Integrating Formal Methods Tools Into Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a successfully completed funded project in the area of Computer Science and Formal Methods Education. The project was an effort to study the integration of formal methods software tools into an undergraduate curriculum. Our goals were to pioneer an innovative methodology that will increase the learning experience by introducing the use of mechanized approaches in teaching formal methods and to demonstrate the potential of undergraduate students for learning formal analysis techniques, by using these software tools. This methodology depends on the traditional teaching models and adds the use of automated software tools to enhance the student's learning experience. At the conclusion of this study we demonstrated increased student performance and understanding of difficult concepts in formal software analysis and design problems with the use of mechanized assistants. All tools and educational materials developed as part of this project, are publicly available