Software Design and Development Stage 6 Syllabus
9.1.2Application of software development approaches
Students should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the different software development approaches introduced in the Preliminary course. Students will complete a case study of software being developed by a team of people. Particular emphasis should be placed on the people involved, how they interact and the skills they possess. Current trends in software development will also be considered.
Outcomes
A student:
H1.2differentiates between various methods used to construct software solutions
H2.2explains the relationship between emerging technologies and software development
H3.1identifies and evaluates legal, social and ethical issues in a number of contexts
H4.2applies appropriate development methods to solve software problems
H5.1applies project management techniques to maximise the productivity of the software development
H5.2creates and justifies the need for the various types of documentation required for a software solution
H5.3selects and applies appropriate software to facilitate the design and development of software solutions
H6.1assesses the relationship between the roles of people involved in the software development cycle
H6.2communicates the processes involved in a software solution to an inexperienced user.
Students learn about: / Students learn to:Software development approaches
•approaches used in commercial systems, including:
–the structured approach
–prototyping
–rapid applications development
–end user development
–combinations of any of the above
•methods of implementation
–direct cut over
–parallel
–phased
–pilot
•current trends in software development, for example:
–outsourcing
–popular approaches
–popular languages
–employment trends
–networked software
–customised off-the-shelf packages
•use of CASE tools and their application in large systems development
–software versions
–data dictionary
–test data
–production of documentation / •compare and determine the most appropriate software development approach for a given scenario
•communicate their understanding of a commercial system studied using a case study approach by:
–describing how the skills of the various personnel contribute to the overall development of a computer-based system
–critically evaluating the effectiveness of the response to the social and ethical issues raised by this system
•make informed comment on current trends in software development
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