The empirical study: encouraging students’ interest in software development using test-driven development

Abstract

The supply is not matching the demand on the market for software developers. While the enrolment in undergraduate computer science courses is increasing, few students are interested in and committed to becoming software developers. It could be that students are overwhelmed by the software development methodology that they are taught. We are consequently looking for a constructivist approach to software engineering able to effectively engage learners. We empirically evaluated whether test-driven development (TDD) is able to improve the quality of both learning and of software development in the classroom. Although numerous studies have outlined the benefits and effects of TDD in the classroom, none of those studies have focused on measuring students' interest in and attitudes toward using TDD in the classroom. We present a study evaluating the impact of TDD on the engagement and focus of learners of software development in the classroom. The results illustrate that the use of TDD in the classroom encourages learners to engage and focus.