CS577 Call for Participation 2000

Call for Participation
CS577 Software Engineering Projects

Professor Barry Boehm of the Department of Computer Science has invited the Information Services Division to participate in his CS577 course once again during 2000/2001. The purpose of this collaboration is to provide graduate computer sciences students with real-world projects which need software solutions, and to provide ISD with an opportunity to explore digital library projects without a significant budget expenditure. For more information on this collaboration, see the February 3, 1997 article in the USC Chronicle: Library Gives Real-World Challenges to Student Software Designers .
What is the course?
Professor Boehm teaches CS577, Software Engineering: Design & Construction of Large Software Systems. Key objectives of CS577a, the Fall Semester course, are to teach students to develop customer-focused software requirements, and to negotiate software product development and features. During CS577b, the Spring Semester course, student teams write the programs, develop user manuals, and assist with system implementation. More information about CS577 is available on the Center for Software Engineering courses page at: http://sunset.usc.edu/classes/ classes.html.
What is ISD's role in this course?
For the course project, graduate students work in teams. Each team member represents a different perspective, e.g., software producer, designer, engineer, customer, etc. ISD volunteers serve as liaisons with team members and represent the user's point of view. Their role is to describe the problem, represent the user communities, and participate with the graduate students in an iterative process to converge on feasible system specifications.
What time commitment is needed for this project?
ISD volunteers will need to be available for the following:

Requirements Negotiation

ISD volunteers must be able to consult with their teams for up to three hours a week around the fifth through eighth weeks of the Fall Semester. During these meetings, ISD clients will describe the problem, provide background information, describe how such a system might be used, etc. ISD clients and the student teams will then negotiate system requirements using a WinWin philosophy which attempts to meet all stakeholder win conditions. Students will request meeting times with ISD volunteers at least 24 hours in advance and at a convenient time and location. During the negotiations phase, student teams will begin to prototype solutions to the proposed problems and demonstrate them for you. ISD volunteers must be available via email and for meetings with the team during this time.
Architectural Review Boards (ARBs)

Around the eleventh week of class, students will present their initial prototypes to an Architectural Review Board (ARB). The ARB consists of the ISD volunteers, Professor Boehm, teaching assistants, and any other interested parties. A final ARB will be held the last week of the semester. ISD participants must be able to attend both ARBs. Team members may request additional meetings with ISD clients in preparation for their ARBs. The purpose of the ARBs is to review prototypes and systems specifications developed by the teams, provide feedback on the prototypes, and recommend changes or additions.
Written Evaluations

At the end of the class, ISD clients must prepare a written evaluation of the prototype and their interactions with the student teams. This evaluation is used in assigning student grades, and it must be completed within University deadlines.
Are there any other commitments I must make?
Since this collaboration is conducted within a course environment, ISD volunteers have a responsibility to their student teams, just as any instructor. ISD volunteers should also remember that students are learning how to negotiate requirements with clients, and they may not have had this experience previously. Thus, ISD volunteers should share a commitment to teaching and helping students learn needed skills.
Why should I participate?
By participating, you will contribute to ISD's strategic goals.

First, you will make a direct contribution to the University's primary purpose -- educating students. By participating, you will be demonstrating your commitment to excellence in teaching at USC.

Second, you will participate in the ISD's exploration of digital service and operations opportunities. Previous participants found that focusing a small amount of time on a specific project resulted in a lot of learning about software systems and their development.

Third, there is the opportunity to solve real problems through software solutions provided by CS577 students.

What kinds of projects have been submitted in the past?
During the two years of this collaboration, a variety of projects have been proposed. A list of projects with the names of the volunteer clients and a brief description is available at: http://www-li b.usc.edu/~jkwan/CS577_Projects_1996-1998.html.
Am I in this alone?
Collaboration is encouraged, promoted and, in some cases, required. If your final product is going to need to be integrated and maintained within ISD's servers and network environment, periodic input and evaluation by the impacted units within the Infrastructure Core will be solicited. Depending upon the nature of the project, you may wish to form a partnership upfront to co-investigate the options. In other cases, input will be sought at appropriate stages. On the other hand, if your project is a technical solution or enhancement that will be used to provide front-line services or alter the workflow within other Cores, collaboration with a representative from among those who will be using the product to provide service is recommended.
What do I need to do to participate?
If you would like to participate, send an email message by August 15th, to Anne Lynch at annelync@usc.edu with the following:

name

ISD core/specific unit

telephone number

email address

brief proposal of the problem you'd like solved

indication if this is feasibility project or an operational project

possible collaborators

times you will be away from campus during Fall Semester for more than three days

What kind of proposal is needed?
Your proposal should be short -- about five to eight sentences, describing a problem involving information resources or systems. The problem should be one which does not yet have a clear solution. It should be a problem which might have multiple solutions so that students have an opportunity to define requirements, consider alternatives, and negotiate for the best solution. The problems should be something with which you are familiar so that you are able to provide description and context for the student teams. The proposal should also include a brief statement of how solving this problem might impact library or computing services, the scholarly research process, support the curriculum, or advance the ISD's strategic initiatives.
How can I make a successful proposal?

First - and most important - your proposal should be about a need with which you are very familiar. The quality of system specifications will be dependent on how well you can describe the problem to the student team.

You may wish to collaborate with another individual who shares the same interest, but who has a different perspective on the problem. This might include another staff member with different expertise or a departmental faculty member who might be a system end-user.

Focus on the problem and need rather than how you think the system should be designed.

Partner with someone from another unit who shares the same need or with a representative from other units within ISD who will be impacted by the end product (e.g., will use or have to implement and maintain the software).

Think about implications for other universities, professional associations, libraries, and computing centers. Are there potential partners for future development? Are there sources of funding for carrying projects forward?

Do some preliminary research. Have similar projects been done before? If so, how have others handled them?

Think about how solving the problem will impact work within ISD or how solving the problem will impact the University.

If you have participated with CS 577 before, do you want to re-pose your original problem, perhaps with some variation?

Be clear on whether your problem is a feasibility project (i.e., can this type of thing be done) versus an operational project (i.e., you have the infrastructure and resources to carry a project forward). Note that both types of projects are needed.

Is help available in drafting my proposal or identifying possible partners?
Yes. Anne Lynch (annelync.usc.edu) and Julie Kwan (jkwan@usc.edu) will be hosting a couple of small group brainstorming sessions and are also available for individual consultation. With two years of experience, Julie has a good understanding of how to identify and describe potential projects. Anne will assist with identifying others within ISD who may be potential collaborators or contributors to the specifications.
How will projects be approved?
Proposals will be examined for balance and relevancy to ISD strategic goals and CS 577's course objectives.
What is the timetable for submitting proposals?
During the early part of the summer, ISD will host at least one general meeting to describe the collaboration and the types of projects which might be submitted. A final list of proposals will be sent forward to Professor Boehm on or around the beginning of the Fall Semester. Student teams will self-select the proposals with which they would like to work.
How many volunteers are needed?
The expected enrollment for the course is between 80 and 100 students. Professor Boehm would like to have twenty five-member teams. Thus, he will need up to 20 volunteers, depending on enrollment.
What has happened to projects from the last two years?
During Fall Semester, students develop approximately 15 prototypes. Since enrollment during the Spring Semester is lower, only 5 to 6 are carried over for completion. During Spring Semester 1997, the projects included: EDGAR Corporate Data (Caroline Sisneros), Digital Manuscript Archive (Ruth Wallach), Digital Moving Image Archive (Sandra Joy Lee), Latin American Pamphlet Information System: LAPIS (Barbara Robinson), Digital Image Archive (John Ahouse, Jean Crampon, Dace Taube), and USC Technical Reports System (Charles Phelps). During Spring Semester 1998, the projects included: Business School Working Papers (Ken Hickson, Julie Kwan, Terry Lichvar), Hancock Library Virtual Tour (Jean Crampon), Interlibrary Loan Data & Interface (Joyce Toscan), Serials Control Records for the Integrated Library System (Chris Sterback), and Statistical Charts (Marianne Afifi, Royd Muroaka).
Whom may I call for more information?
Please feel free to contact Anne Lynch (annelync@usc.edu) for more information about this project. If you would like to participate, but are unsure how to develop a proposal, please make your interests known as well.