A Graduate's Role in Technology Transfer: From Requirements to Design with UML

S. Hallinan and J.P. Gibson (Ireland)

Keywords

Software Design, Education, Technology Transfer

Abstract

It is a universal challenge to bridge the gap between academia and industry, and between theory and practice. This challenge is particularly critical in the discipline of software engineering and is often categorised as technol ogy transfer. One of the least well understood aspects of software development is in the move from requirements to design. We support the view that software designers fail to treat design as a process, and as a consequence become ex perts in representing the products using models/languages but fail to master the design process. Recent developments in academia have shown that design can be more effectively taught using problem based learning techniques. This ap pears to produce students who better understand design as a process; but how can we ensure that this academic advance ment will have a positive impact when these students move out into the real world? In this paper we analyse the role of a recently qualified student in facilitating technology trans fer in the form of introducing engineers to best practices in using UML to move from requirements to design.

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