Department of Computer Science Advanced Teaching Group

www.cs.ucl.ac.uk / www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk

Department of Computer ScienceAdvanced Teaching Group


Innovation through Collaboration:Teaching Software Engineering with Industry on-board

Dr Dean MohamedallyDirector for Apps Engineering for UCL

Senior Teaching Fellow in Industrial Software [email protected]


The previous graduate cycle• Until 2011, most UK Computer

Science undergraduates were on the same journey

• E.g. Learn to program, CS theory modules, group project, selected advanced modules, dissertation.

• We wanted to innovate and improve on this!


In more detail…• Fictional coursework scenarios and student projects simply “end”• Students are without industry peers for evaluation• Syllabus has assessment constraints – mystical “significant

contribution”• Slower adoption of new technologies and platforms in universities

• Can students examine what is deployed in the world and what it took to deploy?

• What would happen if we gave students real-world clients from year one of study?

• Can we improve on all of the above?


Envisioning future software engineering students

• We looked at what companies are asking of modern graduates. Top answer: visible experience and professionalism.

• We looked at our BSc syllabus, the MSc syllabus and also the Schools key stages IT syllabus. How to get students experienced with the world, how to train professionally.

• The reality is – you are missing from the syllabus.


Need to build up our Solvay standards!


Micro-Software Engineering

• First industry view: 1st years glimpse of a full project lifecycle working with a client

• Three major milestones to achieve:1. Scaffolding2. Discovery3. Game-Changing


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1. Scaffolding = breadth of knowledge. Best principles in a wide range of practices

2. Discovery = depth of knowledge. Going deep into engineering with historical observations and existing success stories to solve real problems in the world

3. Game-changing = creativity in applying knowledge. Enforces design and architecture, testing correctness and management of workload in teams, to encourage output to reach deployed client work

Next-generation software engineers


1st year CS and MSc CS• Eliminate all fictional project work. All students are assigned

team roles with access to appropriate technologies.

• Even a form filling app can still be a publishable app! Web services, graphics algorithms, database solution… for a client.

• We created an App Queue – for companies and research faculties to engage with MScs and First year CS students.

• We designed a multipurpose Apps Lab on site to facilitate all small-medium projects.


• Direct collaborations with R&D tech firms latest works auto-refreshes syllabus and activities each year.

• Give the students the nuances of both success and failure through prototyping.

• We created an industrial and research pathway for students to make something from the state of the art.

• To better prepare our 3rd year, MEng and MSc candidates for research instincts!

2nd year CS and Advanced MScs


New model: UCL Computer Science Industry Exchange

• Teaching how IT firms are successful, needs IT firms on board • Teaching how to deal with clients and users, needs clients and

users on board• Technology agnostic and abstraction is Problem Based Learning• CS students should learn to – Not only solve, but publish software and be visible for it– Be able to create new technologies like scientists, trial

experiments– Integrate with existing processes like engineers, make

better use of existing resources


Industry ExchangeReal world tasks and technologies by real companies and clients. Industry Exchange is set up for two-way communications from industry and taught-arena academia.


Building technologies with Industry Exchange

• 100% real-world client experience for all students since 2011

• Covers both hardware and software development

• Over 400 students - publishing apps, proof of concepts, dissertations and course projects on Industry Exchange.

• Larger programme of mixed faculty projects study with UCL Electrical Engineering, Management Sciences and others as of 2013.


Tech Soc and Student Special Interest Groups (SSIGs)

– Programming languages– Wearable Technologies– Big Data and Predictions– Project Management and Consulting– Cloud Systems– Financial and Risk applications– Games and 3D– Security / Protocols– Robotics and Prototyping– HCI and Information Visualisation– Outreach to Schools


Fastest Robot Racers in London (this year on June 13th 2014!)

2013 - Sponsored by Morgan Stanley


6 Academia–Industry Strategies

1. Matchmaking of student capabilities and motivations with companies.

2. Matchmaking of syllabus points of interest and teaching staff with companies specifications.

3. Resourcing hardware, software, platforms to work with.4. Preparing timelines for both companies and students in

advance to work on collaborations, scheduling and contracts.5. Preparing students with roles, assessment criteria and

project management disciplines.6. Creating a workflow and key persons that allows both

companies and students to have low risks – max gains.


Technology Agnostic Curriculum– Android (all flavours) and Java– C/C++ and Cross Platform development – e.g. OpenGL ES graphics – Visual Studio TFS (C#, F#, .Net platforms) (Windows development)– ObjectiveC with Xcode (Apple & iOS)– HTML5/JavaScript and all web dev languages – Scala and other Financial related languages– Further expansion of Eclipse + plugins and others (Open Source)– In-house Designed PCBs and Arduino devices (Device/Sensor Design)– Azure, SQLite, NoSQL, MongoDB, Hadoop (Database and Cloud access)


Examples of clients across faculty• UCL Medical Illustrations• UCL Enterprises• UCL Business Exhibitions• UCL Management Sciences• UCL Generating Genius (Schools Outreach)• UCL ULO Space Observatory• UCL Research Catalogue• UCL Biophysics• UCL Biochemistry• UCL Laws• UCL Scandinavian Studies• UCL Institute of Archaeology• UCL Institute for Global Health• UCL Institute of Child Health• UCL Flaxman Art Gallery


Examples of medical clients• UCLH & Heart Hospital – cardiac technique annotations• NICOR – statistics from heart operations• NHS Trust - sleep, dementia and behaviour conditions• Cardio-Thoracic Network – training guides and prosthesis calculations• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital – surgical performance reporting• Compression Advisory – limb injuries in sports• NHS Trust GPs – various health monitoring and auditing tools


Major Industrial Partners


Startups, Entrepreneurs, S, M, L, XL, XXL Companies

• All are welcome at UCL.


Last years 2nd year Proof of Concepts projects

With Rick Rashid, Jeanette Wing and Andrew Blake, Microsoft Research


Example proof of concept

GPS data, personal profile sharing, passenger IDs for messaging, on a HUD.Submitted for a competition by Renault and ATOS


Connecting organisations through UCL students


Collaborations can get big!


An “industry projects” teaching pattern is forming…

Innovation in technologies

Students and syllabus matchmaking

allocation

Companies willing to support

Projects run at UCL, Companies “check in”


UCL Systems EngineeringProof of Concepts

design vision + project management + engineering skills

• Our first mixed faculty projects course.

• UCL Computer Science, UCL Management Science and Innovation, UCL Electrical Engineering, UCL Mechanical Engineering, UCL Advances and others.

• Seeking project sponsors for 2014-2015!

Vision Realisation

Management and business planning

Design andcreative arts

Engineering


Examples: the 2013-14 projects!• Launched 17th Sept 2013 with special guest, Bill Buxton from Microsoft• 23 projects sponsored by leading organisations.• Public Demonstrators Showcase on April 30th 2014, 9am to 2pm, in

Roberts Building Front Engineering Foyer, UCL – you’re all invited!


• “BioIMEI” – A wearable Sim card holding device (necklace or ring) that over NFC, enables your unique ID to give your network provisioning and messaging profile on any compatible connected device.

• “Psion2013” - Re-engineer the Psion organiser to feature up to date technologies, direct access to key apps, long term battery life and high speed networking.

• “HealthPassport” / NHS Trust – Develop a wearable “passport” for patients with dementia and learning disabilities for medical attention


• “EngduinoIDE” - Produce an IDE for our UCL Engduinos (www.engduino.org) to be sent to schools, teaching students how to code.

• “Cloudette” - Develop a wifi-enabled portable hard drive solution with a web service for devices to sync whilst share use of its network connectivity to the cloud.


Seeking project collaborations!• App requests, web services for integration, mashups, new SDK APIs• Dissertation and internship projects for clients• Hackathons and competitions for prototyping with industry awards• Guest lectures, new technology launches and sponsorship of events


Ethos for Success‘Students must become visible. They must demonstrate skills that show that they are strategic. They must be fearless with new

technology and ideas, and above all – they must publish to make change.’

Photos from Droidcon UK 2013 showcase by our students


Thank you!

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Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses

•[email protected]

Student projects and Industry Exchange



Events, Sponsorships, Schools Outreach

•[email protected] (UCL CS)

•[email protected] (UCL Engineering)

@UCLEngineering@UCLCS

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Department of Computer Science Advanced Teaching Group