Computer Science Department

CS 614-D: Advanced Topics in Software Engineering --- Measurement, Analysis & Evaluation, Spring 2013

Special Focus: Testing Untestable Software

Course Syllabus

UNDER CONSTRUCTION --- EXPECT CHANGES.

Description

During the Spring 2013 semester we focus on methods to objectively test and evaluate programs that are classified as untestable. A program is untestable when necessary elements required for comprehensive automated testing are not available. For example, automated testing is not possible without an automated test oracle. Scientific software, programs developed for science research, is often untestable because the programs are developed to discover a solution to an unsolved problem and/or there is too much output for automatic verification. We will examine the requirements for testable software and find approaches for making untestable software testable through improved testing and/or analysis techniques. We will take a quantitative measuremnt approach throughout the course.

Objectives: To

• Understand the requirements for testable software, and the causes of untestability.
• Identify and evaluate approches for testing untestable software.
• Learn how to frame and solve a research problem in software engineering.
• Learn how to critically evaluate research literature and other technical publications in software engineering.

 

Prerequisite: You must satisfy at least one of the following:

• Successful completion of CS514 or CS517.
• Permission of instructor.

Instructor: Jim Bieman, bieman(at)cs.colostate.edu

Office Hours:

TBA

When and Where: Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30 PM to 1:45 PM 425 CS Building.

Course Structure

The course will have three components: Lectures, Seminars, and Project Presentations

Lectures

Formal lectures to introduce topics will be presented as needed.

Seminars

Seminars are a major component of this course. In a seminar, students will give presentations concerning an assigned paper. Depending on the number of students enrolled, one or two of the students will present the results as described by the author of the paper (the pro side), while the other students will present critiques that point out flaws and other concerns in the paper (the con side). Each side will have a set time, usually 20 minutes, to make their presentations. A discussion of the paper's content and other related topics will follow. Sometimes we will review two conflicting papers, where each paper presents a different viewpoint. Each student in the class is expected to maintain a diary or blog of the discussions that take place in seminars. Diaries/Blogs must be submitted at the end of the semester for grading. A diary/blog should clearly state the contributions that the students (including the author of the diary) made to each discussion and give a synopsis of each discussion that highlights the major points made. Students that participate actively and constructively in the discussions will receive more marks than those that are passive.

Presentation Schedule

• To be announced.

Assignments

Students will write detailed critiques of two or three of the papers reviewed in the class. In addition, students must bring five written questions concerning each paper that will be discussed in class; a copy of the questions will be turned in. There may be other assignments given during the lecture component of the course. These assignments will reinforce the concepts covered in the formal lectures.

Research Report

Each student is expected to do a research project, poster, and report.

Each Student must discuss his/her topic with the lecturer and must submit a research proposal abstract for approval and a full proposal. The date for submission of research proposal abstracts and full proposals will be announced in the class and posted on the class RamCT site.

Important Notice: A requirement of this course is the submission of critiques, research project proposals and reports via RamCT SafeAssign. According to the From SafeAssign documentation:

"SafeAssign is a plagiarism deterrent software program that is now built into our version of RamCT. SafeAssign compares submitted assignments against a pool of academic papers to identify areas of overlap between the submitted assignment and existing works. SafeAssign can be used as a means to deter plagiarism and to educate students on how to properly cite other sources in their work."

Grading Information

Grades will be allocated as follows:

• Research project (proposal abstract, proposal, progress report, poster, report, and presentation): 55%
• Seminar diary/blog: 10%
• Seminar discussion participation: 10%
• Seminar presentations: 10%
• Paper critiques and other assignments: 15%

Reading Materials

• Course Notes.
• Selected papers from the literature.
• Reference text: N. Fenton and Shari Pfleeger. Software Metrics: A Rigorous and Practical Approach 2nd
  Edition" 1998. PWS Publishing, Boston. Int. Thompson Computer Press. ISBN:
  0-534-95600-9, or 0534954251. (Available online)
• Reference text: P. Ammann and J. Offutt. Introduction to Software Testing. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, ISBN 0-52188-038-1, 2008.
• Reference: Testing Object-Oriented Systems: Models, Patterns, and Tools. Robert Binder. Addison-Wesley, 1999. ISBN: 0-201-80938-9

A detailed list of reading materials will be updated during the semester.

The course notes and reading list will be posted to the password-protected RamCT CS-614 home page.

Professional Conduct

Cheating/Student Ethics.  This course will adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy of the Colorado State University General Catalog and the Student Conduct Code. Read the following:

• The Code of Conduct for the Department of Computer Science.
• The Computer Science Department Student Information page which describes advising, registration, academic integrity policies, and other relevant information.

Professional Behavior in the classroom and Labs. We work to maintain an environment supportive of learning in the classroom and laboratory. Towards that end, we require that you be courteous to and respectful of your fellow participants (i.e., classmates, instructors, GTAs and any tutors). In particular:

• Please turn off the ring on your cell phone. If you are expecting an emergency call, sit near the door and slide out discretely to take it.
• If you plan to use a laptop during class, please sit at the back of the classroom and turn off any sound from the machine. The tap-tap of the keyboard and the images showing on a screen can be distracting to those sitting around you. Also, be aware if you IM during class, that giggles, snorts or other reactions to what you are reading can be heard by the class and instructors and may be completely inappropriate with what is going on in the classroom.
• Laptops must be shut and phones and other electronic devices (including phones) must be put away during exams and quizzes.

Academic Integrity. We take academic integrity seriously. At minimum, academic integrity means that no one will use another's work as their own. The CSU writing center defines plagiarism this way:

"Plagiarism is the unauthorized or unacknowledged use of another person's academic or scholarly work. Done on purpose, it is cheating. Done accidentally, it is no less serious. Regardless of how it occurs, plagiarism is a theft of intellectual property and a violation of an ironclad rule demanding `credit be given where credit is due'."

If you plagiarize, get others to do your assignment, or do someone elses assignment you could lose credit for the plagiarized work, fail the assignment, or fail the course. Plagiarism could result in expulsion from the university. Each instance of plagiarism, classroom cheating, and other types of academic dishonesty will be addressed according to the principles published in the CSU General Catalog (see http://www.catalog.colostate.edu/FrontPDF/1.6POLICIES1112f.pdf).

Of course, academic integrity means more than just avoiding plagiarism. It also involves doing your own reading and studying. It includes regular class attendance, careful consideration of all class materials, and engagement with the class and your fellow students. Academic integrity lies at the core of our common goal: to create an intellectually honest and rigorous community. Because academic integrity, and the personal and social integrity of which academic integrity is an integral part, is so central to our mission as students, teachers, scholars, and citizens, we will ask to you sign the CSU Honor Pledge as part of completing all of our major assignments. While you will not be required to sign the honor pledge, we will ask each of you to write and sign the following statement on hard copy assignment submissions (except Assignment 0) and exams:

"I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance."

More information on academic integrity. See the Practicing Academic Integrity section of the Learning@CSU Web site, a comprehensive resource for students wishing to hone their academic skills.

CSU Student Honor Code. Here is the text of the CSU Student Honor Code, approved by ASCSU and CSU faculty and staff in 2009:

As a student at Colorado State University, I recognize my active role in building a Campus of Character. This includes my commitment to honesty, integrity, and responsibility within the campus community. As such, I will refrain from acts of academic misconduct.

Comments: bieman@CS.ColoState.EDU
Last modified: 15 January 2013