The document describes an experimental software engineering (ESE) course designed using the OULDI learning design approach. The course aims to teach students how to provide evidence for the validity of novel software engineering methods and tools. Key aspects of the ESE course design include determining objectives and mapping them, developing the learning outcomes and activities using different OULDI views, and evaluating the pedagogical balance of the course. The OULDI approach provides tools to explicitly represent the course design and foster collaboration among educators.

1. OULDI applied to the design of an
experimental software engineering
course
ITANA GIMENES
OPEN UNIVERSITY, JANUARY, 2012

2. • Curriculum
GSWE-2009
• Explore
Web 2.0
resources Educators Student Course
on the task support support design
versus
around the
task. Customised OER for SE
Professional master in software
engineering to be developed by a
consortium of Brazilian institutions

3. The course: Experimental Software Engineering
(ESE)
— It is a relevant subarea of the software engineering
discipline.
— It aims to provide evidence of the validity of software
engineering methods and tools, in particular, novel
approaches proposed by research groups.
— It has strong research groups in Brazil.
— It is an important topic of a postgraduate software
engineering programme where students may
propose new approaches, and therefore need to learn
how to provide evidence of their feasibility.

4. Experimental Software Engineering (ESE)
— SE experiments require human participation – it is a
social process.
— Samples require advanced skill and practical experience.
— Experiments have been made with small samples, e.g. 3
– 8 individuals.
— Samples usually include academics (postgraduate
students), often from the same place.
Support ESE courses with a group of
experiment participants using social
networks

5. ESE Scenario
students educators tutors
practioners
Course
activities
existing books
tools
plans websites assessments

6. OULDI
— It is a learning design approach produced within a
research project led by IET (
http://ouldi.open.ac.uk), funded by JISC (2008).
— Developed a set of concepts together with computer-
supported tools that allow the explicit representation
of a course design and provide mechanisms to foster
sharing of material and collaboration amongst
course team members.

7. ESE design process
Determine objectives
Think about four meta-aspects:
“Guidance and Support”; “Content
and Activities”; “Communication
and Collaboration”; and,
“Reflection and Demonstration”.
-> Course map view
Develop course
Evaluate & plan
Develop course workflow (LOs,
Reflect on the course activity
activities, tools and assessment)
balance
-> LOs view
->Pedagogy profile
-> Task swimlane view
-> Course dimensions view

8. OULDI course map view
!

9. Determine objectives: ESE course map view

10. Develop course: LOs view – 1st level

11. Develop course: LOs view 2nd level

12. Develop course: task swimlane for the Develop
experiment activity

13. Evaluate & Plan: Pedagogy profile

14. Evaluate & Plan: Pedagogy profile
Task distribution
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Assimilative Finding and Communicative Productive Experiential Interactive and Assessment
handling Adaptative

15. Final comments
— CompendiumLD
— Cloudworks – Google+
— Course map view - Table
— Leaning outcome view in two levels
— Task swimlane view
— Pedagogy profile – Excel
— Course dimensions view