© 2008 Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Education: How Far We’ve Come and How Far We Have To Go Nancy R. Mead April 17, 2008

© 2008 Carnegie Mellon University

Software Engineering Education:How Far We’ve Come and How Far We Have To Go

Nancy R. MeadApril 17, 2008

2© 2008 Carnegie Mellon University

Agenda

History

• Timeline

• 60s

• 70s

• 80s

• 90s

Present – 00s

Future


History

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Future


History: The 60s

Software engineering as a term first appears in the literature

Early publications on structured programming

1960s


History: The 70s

IBM Federal Systems – Harlan Mills convinces then Division President John Jackson to train all programmers in structured programming and leaders in structured design

IBM forms Software Engineering Institute, an educational organization at the corporate level in New York

Early MSE programs are started – Wang Institute, Seattle University, Texas Christian University

Software engineering books start to appear – Linger, Mills, Witt; Fairley

Dick Fairley Rick Linger

Mark Ardis

Harlan Mills

1970s


History: The 80s

1980s

SEI contract is developed – RFP followed by award to Carnegie Mellon University in 1984

Angel Jordan Nico HabermannMary Shaw


History: The 80s

1980s

Norm Gibbs is hired as Director of Education at SEI

First CSEE is held in 1986/87

Nancy Mead and others at IBM submit papers

Curriculum Design Workshop held in 1988

MSE Model Curriculum published in 1989

SEI Continuing Education Program is started

Norm Gibbs Jim Tomayko


History: The 90s

1990s

CMU MSE is started in 1990 with first graduates in 1991


History: The 90s

1990s

Forum for the Advancement of Software Engineering Education (FASE) is started in December 1991

Online newsletter distributed to many educators in many countries

Editors include Keith Pierce, Don Bagert, Susan Mengel, Barrie Thompson, and Helen Edwards

Don Bagert Barrie Thompson


History: The 90s

1990s

CSEE becomes CSEET and transitions from SEI event to IEEE Conference. Nancy Meadis first Steering Committee Chair; subsequent chairs are Don Bagert and Tim Lethbridge.

WGSEET is started under Nancy Mead’s leadership in 1995.

WGSEET topics include curriculum development, professionalism, industry-university collaboration


Curriculum Development

Early effort by ERAU in support of FAA

Curriculum development work by WGSEET, published as SEI reports

WGSEET members successfully apply for a grant to develop materials (SWENET)

Subsequent efforts by ACM, IEEE resulting in standardized curricula


Undergraduate Software Engineering Programs

First program at RIT in 1996

Merger of CSAB and ABET started, becomes official in 2001

Numerous engineering programs at present

Mike Lutz


Industry-University Collaboration

Studies of successful industry-university collaboration, publication of success stories


Software Engineering Coordinating Committee (SWECC)

SWECC started in 1999

Dennis Frailey


SWEBOK

In 1998, IEEE Computer Society funded effort to develop a software engineering body of knowledge – multiyear effort, numerous writers, several stages of review and revision. Open review process. Industrial Advisory Board.

Robert Dupuis and Pierre Bourque are editors

SWEBOK adopted by IEEE Computer Society in 2004

http://www.swebok.org/


Licensing of Software Engineers

Widespread debate in the U.S.

Texas Board votes to license software engineers in 1998

Don Bagert 1st licensed software engineer in state of Texas

Licensing process is different in other countries – more closely linked to degree programs. Licensing faced legal challenge in Canada.

Remains to be seen whether licensing will become common practice.


Certification of Software Engineers

Initiated by IEEE Computer Society CSDP (Certified Software Development Professional)

Exam carefully constructed and tested

Less controversial than licensing, avoids use of term engineer


Present


Academy for Software Engineering Education and Training

ASEET added to CSEET conference in 2006

Experts engaged to help mentor present and future software engineering educators

This year’s ASEET included Barry Boehm as keynote speaker and Vic Basili, Jared Richardson, and Dieter Rombach as instructors

Dan Port Tom Horton


Evolution of CSEET

CSEET goes international! Spain 2003, Canada 2005, Ireland 2007,

India 2009

Heidi Ellis Nancy Mead and Barb Gibbs


Many universities are offering international degree programs, either by electronic delivery or branch locations.

CMU examples: Japan, Greece, Qatar, Australia

International Degree Programs


Software Engineering Education Tracks Introduced in Other Conferences

ICSE

COMPSAC

FIE

SIGCSE


Future


New Curriculum Development

Integrated Software and Systems Engineering Curriculum (iSSEc)

Influence of other specialties such as software assurance


Evolution of Degree Programs

Globalization – not just international programs but programs that reflect the global nature of software engineering

Multiple software engineering degree programs as suggested by Parnas at CSEET 2007

David Parnas


Other Trends

Electronic publishing – journals, books, use of the Web for research

Webcasts


Our Challenge

Leadership in the evolution of software engineering education

Mentoring new faculty

Encouraging industry-university collaboration

Legitimizing educational research

Furthering the profession

Documents

© 2008 Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Education: How Far We’ve Come and How Far We Have To Go Nancy R. Mead April 17, 2008