Integrating agent-oriented enterprise software engineering into software engineering curriculum

Abstract

Agent-oriented enterprise software engineering (AOESE) has emerged as a promising approach to developing Web-based enterprise software systems. AOESE is based on developing and evolving enterprise software systems from selected pre-engineered and pre-tested software agents, and then assembling them within appropriate software architectures. We view agent-oriented software engineering as an extension of conventional component-based software engineering, and software agents as next-generation software components. Software agents offer greater flexibility and adaptability than traditional components. However, making transition to agent-oriented enterprise software engineering requires software engineers to learn a new set of technical skills. To provide such a learning opportunity, the author has created a new course sequence that integrates both agent-oriented enterprise software engineering and component-based enterprise software engineering into software engineering curriculum. A new course in the sequence is intended to provide students with the opportunity to acquire a good understanding of the key concepts and principles of agent-oriented enterprise software engineering, and the new opportunities and challenges involved in developing Web-based multi-agent systems. The course is designed to help build a solid foundation for integration of research into education in the area of agent-oriented enterprise software engineering. The course has special emphasis on developing architectures and frameworks for Web-based multi-agent enterprise systems rather than developing single agent. In this paper, the author shares her experience of developing the course, and presents the course organization, its components, and the future plans for the course.