Education and Software Engineering

Abstract

Abstract:The discipline of Software Engineering has a history dating back to 1968. However, it is only during the last ten years that real efforts have been made to address it as a profession with appropriate educational support at university levels. The achievements and failures regarding movements in the US towards professionalism in the latter half of the 1990s are first considered. Then parallel and subsequent activities that have taken place on a broader front under the auspices of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) are reported. The framework that the IFIP work has produced is then used in an evaluation of international progress over a ten-year period. Finally a summary of remaining challenges is given.

Computers and Education – Recognising Opportunities and Managing Challenges

“…Regarding professional education within ICT, of particular note was the production in 1998 by a small working group of WG3.4 members of the document entitled "Harmonisation of Professional Standards" (an Appendix in Thompson [49]). At IFIP's World Computer Congress held in Beijing in August 2000, the harmonisation project was re-considered, and over the next 5 years a significant number of international activities were undertaken to promote the IFIP harmonisation document and evaluate its relevance to the discipline of software engineering.…”

“…At IFIP's World Computer Congress held in Beijing in August 2000, the harmonisation project was re-considered, and over the next 5 years a significant number of international activities were undertaken to promote the IFIP harmonisation document and evaluate its relevance to the discipline of software engineering. These activities were reported at the IFIP TC3 WCCE in 2005 and summarised in a paper presented at the IFIP 19 th World Computer Congress [49].…”