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Software Engineering Methods

Course developer

Course abstract

The aim of this course is to provide insight into software development processes, focusing on the application of scientific and technological methods in software development.
The course covers the software development life cycle (SDLC) processes and activities, software quality assurance, software engineering standards, and best practices, along with sustainability considerations in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
Students gain practical experience by working individually or in groups on software development project planning and technical documentation preparation, applying engineering approaches and methodologies.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

As a result of the study course, students:
• Understand the roles and applications of software development processes in ensuring software quality in accordance with best software engineering practices (assessed through practical work).
• Know how to organize information exchange between participants in a software development project and develop technical documentation (assessed through practical work).
• Are able to work in a group or individually, apply defined process requirements, organize and manage information exchange events, and effectively communicate and justify their opinions (assessed through practical work).

Course Content(Calendar)

Full-time in-person studies:
1. Introduction to Software Engineering 1 (L)
2. Technical Writing 1 (L) 2 (P)
3. Software Life Cycle, Models 1 (L)
4. Operational Concept 1 (L) 4 (P)
5. Documentation Process 1 (L)
6. Reviews 1 (L)
7. Software Requirements Specification 4 (L) 6 (P)
8. Software Engineering Standards 2 (L)
9. User Story 2 (L) 2 (P)
10. Configuration Management 1 (L)
11. Change Management 1 (L)
12. Software Design 4 (L) 6 (P)
13. Software User Documentation 2 (L) 4 (P)
14. Source Code Design, Coding Standards 2 (L) 2 (P)
15. Project Management 2 (L)
16. Risk Management 2 (L) 2 (P)
17. Software Delivery 1 (L)
18. Information Technology Sustainability 1 (L)
19. Course Summary. Theory Test 2 (L) 2 (P)

Requirements for awarding credit points

All practical assignments must be completed and submitted, and a passing grade on the exam is required.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The topics covered in practical work are discussed from a theoretical perspective during lectures. Students are expected to independently acquire additional information on the topics presented in lectures.
Practical work tasks are analyzed during the practical part of the classes. Working in groups or individually, students must independently prepare the required documents for the assignments.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Course Evaluation Format – Exam
The course evaluation is based on a cumulative assessment, which may determine the default exam grade.
The maximum possible score for regular coursework is 80 points (equivalent to 8 marks), distributed as follows:
• class attendance (48 points)
˗ lectures: 16 × 2 = 32
˗ practical classes: 16 × 1 = 16
• practical assignments (32 points)
˗ total grade of practical assignments (8): 20
˗ timely submission of practical assignments: 8
˗ theory test: 4
At the end of the course, the points are summed up and may determine the cumulative exam grade.
• If a student wishes to improve a successful exam grade, they must answer additional theoretical questions.
• If a student does not achieve a passing default grade, they must successfully retake the exam.

Compulsory reading

1. H. Washizaki, eds. (2024). Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK Guide) (Version 4.0). IEEE Computer Society. (www.swebok.org)
2. I. Sommerville. (2011). Software Engineering (9th Edition). Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-703515-1.
3. ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017. Systems and software engineering — Software life cycle processes (LVS Standartu lasītava).
4. ISO/IEC 26514:2022. Systems and software engineering - Design and development of information for users, 2022. (LVS Standartu lasītava).

Further reading

Pressman R.S. (2010). Software Engineering. A Practitioner's Approach (7th edition). McGraw-Hill, New York. ISBN 978–0–07–337597–7.

Notes

Computer Management and Computer Science (Bachelor's) and Information Technologies for Sustainable Development (Professional Bachelor's)