María Clara Gómez-Alvarez

Gamification Proposal for Defect Tracking in Software Development Process

Software process improvement is an approach used by software industries to increase the productivity and quality of their processes and products. One important issue is the social interaction among the team members looking for productivity enhancement, motivation and training, among others. However, these social skills are difficult to train in a traditional way both in academic and industrial environments. This difficulty could be address-using gamification like a strategy to improve the social factors related to the software development process. In this paper, we present a gamification proposal focused on training in defect tracking. This training looks for evaluation, implementation and use of a pedagogical instrument (game) for train in defect tracking practices following the principles of gamification. Additionally this instrument promotes other skills like teamwork, negotiation and effective communication.

State of the Use of Gamification Elements in Software Development Teams.

One of the fundamental skill that every professional should have, especially in the area of software engineering, is collaborative work, because teams’ members are required to collaborate to develop software. In this environment, one of the techniques currently being used for achieving activities involving collaborative teamwork is gamification. However, there is a lack of techniques to create software development teams through gamification. This paper presents a study of the use of gamification elements in the software engineering environment for collaborative work, in order to identify those elements that can be applied to create highly effective teams for software development.

Toward an Assessment Framework for Gamified Environments

Gamification is a recent strategy used in several contexts, in our case we implement gamification as a strategy to promote a dynamic environment in Software Process Improvement (SPI) initiatives. Gamification can be a mechanism to transform SPI approaches, since it has great potential to increase engagement and enjoyment in teams. In this paper, we present a proposal for the assessment of gamified environments in order to assure that gamified experiences meet the purposes, goals, principles and elements that are defined as gamification fundamental components. Our proposal is oriented towards the definition of an assessment framework for gamified environments that comprises the identification and adoption of gamification principles, as well as a design method for gamified activities.

Gamification to Identify Software Development Team Members’ Profiles

Nowadays, the software development means teamwork, in both industry and academia. Because of the soft skills and knowledge that each team member brings to the team, for high performance teams, the human factor turns out to be a key element. Therefore, building a well-structured team implies to consider its members’ individualities, which will compose the coexistence that will directly impact the team. In order to observe collaboration in a similar to real life situation, in this paper we propose the use of a contraption based on the Rube Goldberg machine to gamify the identification of software development team roles focusing on knowledge, skills and interactive styles toward the integration of high performance teams. A virtual reality tool was developed to provide an attractive way to support the integration of high performance teams for software engineering. This paper includes both the description of the virtual environment and the first results of implementing it. The first results show that after using the virtual environment the teams obtained better performance.

Assessment Framework for Gamified Environments: A Gamification Assessment Model for Implementing the Framework.

Gamification is a recent strategy used in several contexts like marketing, education and public health. We implement gamification as a strategy to promote a dynamic environment in Software Process Improvement initiatives. However, there are insufficient well-established theoretical guidelines for design and assess gamified experiences. Our research is oriented to the use of a framework for assessing gamified environments, which comprises the identification and adoption of gamification principles, as well as a design method for gamified activities. This framework is a proposal for the assessment of gamified environments looking for assure that gamified experiences meet the purposes, goals, principles and elements that are defined as gamification fundamental components. In this paper, we present a gamification assessment model for implement the framework that allows to calculate the level of gamification of a gamified environment. Such model is applied in an environment called Video Scrum and allows to verify gamification level from measurement rules.

Games-based assessment strategy: Case systems engineer of Universidad de Medellín [Estrategia de evaluación basada en juegos: Caso Ingeniería de Sistemas Universidad de Medellín]

Assessment is a key element of the teaching-learning process as it allows monitoring of student’s progress. New regulations emanating from the Colombian Ministry of Education look for the promotion of formative, integral and qualitative assessment practices targeting the development of student’s abilities rather than mere acquisition of course content. Meeting these new goals requires innovative strategies to motivate students while reducing the stress generated by assessment activities. This paper describes the results of the introduction of a videogame /computer’s game as an evaluative activity in a course of the System Engineering undergraduate program at Universidad de Medellin. These results reveal that the incorporation of computer’s games in assessment activities encourages teamwork and promote greater students’ involvement in the learning process.

An Extension of the SEMAT Kernel for Representing Teaching and Learning Practices about Embedded Systems

Demand for embedded systems has increased in recent years. This demand requires engineers with specialized skills and knowledge. For this, the higher education institutions are developing training strategies aimed primarily at lectures and laboratory practices. However, these strategies are insufficient for the development of technical and social skills required by engineers. In addition, currently there is a lack of a common framework to facilitate teaching-learning process and achievement of learning objectives. In this paper, the authors present a proposal for representation of teaching and learning practices about embedded systems, which have been oriented to track and encourage competency development. The proposal is based on the SEMAT kernel as universal framework for representing software engineering practices, defining an extension to such kernel. In addition, a methodology is proposed with a practical approach for creating theories related to computing, this methodology is used to define an extension of the SEMAT kernel for another discipline domain. In this paper, a first form of general representation of teaching and learning practices about embedded system is proposed. The proposal includes the minimum elements that should have any practice of teaching and learning about embedded systems, and the extension mechanisms to represent specific elements.

Method to Establish Strategies for Implementing Process Improvement According to the Organization’s Context

Software process improvement has become a logical way to address the growing need of increasing the competitiveness in software development organizations. Unfortunately, not all process improvement implementations have the desired results, because the existing models and standards focus their attention on “which activities to implement” without addressing “how to implement them”. However, identifying which are the activities to implement is not enough; the knowledge of how to implement them is required for a successful implementation of software process improvement initiatives. This paper shows a method that provides strategies for the implementation of software process improvements based on the contextual aspects in which the software is developed, so that, the strategy is provided according to the organization needs and their work culture regarding project management.

Trouble hunters: A game for introductory subjects to computer engineering

Growing demand for embedded systems translates into the need for professionals with specialized skills and knowledge for the production of systems that integrate hardware and software. Teachers and institutions incorporate innovative strategies from the earliest stages of the formation of professionals who build embedded systems. The game as a creative and innovative strategy has proven efficiency in the training of professionals from different disciplinary domains. In this paper the use of a serious game for the development of social and ethical skills is proposed. The game is called Trouble Hunters where participants make up commissions of inquiry to analyze the failed cases of software development. In this way, participants must identify causes, consequences, missing competencies and wrong decisions by engineers. Additionally creativity is promoted with answers through cartoons, logos or hieroglyphics.