Teaching the Design-by-Contract Concept in a Software Engineering Course Using RESOLVE

Abstract

Design by contract (DBC) is a key concept in software engineering. The RESOLVE language and environment support the teaching and learning of DBC concepts. However, students encounter obstacles in fully achieving the desired educational outcomes. Some of these obstacles are related to the complexity of the content. Additional appropriate exercises can help to address these obstacles. Other obstacles are related to features of the environment and documentation. We propose a variety of interventions to address these obstacles, including potential revisions to the environment, updates to the documentation, and the creation of additional instructional materials.