Software Engineering

CS 245
Fall 2008

Instructor:

Thomas P. Kelliher
Hoffberger 140
Office phone: (410) 337-6189
Home phone: (410) 931-2946
E-mail: kelliher[at]goucher.edu
http://phoenix.goucher.edu/~kelliher/
Office hours: MWThF 11:00 am-12:00 pm. Other times available by appointment.

Class:

Hoffberger 149
MWF 1:30-2:20pm
http://phoenix.goucher.edu/~kelliher/f2008/cs245/

Objectives:

1. To learn and employ formal software development methodological skills.

2. To design and develop a significant software engineering project.

3. To learn about and become one with Linux.

Expectations:

I expect you to be fluent in Java, have access to any printed Java documentation that you may need, and be able to use the online Java documentation.

Textbooks:

1. E. Stiller and C. LeBlanc, ``Project-Based Software Engineering: An Object-Oriented Approach,'' Addison Wesley, 2002. Required.
2. P. W. Abrahams and B. R. Larson, ``Unix for the Impatient,'' 2nd ed., Addison Wesley, 1996. Optional, order from Amazon or another online bookstore.

Grading:

Grade Distribution

A = [92-100], A- = [90-92), B+ = [88-90), B = [82-88), B- = [80-82), etc. Grades are ``one point rounded.''

Course Point Distribution

There are tentatively 800 total points for the course:

1. Online short essays. Before selected classes, online short essays will be posted on the class Web site for you to complete by 10:00 AM of the day they are due. Each essay will be worth five points and I estimate there will be 14 such essays. 70 points, total.

2. Presentation. Each of you will make a brief, 5-10 minute PowerPoint presentation during the semester on an aspect of software engineering. 30 points.

3. Semester exams. There will be two exams, tentatively scheduled for the following dates: Oct. 15 and Dec. 3. Each will be worth 150 points. If you need to re-schedule an exam, it is your responsibility to let me know a few days beforehand. Exam material will be drawn exclusively from the discussion questions.

4. Semester project. The semester-long team project will be worth 400 points.

5. Final exam. There will be no final exam for this class. In the final's place, on Dec. 18, you will demonstrate your semester project.

Current grades (password protected) may be viewed on the class home page.

Writing Proficiency in the Major:

This course may be used to satisfy the Department's requirement for writing proficiency in the major. If you intend to use this course to satisfy this requirement, you must let me know by the third class so that I may assign extra writing for you.

Course Handouts:

Course handouts will be made available once in class. After that, they may be obtained from the class home page.

Group Work:

This course involves a significant amount of group work. Each of you is expected to perform your fair share of the work and document the work you do. Those who shoulder substantially more or less of the group's workload may have their grades adjusted accordingly.

Attendance:

Attendance of classes is expected. It is your responsibility to catch up on missed class work.

Electronic Communication:

From time-to-time, I will need to send e-mail messages to the class. These messages will be addressed to your official Goucher e-mail addresses. You are responsible for checking your e-mail on a timely basis.

Distractions:

Cell phones must be turned off or set to ``silent'' during class. If you must enter late, do so as unobtrusively as possible. Likewise if you must leave early. Please use mental telepathy if you must hold a personal conference during class. I have ways of making you not talk!

Integrity:

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. We are all bound by the Academic Honor Code, which may be found at
http://www.goucher.edu/documents/General/AcademicHonorCode.pdf

Tom Kelliher