Team-oriented Software Practicum: Phase Ii

In order to better prepare computer science graduates to perform proficiently in industry, the Team-Oriented Software Practicum emulates the actual functioning of a software development company called powerPen. This four-year Practicum works in conjunction with existing computer science curricula, but supplements it with a practical work environment where students experience the entire software development life cycle. The need for this type of program is apparent in industry and this particular model resolves many of the difficulties identified with related efforts. The Practicum has successfully operated since 1992, but experienced some important reformation in the past year which further increased it's viability. Student teams began interacting with one another rather than functioning separately, a common technology was adopted at all class levels to replace previously separate projects, and products developed by Practicum students gained popular acclaim in the public domain via Internet and the World-Wide Web. Teams composed of junior and senior students develop actual applications using Newton technology. Products groups apply team resources to build new powerPen products or enhance existing ones. Freshman and sophomore teams concentrate on peripheral software development functions including marketing and testing. Their developed expertise applies directly to products created by their upper-class co-workers. This scenario provides for substantial mentoring opportunities, group decision making processes, and a realistic industry environment. The Practicum is unique in that it currently has built or revised seven different applications for the Newton, launched those products into the market place, and is providing daily maintenance and technical support to thousands of users worldwide. It is successfully functioning as a software development business, sans profit, and is operated entirely by undergraduate students. Practicum students are experiencing increases in motivation, not only in computer science classes, but across their entire university curriculum due to their substantial personal investment in the program. The meld of practical and theoretical learning appears to be of substantial value to students and the results are attracting excellent feedback from industry.