A senior design course for computer science

Abstract

This paper describes a Senior Team Project Design course required of all Computer Science majors at our institution. The course is somewhat unique in that the students are divided into teams, all working on some aspect of the same problem. Thus, there is an emphasis on communication between teams, an emphasis on ensuring that the design of the various subteams interface, and an emphasis on learning to work as part of a group. The team concept described is an attempt to simulate an actual industrial or commercial environment within the structure and safety of the college classroom. To the students' surprise, the goal is not to implement a program (although we do that) but to illustrate the need for clear design techniques, the need for proper testing procedures and, above all, the need for precise communication.