Addressing Diverse Needs through a Balance of Agile and Plan-driven Software Development Methodologies in the Core Software Engineering Course

The software industry uses a mixture of plan-driven and agile techniques, and educators must prepare students for industry needs while creating an effective educational environment that appeals to a diverse student population. We describe the undergraduate course in software engineering at North Carolina State University, which teaches both agile and plan-driven practices while emphasizing collaborative and active learning. We present demographics, personality types, and learning styles from 400 students, and provide statistical analyses and student testimonials on the impact of our course. Students have reacted favorably to the course and are better prepared to meet the diverse needs of industry. © 2008 TEMPUS Publications.