Computer Science Department

Schedule (Draft - Subject to Major Revision)

CS 514-DL Software Product and Process Evaluation, Fall 2008

Distance Learning Section

Activities per week (subject to change as the semester progresses):

Week 1. Introduction to Software Product and Process Evaluation (August 25 - August 30, 2008):

1. Course overview.
2. Motivation .
3. Evaluation of software products, resources, and process.
4. Connections and controversy.
5. Evaluation and measurement.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N0 Course Overview, N1 Introduction to Software Product & Process Evaluation.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 1.
• Discussion: student and faculty introductions.
• Assignment A1: Measurement & software (problems). Due Sept. 3, 2008.

Week 2. Foundations of Measurement (August 31 - September 6):

1. Representation theory of measurement
2. Measurement models
3. Measurement scale types.
4. Meaningfulness.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N2 Foundations of Measurement.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 2.
• Quiz on reading. Start of week (before discussion).
• Discussion: Measurement theory
• Assighnment A2: Foundations of measurement (problems). Due September 10, 2008.

Week 3. Foundations of Measurement (cont); Goals for Measurement (September 7 - September 13, 2008):.

1. Finish foundations.
2. Software measures classifications.
3. GQM
4. Applying measurement.
5. Software measurement validation.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N3 Measurement to Reach Goals.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 3.
• Quiz on reading. Start of week (before discussion).
• Discussion: Measurement Theory.
• Assignment: A3: Measurement goals problems. Due September 17, 2008.

Week 4. Goals for Measurement (cont) (September 14 - September 20):

1. Finish Goals.

• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: GQM.

Week 5. Empirical Studies (September 21 - 27):

1. Empiricism in software engineering..
2. Study types.
3. Theories and hypotheses.
4. Study designs.
5. Data analysis.
6. Threats to validity..

• Reading:
  • Notes: N4 Empirical studies in software engineering.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 4 & 6.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Empirical studies --- hypothesis & theories.
• Assignment: A4. Experimental design. Due October 1.

Week 6. Data analysis (September 28 - October 4).

1. Example data analysis problems..

• Reading:
  • Notes: Class problems.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 6
• Quiz: data analysis.
• Discussion: data analysis.
• Assignment: A5 Data analysis. Due October 8.

Week 7. Review, Midsemester Exam, Internal software quality (October 5 - October 11):

1. Midsemester Review.
2. Exam.
3. Start external software quality.

• Reading:
  • Notes N5 Internal Software Attributes.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 7.
• Discussion: open forum.

Week 8. Internal Software Quality (October 12 - 18):

1. Size.
2. Structure

• Reading:
  • Notes N5 Internal attributes.
  • Fenton & Pfleeger Ch7 & 8 (portions).
• Discussion: internal quality issues.
• Quiz: internal software attributes.
• Assignment: A6 Internal software quality.

Week 9. External Software Quality; Start Testing (October 19 - 25):

1. Faults, failures, etc.
2. Usability, maintainability.
3. Intro to software testing.

• Reading:
  • Notes N6 External Software Quality; N7 Software Testing Overview.
  • Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 9.
• Discussion: external attributes.
• Quiz: external software quality.
• Assignment: A7 External attributes.

Week 10. Software Testing Overview (October 26 - November 1).

1. Testing theory.
2. Testing strategies: black box, white box.
3. Mutation testing.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N7 Software Testing Overview.
  • Text: Binder Ch. 1, 3-3.4, 10.2.2-10.2.4.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Testing Theory.
• Assignment: A8. Overview problems.

Week 11. Testing Overview (cont) (November 2 - 8):

• Reading:
  • Notes: N7 Testing Overview; Ghosh Notes.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: White/Black Box testing.
• Assignment A9: White Box testing probems.

Week 12. OO Testing, Fault Models, Test Models (November 9 - 15):

• Reading:
  • Notes: N8 OO Testing: Overview & Fault Models; N9 OO Test Models.
  • Text: Binder Ch. 4; 5-8.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: OO fault models
• Assignment: A10: Fault/Test models.

Week 13. OO Test Models (cont) (November 16 - 22):

1. Finish Test Models.
2. Introduce system testing problem.
3. Supporting tests.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N9 OO Test Models.
  • Text: Binder Ch. 5-8 (partial).
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Test Models.
• Assignment: A11: System testing.

Thanksgiving Break (November - November 30).

Week 14. Testing OO Software Processes and Patterns (November 30 - December 6):

• Reading:
  • Notes: N10 Testing OO Software Processes and Patterns.
  • Text: Binder Ch. 9, Ch. 10: sec. 10.1 (to p. 426), .
  • Other pattern references.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Patterns.

Week 15. Test Harnesses; Review (December 7 - 13):

1. Test Harnesses
2. Review

• Discussion: Review.
• Assignment: A11 System Testing is due.

Final Exam Week (December 14 - 17).

• Exam.