On a pursuit for perfecting an undergraduate requirements engineering course

Abstract

Requirements Engineering (RE) is an essential component of any software development cycle. Understanding and satisfying stakeholder needs and wants is the difference between the success and failure of a product. However, RE is often perceived as a “soft” skill by students and is often ignored by students who prioritize the learning of coding, testing, and algorithmic thinking. This view contrasts with the industry, where “soft” skills are instead valued equal to any other engineering ability. A key challenge in teaching RE is that students who are accustomed to technical work have a hard time relating to something that is non-technical. Furthermore, students are rarely afforded the opportunity to practice requirements elicitation and management skills in a meaningful way while learning the RE concepts as an adjunct to other content. At Rose-Hulman, several project-based approaches have been experimented with in teaching RE, and these have evolved over time. In this paper, the progress of teaching methodologies is documented to capture the pros and cons of these varied approaches, and to reflect on what worked and what did not in teaching RE to undergraduate engineering students.