Computer Laboratory – Course material 2009

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Group Project

Lecturer: Dr A.F. Blackwell

No. of lectures: 3

Prerequisite courses: Software Design, Software Engineering, Programming in Java

Aims

The aim of this course is to give students a realistic introduction to software development as practised in industry. This means working to rigid deadlines, with a team of colleagues not of one's own choosing, having to satisfy an external client that a design brief has been properly interpreted and implemented, all within the constraints of limited effort and technical resources.

Lectures

Initial project briefing. Software engineering: design, quality and management, application of course material. Introduction to possible design briefs. Formation of groups, selection of tools, review meetings.
Administrative arrangements. Announcement of group members. Deliverables: functional specification and module design, module implementation and testing, system integration, testing and documentation. Timetable. Advice on specific tools. First project meeting.
Presentation techniques. Public speaking techniques and the effective use of audio-visual aids. Planning a talk; designing a presentation; common mistakes to avoid.

Objectives

At the end of the course students should

have a good understanding of how software is developed;
have consolidated the theoretical understanding of software development acquired in the Software Design course;
appreciate the importance of planning and controlling a project, and of documentation and presentation;
have gained confidence in their ability to develop significant software projects and Part IB students should be prepared for the personal project they will undertake in Part II.

Next: Logic and Proof Up: Michaelmas Term 2009: Part Previous: Concurrent and Distributed Systems Contents