General Instructions

1a and 1b can be done at any time during the semester.  You can do 1b before 1a.

1a.  Pick an article or book chapter on software engineering as described below.

1b.  Sign up for a class meeting on which to give your presentation.  Only a limited number of reports can be given at each class meeting,so sign up early to get your favorite day!

2. Read the article.

3. Prepare a 10-15 minute in-class live presentation with overhead transparencies (or on-line slides) prepared using PowerPoint.  Be prepared to lead a 5-10 minute discussion after the presentation.  Turn in a printed copy (i.e. on paper) of your overheads/slides before your talk.

4. Write and submit a 3-4 page printed report following the guidelines below.  The report may be written after your in-class presentation and may incorporate comments made by other class members during the discussion.  The written report may be turned in no later than Nov. 28 for credit.

Instructions for selecting the article or book chapter

The reading must be approved by me before you give the in-class presentation. Give me an extra paper copy of the article/chapter in class at least 2 weeks before you plan to give the in-class presentationso that I can look at it.  If I approve the reading, then I will keep the copy that you gave me so that I can evaluate your report.  I will approve/disapprove the reading in 1 week or less from the class when you give me a copy.

Pick a reading that will stimulate discussion and that is not overly technical.  The source may be from A or B:
A.  a full-length, refereed article on Software Engineering appearing in one of these journals:

•  Communications of the ACM
•  ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology
•  IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
•  IEEE Software
•  IEEE Computer

Here is a list of suggested topics (these are only suggestions):

• alternative software development models such as "eXtreme programming"
• obstacles to reuse of OO components
• difficulties in introducing software process improvement into organizations
• difficulties with geographically distributed software development
• incorporating usability issues from HCI into the software lifecycle
• case studies of software development practices in organizations (Reserve Room books)
• approaches to deciding how much testing is sufficient

Content of presentation (in-class and written)
 

• Topic: What is the general software engineering topic in terms of the topics we are covering in this course, e.g., Software Lifecycle

• Audience: Who is the intended audience, e.g., practitioners in what area, or researchers, or?

• Author: What is the author's expertise (e.g. a manager with 20 years experience in the software industry, a researcher in computer science, etc.)

• Type of article: Survey of literature, Case Study, Empirical Study, Theory, Other (define)

Summarize the main points of the article.

Pretend that you are one of the referees reviewing this paper.  Answer the following questions:

• Is the paper well-written and well-organized?
• Are the claims of the paper adequately supported?  What kind of evidence is provided?  Where is evidence weak or lacking?  (If it is weak, can you suggest a way of verifying the claims?)
• Is the relevant previous work covered?  (This may be difficult for you to evaluate; do the best you can.)  Does the list of references offer pointers to related work that look helpful?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the paper?
• Evaluation: Would you recommend this paper?  To whom and why?

What recommendations if any for our organization would you make based upon your reading

Prepare a 10-15 minute Power Point presentation.  You may copy the slides onto transparencies and show them on the overhead projector, or bring a floppy disk containing your PowerPoint presentation and run it on the in-class computer.  (Don't forget to give the instructor a printed copy of your slides before your presentation.)  The in-class presentation should cover the same points as described above.  However, because this is a spoken presentation, you will need to condense the information to fit in the time allowed.  You should practice your talk to make sure that it will fit; you will not be allowed to take more than 15 minutes!
 

The slides should not contain every word of your presentation!  (See my comments on use of notes below.)  Instead, they should help the audience to organize the material that you present verbally.  Use diagrams to help the audience to picture complex relationships.  The first slide should identify the article about which you are reporting.  Here are some general tips on using slides:

• no more than 10 lines per slide
• no more than 7 words per line
• text must readable from back of room
• consistent use of color, format, and other visual features
• check spelling
• do not read slides word for word
• do not stand silently expecting the audience to read the slides
• spend about 2 minutes per slide
•  do not block the audience's view of the slides.

Ideally, a business or conference speaker should use notes sparingly.  However, because you may not have had much experience with spoken presentations, or if English is not your first language, you may use detailed written notes.  If you choose to use written notes, please follow these guidelines:

Do not use long sentences!  (Try to keep each sentence under 10 words.)

Look up to establish eye contact fairly often.

Vary the sound of your speaking voice (tone, speed, accent) to maintain interest.

After your talk, you will help the instructor lead discussion.  Be prepared to ask a few stimulating questions in case no one in the audience raises any questions.

The written report should be in the style of a short article.  It should be printed using a word processing program on standard paper and stapled.  Include a cover sheet with your name, the bibliographic information about the article that you are reviewing, and the date.

Grading

in-class presentation 50%
written report               50%