EASEL: Improving Software Design Education with A Layered Design Environment

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Computer Science (31)This project is building a proof-of-concept software design environment, called EASEL, which is enabling students to gain a broader and deeper understanding of software design. Software design consists of: (1) iteratively constructing, evaluating, and improving alternatives that eventually coalesce into a single, desired solution, and (2) notations in which to capture the design. Traditionally the first part of this process has received less attention from the software engineering educational community then the second part. EASEL is shifting attention from design notation to the process of design. To that end the project is developing a layered software design environment that helps students gain insight into design choices and processes. EASEL includes additional functionality like built-in critics, design patterns, and rationale capture to provide feedback, guidance and insight into the design process. EASEL is being packaged with carefully constructed course modules that teach specific design techniques through example designs and patterns that are discussed, improved, compared, or elaborated on within the tool.