Anne Fuller

Using WebCT to support team teaching

Advanced learning technologies facilitate team teaching at the college/university level. Team teaching has been shown to benefit both students and faculty. This paper explores the benefits of using a course management package in an interdisciplinary team environment. Among those benefits are: better communication, student monitoring and support, flexibility in subject deliver, and fostering a collaborative environment. The success in the early developmental stage of integrating one such learning technology (Web Course Tools, or WebCT) into our course has seen the package move from a simple tool to an essential member of a teaching team.

Distributed, collaborative learning environments using ad hoc networks

Computer assisted distributed or collaborative learning environments have been in existence for some time, however one impediment to more widespread use has been the need for a permanent wired network infrastructure. In this paper we discuss the development of a prototype tool that allows the formation of an ad hoc network at any time, and in any locale.

Why software engineering is riskier than ever

The ultimate aim of software engineering methods and tools is to reduce risks associated with the development of software products. Accepted risk management procedures recognize that software development is inherently risky, however fail to take into account the changing nature of both software products and the organizations undertaking their development. SE research has traditionally focused on the needs of very large corporations undertaking equally mammoth and complex development projects, thus most tools and methods are predicated on this model. Yet most software development is undertaken by small to medium enterprises. Consequently, these development efforts are either undertaken with little or no adherence to any SE standard process or by attempting to tailor processes intended for larger organizations. Neither of these alternatives is ideal, with both introducing new elements of risk. The rise of the Internet as a platform for commercial applications has partly driven this move away from monolithic software development and has also contributed to the proliferation of software products built using COTS components. Clearly there is a risk involved in the use of components not developed specifically for a particular application while Internet applications introduce an. entirely new set of possible risks. These newer risk factors directly affect the quality of the software product and the paper discusses these factors in detail, showing how they contribute to making software development today an even riskier proposition than previously.

Experiences using case studies to teach risk

Most software development projects today are facing increased risks. Despite this risk management planning is virtually nonexistent, as managers have not been trained in risk management. Few current software engineering curricula provide comprehensive coverage of risk, nor any practical experience in risk assessment. In this paper we discuss our experience using case studies to teach risk as part of a final year course in software process management with a view to determining the effectiveness of the particular case studies. This experience will be used as a foundation for implementing the full semester course in 2003.

Towards a Generic Model for Agile Processes

The development of the information systems software typically follows standard Software Engineering (SE) practices. SE is a discipline founded on improving development methods to eliminate or mitigate the many risks associated with software projects1 and traditional SE methodologies have generally been classified as following a particular process model e.g. a Waterfall, Spiral or the V process model.2 This ability to apply a particular process model to a method has enabled researchers to theorize about methods in a generic sense and allowed the results of research centered on a particular method to be extrapolated to other methods fitting the same model.

The positive model for offshore team teaching

Like many western universities, the University of Wollongong is offering degrees to an increasing number of offshore students. Our usual offshore teaching model involves intensive delivery of course material. Disadvantages of this model include the brevity of student contact with the UOW academic and delays in response to student questions and concerns regarding the subject. We discuss some results of an experiment using inexpensive and readily available Internet technologies to overcome those disadvantages.

Enhancing team teaching with WebCT

Team teaching has been shown to benefit both students and faculty and we have previously shown a class management package (WebCT) supports an interdisciplinary team environment. However, what happens when the team constituency changes? This paper explores our experience with this situation as we depend on WebCT to facilitate adapting to such a change, further highlighting that WebCT is an integral member of our team.

Remote collaborative teaching for computer science

Like many western universities, the University of Wollongong (Australia) is offering degrees to an increasing number of offshore students. Their usual offshore teaching model involves intensive delivery of course material. Disadvantages of this model include the apparent secondary nature of the offshore academics role and its unsuitability for technical subjects. In this paper, the authors discuss experiments using Internet technologies to overcome those disadvantages.