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Improving a Model-Based Software Engineering Capstone Course

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Towards a Collaborative Society Through Creative Learning (WCCE 2022)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 685))

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Abstract

Capstone projects are a common feature of software engineering bachelor’s degrees. We report on the experience and lessons learned from a decade of capstone projects at a small regional Israeli college. We first created a capstone process adapted to the department’s model-based software design philosophy, cultural aspects of the student body, and the sparse industrial environment surrounding the college. After several years, we improved the process through the introduction of mandatory fill-in report templates. Analyses of ten years of project statistics and outcomes led us to an understanding of what capstone features led to better outcomes and how the report templates affected grading outcomes. Our templates are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The academic year for our institution runs from late October to the end of June. July and August are the spring semester final exam period.

  2. 2.

    Pearson correlation test, \([Rp=0.213, p<0.05\)].

  3. 3.

    Spearman correlation test, \([Rs=0.204, p<0.05]\).

  4. 4.

    We used binary logistic regression. The regression model was found to be statistically significant (\(X^2(3)=27.288, p<0.001\)). The predictor variables (independent variables, i.e., grades) explain 28.6% of the variance in the dependent variable (i.e., repeat customers). Prediction success overall was 66.7%.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Jordan Valley, 15132, Zemach, Israel

    Michael J. May & Amir Tomer

Authors
  1. Michael J. May
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  2. Amir Tomer
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Correspondence to Michael J. May .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, La Trobe University, Deepdene, VIC, Australia

    Therese Keane

  2. Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Cathy Lewin

  3. University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

    Torsten Brinda

  4. Istituto Tecnologie Didattiche, Consiglio Nazioanale delle Ricerche, Genoa, Genova, Italy

    Rosa Bottino

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May, M.J., Tomer, A. (2023). Improving a Model-Based Software Engineering Capstone Course. In: Keane, T., Lewin, C., Brinda, T., Bottino, R. (eds) Towards a Collaborative Society Through Creative Learning. WCCE 2022. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 685. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43393-1_51

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43393-1_51

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-43392-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-43393-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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