Structuring software engineering learning within open source software participation

Abstract

Software engineering students need to understand the major phases of software development such as requirements elicitation, design, etc., as well as the documentation that supports these activities. Students also need to understand the critical need for excellent communication both within development teams as well as with customers, managers, and other stakeholders. Student participation in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) projects provides an opportunity for students to gain a range of software engineering knowledge and skills via interaction with software professionals. However, many FOSS projects have minimal or incomplete documentation and frequently the documentation that does exist lacks organization. This presentation demonstrates the use of IEEE standard-based document templates within a FOSS project to scaffold student learning.