SOFTENG 754 : Advanced Software Requirements Engineering

Engineering

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Advanced software engineering concepts focusing on techniques for requirements analysis and requirements engineering (RE) of software systems. Topics will include: requirements elicitation, analysis, specification, validation, verification, user experience design, test-driven development and continuous integration. Includes a substantial individual research project.

Course Overview

This course will provide students with an advanced understanding of software requirements engineering. Students will work in groups on assignments. Key topics to be discussed include:

Part 1: Advanced Requirements Engineering
• The ethics of requirements
• Recent requirements engineering advances

Part 2: Requirements Engineering in Action
• Continuous Integration
• Test-driven development and mocking
• Behaviour-driven development and UI testing

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: COMPSYS 302 or SOFTENG 306

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop and demonstrate an understanding of recent advances in requirements engineering literature. (Capability 3.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 6.1)
  2. Develop and demonstrate ability to verify requirements through continuous integration, test-driven development, and behavior-driven development. (Capability 3.1, 4.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 75% Group & Individual Coursework
Quizzes 25% Individual Test
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2
Assignments
Quizzes

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For each week in this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures. The remaining 7 hours are dedicated to reinforcing and applying the concepts learned in lectures. This time should be used for reviewing lecture notes, working on assignments, preparing for quizzes, and engaging in collaborative discussions with your team members.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Lectures will be available as recordings, but in-person attendance is highly recommended.
The course may include in-person and online events including group discussions.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Course readings will be provided on Canvas.

Health & Safety

Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Since 2023, the course was significantly revised due to the introduction of SOFTENG283 in 2021, which introduced students to the fundamentals of requirements engineering.

Other Information

The Quizzes will be on Canvas, during lecture times, and will be invigilated in computer labs (City Campus).

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Diversity: We embrace diversity of age, background, beliefs, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, and other visible and non-visible categories. The teaching team and the University of Auckland have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination. If you experience or know of discrimination, you have many options for support and/or reporting; see https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/about-the-university/equity-at-the-university/about-equity/zero-tolerance-for-discrimination.html. You are also welcome to contact the teaching team with concerns.

Names/Pronouns: You deserve to be addressed in the manner you prefer. To help the teaching team address you properly, you are welcome to tell us your pronoun(s) and/or preferred name at any time, either in person or via email.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.