CS3RD19-Software Engineering: Requirements, Domains and Soft Systems

Module Provider: School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Summer term module
Pre-requisites: CS1SE16 Software Engineering
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded: CS3RD16 Requirements, Domains and Soft Systems
Current from: 2019/0

Module Convenor: Dr Lily Sun

Email: lily.sun@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module is aimed at aspiring systems analysts, system architects and development managers. It concerns the quality of systems requirements and how systems requirements are derived from the motivations goals of stakeholders. Analysis patterns, domain analysis, goal-orientation and management are included.

Aims:

This module aims to introduce goal-oriented motivation modelling as a basis for systems’ requirements engineering. It further aims to familiarise students with the importance of domain analysis and to introduce key analysis patterns to assure quality and capture of adequate requirements.

This module also encourages students to develop a set of professional skills, such as evidence based argumentation, independent knowledge seeking, and collegiate discussion. 

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Use analysis patterns to guide domain and requirements analysis;


• Produce a hierarchical domain analysis to support requirements elicitation;


• Write requirements specifications based on goal-refinement argumentation;


• Use goal analysis to assess the completeness of requirements elicited; 


• Build motivation models that make explicit the rationale joining stakeholders’ motivations to specific system requirements;


• Explain how it is that requirements engineering involves both hard and soft systems analysis;


• Build goal-graphs using a KAOS approach guided by pursuit of acceptance criteria;


• Explain how detailed component requirements can be developed by extending systems requirements through detailed refinements.

Additional outcomes:

The module also aims to encourage the development of the following skills:

• Confidence to perform soft-system as well as hard-system analyses;


• Requirements elicitation, analysis, specification and process planning;


• Awareness of requirements analysis and management tools;


• Familiarity with international publications concerning current practice.

Outline content:

• Introduction to motivation modelling as a holistic approach to systems requirements analysis; a coherent way of combining stakeholder, domain and requirements analyses;


• Theory and practical work on Motivation Modelling using ArchiMate to produce acceptance test oriented systems requirements;


• Learning about a problematical situation and using mind maps to structure stakeholders and their concerns;


• Introduction to KAOS - an exemplar software engineering goal-oriented requirements engineering approach;


• Grammar and semantics of goal-refinement using acceptance oriented Goal-Sketching;


• Domain analysis involving: Jackson Context Diagrams;


• Requirements Management: Using goal-graphs to review requirements scope completeness. Prioritising and managing requirements.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The material is provided in the lectures and reinforced by open ended assessments for learning.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	10
Tutorials	6
Practicals classes and workshops	4
Guided independent study:	65
Total hours by term	85
Total hours for module	100

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written exam	100

Summative assessment- Examinations:

One 2 hour examination.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Formative assessment methods:

Critique and feedback on problem-oriented exercises

Penalties for late submission:
The Module Convener will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day[1] (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;

where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/qualitysupport/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

A mark of 40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:

Examination only.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 20 May 2019