Using heterogeneous formal methods in distributed software engineering education

Abstract

At FernUniversität we developed a new distance education course on Distributed Software Engineering especially designed for graduate students of the Electrical Engineering faculty. The course focuses on reactive software systems which are increasingly being used to monitor and control safety-related devices and high risk technical processes. Erroneous assumptions and insufficient foresight during requirements analysis and design activities are known as major causes of software safety problems. Therefore the course emphasizes development of adequate modeling ideas, precise descriptions of system functions and safety requirements, and careful analysis of design solutions. A simple production cell whose electromechanical components are controlled by individual processors is used as a patent case study. This paper describes some of the motivation behind the organization of the course, sketches the core contents of the course, and reports on experiences from its first run.