This course extends students' Computer Science and
Engineering education with respect to the real-world enterprise of software
engineering. Since the development of software is central to all but the
most theoretical and esoteric aspects of the field, the knowledge and
exposure to tools and techniques provided by this course are considered
crucial to success in the field.
The focus is on those factors that have the greatest influence on the
success or failure of a software product. (It may come as a surprise to
some that "coding" issues are relatively low on this list.)
Only the most relevant and most important content will
be included in this single semester course. Students are encouraged to
expand upon this foundation through self-study. (The optional reading
list is a good place to start.)
Attend and participate in all classes.
Spend the necessary study time on the topic.
Keep up with all assignments, especially readings. Expect to spend several
hours of your own study time every week in addition to time spent working
on specific assignments.
Memorization requirements are minimal in applied engineering, but some
memorization is necessary for acquiring the fundamental basics.
Send a message or come see your instructor for help
whenever you are unclear.
You are responsible for all course-related items and
following any course-related decisions made at any class session, whether
you attended that session or not.
Written material must be printed, include proper citations, be free of
all spelling and grammatical errors, and use professional language. You
are encouraged to make use of the writing support resources available to
students (such as the UCD Writing Center, x64845) as well as
computerized spelling and grammar checkers.
To facilitate learning and assessment, each student is encourage to
develop and maintain a portfolio documenting course-relevant activities
and products.
The portfolio should document all learning activities, exercises,
and assignments. Each item in the portfolio should be annotated with a
description and a reflection (insights and observations).
The portfolio should also include an annotated
bibliography of sources and references. Details of portfolio structure
and assessment will be discussed in class.
Anticipate two midterms, dates to be decided by the class members,
and no final.
Each student is expected to make a positive contribution to the
class environment.
All grading policies, procedures and criteria are subjects of "full
disclosure." Throughout the semester, if you ever feel unsure about the
assessment rubric or weighting scheme, please discuss this with your
instructor at once.
Grades are based on quality of work, taking into account the
assignments, examinations, portfolio, and contributions within the class
group.
Grading is relative to normative standards and is non-competitive.
The grade of one student does not affect the grade of another (no grading
"on a curve"). The specific weighting scheme will be discussed in class.
Work is accepted at any time prior to the agreed upon
deadline. You need not wait until the actual deadline to turn in
your work.
Make-up work is not accepted unless you have first cleared late
submission with your professor. If late submission is granted,
grading of late assignments will reflect the assumption that you have had
the opportunity to benefit from using the additional time between the
deadline and actual submission and having seen all others' work before
finishing yours, whether or not these are actually the case. Typically
this results in a grade of only 25% of the points the assignment would
have received if turned in before the deadline. No late submissions will
be accepted once answers to an assignment have been discussed in class or
if the assignment has been reviewed and returned.
Go to the Software Engineering home page