Abstract
The discipline of software engineering has been gaining increasing significance in computer science and engineering education. A technological revitalization of software engineering education requires a considerate examination from both human and social perspectives. The goal of this chapter is to adopt a systematic approach towards integrating Social Web technologies/applications in software engineering education, both inside and outside the classroom. To that regard, a pedagogical patterns-assisted methodology for incorporating Social Web technologies/applications in software engineering education is proposed and explored. The potential prospects of such integration and related concerns are illustrated by practical examples. The directions for future research are briefly outlined.
TopBackground
In this section, the human and the social aspect of software engineering is briefly traced, and the role of IT in realizing it in practice is outlined.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Software Engineering: A discipline that advocates a systematic approach of developing high-quality software on a large-scale while taking into account the factors of sustainability and longevity, as well as, organizational constraints of resources.
Constructivism: A theory of learning that views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based upon current and past knowledge. It is based on the premise that learning involves constructing one’s own knowledge from one’s own experiences.
Software Process: A set of activities, methods, and transformations that are used to develop and maintain software and its associated products.
Objectivism: A theory of learning that views knowledge as some entity existing independent of the mind of individuals. The goal of instruction is to communicate or transfer knowledge to learners in the most effective manner possible.
Open Source Software: A single encompassing term for software that satisfies the following conditions: (1) non-time-delimited, complete software whose source is publicly available for (re)distribution without cost to the user, (2) imposes minimal, non-restrictive licensing conditions, and (3) is itself either based on non-proprietary technologies or based on proprietary technologies that conform to (1) and (2).
Web 2.0: A set of economic, social, and technological trends that collectively form the basis for the future Web as a medium characterized by user participation, openness, and network effects.
Information Technology: A technology for activities related to information, such as acquisition, creation, communication, dissemination, processing, archival, retrieval, transformation, and so on, within the context of the Internet and the Web.
Scaffolding: A teaching strategy in which the teacher takes upon a passive role and provides only the basic transient support towards the learning techniques deployed with the goal that the students take responsibility of their own learning.