder to think how it would have happened without their help." "I think we learn better when you treat us as the leader of a group instead of a teacher lecturing to a bunch of students." "... the tabletPCs were very helpful in the classroom because any of use could move around the class and pair program with someone very conveniently. Not only were they convenient in the classroom, they were convenient outside the classroom; group members could meet anywhere they want instead of confining ourselves in the computer lab."

Quick Facts Dept: Computer Science Courses Impacted: CS435: Software Design and Development (Software Eng.) (additional exercises and projects in Interaction Design, Robotics, Game Programming, Senior Project) # Students Impacted: approx 30 per year (including activities beyond CS435) # Faculty Involved: 4: PI plus additional faculty acting as customers: Dr. Henry Hexmoor, Fall 2006, Robotics Dr. Kemal Akkaya, Fall 2007, Wireless Sensor Networks Dr. Bidyut Gupta, Fall 2008, Ad Hoc Mobile Wireless Network Simulator This project is funded in part by a 2006 HP Technology for Teaching grant.

Contact Us Dr. Michael Wainer Department of Computer Science 1000 Faner Drive - Mail Code 4511 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL 62901 wainer AT cs.siu.edu