The Software Enterprise

Abstract

“You can’t teach experience” – but you can sure try. At the Polytechnic Campus of Arizona State University, we are developing a learning-by-doing approach for teaching software engineering called the Software Enterprise. The Capstone experience is extended to two one-year projects and serves as the primary teaching and learning vehicle for best practices in software engineering. Several process features are introduced in an attempt to make projects, or more importantly the experience gained from project work, more applicable to industry expectations. At the conclusion of the Software Enterprise students have an applied understanding of how to leverage software process as a tool for successful project evolution. This chapter presents the Software Enterprise, focusing the presentation on three novel aspects: a highly iterative, learner-centered pedagogical model, cross-year mentoring, and multiple projects as a novel means of sequencing learning objectives.