Introduction
The goal of the CO 320 course is to provide students (primarily those unable to participate in the Computer Science Internship program) with a vehicle for applying the principles of software engineering studied in CO 319W to a real or realistic software project. Project teams structured along the lines of chief programmer teams will be formed. An established set of installation standards will dictate the organization and conduct of the project team. Whenever possible, actual projects for real users will be the object of study for each team.
The course will require everyone to attend one1 lecture per week during which topics specific to the conduct of projects will be discussed, exams given, and final presentations made. We will have fourteen of these lecture sessions held every Monday with all students enrolled in CO 320 attending.
Each of you should also be enrolled in two hours of recitation time per week. Two project groups of three to five people each are scheduled for each of these laboratory sessions. The recitation sessions will be used for formal walk-thru, supervised group meetings and faculty member feedback to each group specific to their assigned project. Groups will have to schedule meeting/work times outside of the lecture/recitation periods if work is to progress satisfactorily. Individual team members will also be required to complete tasks pertaining to the projects on an individual out-of-class basis.
Evaluation Methods
The course requires that students work as a program development team. Evaluation is complicated by the fact that while everyone contributes to the outcome of the development project, not everyone contributes equally. Individual contributions are most visible during walkthroughs when individual team members present their contributions. With this in mind, each student's grade will be determined through the combination of the project grade (the same for each team member) and the individual contributions (e.g., walkthrough, individual artifacts). The following mixture will be used:
- 50% group project grade
- 50% individual contributions
Reading Materials
1. Shubra, C. J., et. al, Installation Standards Manual for COSC 320, Kinko's, 1989. (required)
2. King, D., Current Practices in Software Development, Yourdon Press, 1984. (required)
3. Digital, A Methodology for Software Development Using VMS Tools, Digital Equipment Corporation, 1988. (required)
4. Accelerator User's Guide and Reference Manuals.
