Computer Science Department

Schedule (Draft - Subject to Major Revision)

CS 514-DL Software Product and Process Evaluation, Fall 2012

Distance Learning Section

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

Week 1. Introduction to Software Product and Process Evaluation (August 20 - August 25, 2012):

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 Aug. 29, 2012.

Week 2. Foundations of Measurement (August 26 - September 1):

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
• Assignment A2: Foundations of measurement (problems). Due September 5, 2012.

Week 3. Foundations of Measurement (cont); Goals for Measurement (September 2 - September 8, 2012):.

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 12, 2012.

Week 4. Goals for Measurement (cont) (September 9 - September 15):

1. Finish Goals.

• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: GQM.

Week 5. Empirical Studies (September 16 - 22):

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 September 26.

Week 6. Data analysis (September 23 - September 29).

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 5.

Week 7. Internal and External Software (September 30- October 6):

1. internal Software Quality.
2. external software quality.
3. Faults, failures, etc.
4. Usability, maintainability.

• Reading:
  • Notes N5 Internal and External Software Attributes.
  • Text: Fenton & Pfleeger Ch. 7, 8, 9.
• Discussion: internal quality issues.
• Quiz: internal software attributes.

Week 8. Review, Midsemester Exam Week (October 7 - 13):

• Discussion: open forum.

Week 9. Software Testing Overview(October 14 - 20):

1. Intro to software testing.

• Reading:
  • Notes N6 External Software Quality; N7 Software Testing Overview.
  • White Box testing notes.
  • Amman and Offutt Ch. 1.
• Discussion: external attributes.
• Quiz: external software quality.
• Assignment: A6 Testing.

Week 10. Test Requirements and Graphs (October 21 - 27).

1. What is a test requirement?
2. Graphs and coverage.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N7 Software Testing Overview. Ammon and Offutt Notes.
  • Text: Ammon and Offutt Ch. 2.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Test Requirements.
• Assignment: A7.

Week 11. Test Requirements and Coverage (cont) (October 28 - November 3):

• Reading: Ammon and Offutt Ch. 2.
  • Notes: Ammon and Offut Ch. 2 notes; White Box Testing Notes.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: White/Black Box testing.
• Assignment A8.

Week 12. Logic Coverage (November 4 - 10):

• Reading:
  • Text: Ammon and Offutt Ch. 3.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: OO fault models
• Assignment: A9.

Week 13. Logic Coverage and OO Fault Models (November 11 - 17):

1. Finish Test Logic Coverage.
2. Begin OO testing.

• Reading:
  • Notes: N7, N8, OO Testing: Overview & Fault Models; N9 OO Test Models.
  • Text: Ammon and Offutt Ch. 3 and 7.1.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Test Models.
• Assignment: A10.

Fall Break (November 18 - November 24).

Week 14. Testing OO Software Processes and Patterns (November 25 - December 1):

• Reading:
  • Notes: N7 OO Fault Models, Ammon and Offutt notes on 7.1.
  • Text: Ammon and Offutt. 7.1.
• Quiz on reading.
• Discussion: Patterns.

Week 15. OO testing and Review (December 2 - 8):

1. OO Testing.
2. Review

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

Final Exam Week (December 9 - 12).

• Exam.