Computer-Based Support for the Learning of Software Design

越来越多的社会要求人们运用他们的知识。一种这样的应用是人工制品的设计。专业设计师清楚地认识到技术支持在设计过程中的重要性。这个项目的目的是探索如何在高中生和大学生学习特定类型的设计过程--软件设计时得到最好的支持。为此，将开发一个具有教育动机和教育健全的计算机辅助设计环境(SODA，软件设计实验室)并进行课堂测试；SODA不仅支持设计过程的各个部分，还为软件设计中的四项主要活动提供支持：规划、生成和评估替代设计、调试和反思。有效设计的关键是管理复杂性。因此，在SODA中，将有机制来管理构件复杂性(例如，计划库)、过程复杂性(例如，帮助创建并随后在备选设计之间导航)，以及促进学习的机制(例如，脚手架和定制)。研究计划是在四个不同的教育环境中，利用广泛的学生，测试越来越复杂的苏打水版本。已经设计了一个系统的程序来评估学生的表现和过程，使用定量和定性的方法；设计技能的转移也将被审查。

Increasingly, society is demanding that people put their knowledge to use. One such application is the design of artifacts. The importance of technological support in the design process is clearly recognized by professional designers. The aim of this project is to explore how high schools and college students can best be supported as they learn a particular type of design process--software design. To this end, an educationally-motivated and educationally-sound computer-aided design environment (SODA, Software Design Lab) will be developed and classroom tested; SODA goes beyond merely supporting slices of the design process, and provides support for the four major activities in software design: planning, generating and evaluating alternative designs, debugging, and reflecting. Key to effective design is the management of complexity. Thus, in SODA, there will be mechanisms to manage artifact complexity (e.g., plan libraries), process complexity (e.g. aids to create and then navigate among alternative designs), as well as mechanisms to facilitate learning (e.g., scaffolding and customization). The research plan is to test increasingly more sophisticated versions of SODA, in four different educational environments using a broad range of students. A systematic procedure has been designed to assess student performance as well as process, using quantitative and qualitative methods; transfer of design skills will also be examined.