Software Engineering Principles Research Articles

The Pervasive Impact of Software Engineering and Architecture: A Multi-Industry Analysis

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the ubiquitous role of software engineering and architecture across diverse industries in the modern digital landscape. Through a combination of literature review, industry case studies, and expert interviews, we examine how core software engineering principles—such as scalability, security, user experience, and data management—are applied and adapted in sectors ranging from e-commerce and fintech to healthcare, transportation, media, manufacturing, and government services. Our findings reveal both common challenges and industry-specific innovations in areas such as blockchain technology, telemedicine, autonomous vehicles, and industrial IoT. We also explore emerging trends, including the integration of artificial intelligence, edge computing, and quantum computing, and their potential impact on future software architectures. Furthermore, this article addresses critical ethical considerations and societal implications, including data privacy, job displacement, and the digital divide. By synthesizing these multifaceted perspectives, we provide valuable insights for both industry practitioners and academic researchers, highlighting the transformative power of software engineering in shaping the technological foundations of contemporary society and identifying key areas for future research and development.

Using Peer Assessment Leveraging Large Language Models in Software Engineering Education

This paper explores the integration of generative AI and large language models into the realm of software engineering education and training, with a specific focus on the transformation of traditional peer assessment methodologies. The motivation stems from the growing demand for innovative educational techniques that can effectively engage and empower learners in mastering Software Engineering principles. The proposed approach involves presenting students with modeling exercises solved by ChatGPT, prompting them to critically evaluate and provide constructive feedback on the generated solutions. By engaging students in a dialogue with the AI model, we aim to foster a dynamic learning environment where learners can articulate their considerations and insights, thereby enhancing their comprehension of software engineering principles, critical thinking and self evaluation skills. Preliminary results from pilot implementations indicate promising outcomes, suggesting that this approach not only enhances the quality of peer feedback but also contributes to a more interactive and engaging educational experience.

Software Engineering in Health Care

Software engineering has emerged as a cornerstone in the evolution of healthcare delivery, serving as a key player in improving patient care and maximizing systemic efficiency. This paper delves into the integration of software engineering principles, methodologies, and technologies within the healthcare sector, highlighting key applications such as Electronic Health Records (EHR), telemedicine platforms, clinical decision support systems, and medical imaging software. Through an exploration of challenges, opportunities, future trends, and case studies illustrating successful implementations, this study underscores the critical importance of software engineering in shaping the future of providing healthcare and enhancing patient results. By tackling current issues, seizing opportunities, and embracing future trends, Software engineering's revolutionary potential can be used by the healthcare industry to improve patient care and operational efficiency.

Empowering DevOps with Infrastructure as Code :Trends, Tools and Techniques

DevOps has arisen as a pillar of modern software engineering, emphasising the integration of development and operations to ensure effective product delivery. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is an important DevOps technique that involves defining and managing infrastructure requirements using code, enabling for automated provisioning and maintenance. This technique enhances traceability, reuse, and consistency across development and production environments. The introduction of microservices architectures has increased project teams’ infras- tructure responsibilities, making IaC essential for delivering reliable and efficient deployments. IaC enables developers to describe infrastructure in code, simplifying the deployment process. In both large and small businesses, IaC is essen- tial for supporting efficient DevOps processes.The most recent breakthroughs, tools, and techniques in IaC demonstrate a revolutionary impact on software development and deployment workflows. As more businesses adopt cloud-native designs and containerisation technologies, the requirement for automated infrastructure provisioning grows, leading in the growth of IaC tools and methodologies. Organisations that combine IaC with continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines can re- duce time-to-market and improve operational efficiency. IaC not only automates infrastructure management, but it also includes software engineering principles like version control and testing into infrastructure provisioning, which improves consistency and reliability. This democratisation of infrastructure management encourages increased collaboration across cross-functional teams, hence improving accountability and innovation. Implementing IaC is therefore crucial for achieving agility, scalability, and resilience in the digital age. Index Terms—Iac, DevOps, CI/CD, Automation, Cloud-native, Infrastructure Provisioning ,Terraform, Ansible, AWS CloudFor- mation

Android-Based Electronic Patient Record Implementation Using Software Engineering Principles

An Android-based electronic patient record application is developed. The goal is to emphasize the importance of automating medical and clinical procedures, especially when data collection and management is involved. A secondary goal is to manifest the efficiency of developing an application using software engineering principles. This application shall replace a paper-based patient record, allowing the medical practitioners to create electronic records of patients. Furthermore, it can be a tool to help health care workers in maintaining patients’ information with higher efficiency and security.

QSOA®: Dynamic integration for hybrid quantum/Classical software systems

This is the “quantum decade” when quantum computers are proving to be more useful for some types of processing than their classical counterparts. The solutions of the future will combine classical IT with quantum algorithms and applications. However, there is very little work that addresses this issue. Each manufacturer provides specific tools for their products, which makes integration between quantum and classical systems a costly and time-consuming process.We believe that we should follow good software engineering principles and best practices to build platforms and tools that insulate software and systems engineers from implementation details and provide them with adequate support. In this paper we propose qSOA® as a mechanism for the dynamic integration of hybrid (quantum/classical) software systems and present in detail an SDK for Python. qSOA® provides a set of well-defined functions with which a classical system can access quantum products as if they were a piece of classical software, accessing the use case and not its complexities. In addition to some examples that illustrates its operation in real cases, we present the evaluation of qSOA® by 200 quantum software developers in a workshop in collaboration with AWS Braket.

Developing a Multiprofessional Mobile App to Enhance Health Habits in Older Adults: User-Centered Approach.

Although comprehensive lifestyle habits are crucial for healthy aging, their adherence tends to decline as individuals grow older. Sustaining a healthy life over time poses a motivational challenge. Some digital tools, such as smartphone apps aimed at promoting healthy habits, have been used to counteract this decline. However, a more profound investigation is necessary into the diverse experiences of users, particularly when it concerns older adults or those who are unfamiliar with information and communications technologies. We aimed to develop a mobile app focused on promoting the health of older adults based on the principles of software engineering and a user-centered design. The project respected all ethical guidelines and involved the participation of older adults at various stages of the development of the app. This study used a mixed methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative methodologies for data collection. The study was conducted in Ribeirão Prêto, São Paulo, Brazil, and involved 20 older adults of both genders who were aged ≥60 years and enrolled in the Physical Education Program for the Elderly at the University of São Paulo. The research unfolded in multiple phases, encompassing the development and refinement of the app with active engagement from the participants. A total of 20 participants used a mobile health app with an average age of 64.8 (SD 2.7) years. Most participants had a high school education, middle-class status, and varying health literacy (mean score 73.55, SD 26.70). Overall, 90% (18/20) of the participants owned smartphones. However, 20% (4/20) of the participants faced installation challenges and 30% (6/20) struggled with web-based searches. The focus groups assessed app usability and satisfaction. Adjustments increased satisfaction scores significantly (Suitability Assessment of Materials: 34.89% to 70.65%; System Usability Scale: 71.23 to 87.14). Participant feedback emphasized font size, navigation, visual feedback, and personalization, and suggestions included health device integration, social interaction, and in-app communication support. This study contributes to the development of health care technologies tailored to the older adult population, considering their specific needs. It is anticipated that the resulting app will serve as a valuable tool for promoting healthy habits and enhancing the quality of life for older adults.

Proposed Method of Gesture-controlled presentation software design

This paper introduces an innovative method for developing a presentation application that empowers users to seamlessly control slide transitions and other essential actions through intuitive hand gestures. The approach integrates sophisticated computer vision algorithms capable of real-time gesture detection and interpretation from a standard webcam feed. Furthermore, machine learning techniques personalize the system to individual users' unique gestures, enhancing usability and accuracy. The proposed method is a groundbreaking innovation that seamlessly integrates with existing presentation tools. Furthermore, the research delves into cross-device synchronization, enabling a cohesive presentation experience. To ensure optimal usability and performance, we follow established software engineering principles, resulting in a user-friendly interface and an efficiently structured codebase. This paper comprehensively guides the design, implementation, and potential of this gesture-controlled presentation software.

Spreadsheet Modeling and Wrangling with Python

A staple of many spreadsheet-based management science courses is the use of Excel for activities such as model building, sensitivity analysis, goal seeking, and Monte-Carlo simulation. What might those things look like if carried out using Python? We describe a teaching module in which Python is used to do typical Excel-based modeling and data-wrangling tasks. In addition, students are exposed to basic software engineering principles, including project folder structures, version control, object-oriented programming, and other more advanced Python skills, creating deployable packages and documentation. The module is supported with Jupyter notebooks, Python scripts, course web pages that include numerous screencasts, and a few GitHub repositories. All of the supporting materials are permissively licensed and freely accessible. Supplemental Material: The supplemental files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2023.0047 .

Enabling continuous deployment techniques for quantum services

AbstractEarly advances in quantum computing have provided new opportunities to tackle intricate problems in diverse areas such as cryptography, optimization, and simulation. However, current methodologies employed in quantum computing often require, among other things, a broad understanding of quantum hardware and low‐level programming languages, posing challenges to software developers in effectively creating and implementing quantum services. This study advocates the adoption of software engineering principles in quantum computing, thereby establishing a higher level of hardware abstraction that allows developers to focus on application development. With this proposal, developers can design and deploy quantum services with less effort, which is similar to the facilitation provided by service‐oriented computing for the development of conventional software services. This study introduces a continuous deployment strategy adapted to the development of quantum services that covers the creation and deployment of such services. For this purpose, an extension of the OpenAPI specification is proposed, which allows the generation of services that implement quantum algorithms. The proposal was validated through the creation of an application programming interface with diverse quantum algorithm implementations and evaluated through a survey of various developers and students who were introduced to the tool with positive results.

Integrated Project Development through Combined Theory and Practices of Core Courses focusing on Software Development Skills: Integrated Learning Framework

The National Education Policy promotes moving from the conventional content-heavy and memorization learning practice towards holistic learning/integrated learning. It imparts a creative and multidisciplinary curriculum that focuses equally on curriculum and assessment. All educational establishments assess students using written examinations, quizzes, seminars, term paper writing, and course projects. A semester typically includes 4-5 courses, and students must earn credits for these courses by scoring a good Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). As course projects offer depth knowledge/holistic learning/lifelong learning of a course for the student, many courses include course projects as one of the activities in the course. If all the courses are intended to include course projects as a mandatory pedagogy, it will be difficult for students to acquire in-depth knowledge and required skills while also dealing with stress. So we are proposing an integrated learning framework by applying the theory and practices of two core courses- Software Engineering and Web Technologies to develop a web application. This integrated learning focuses on developing software development and software testing skills in computer science for undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor of engineering degree. This framework alleviated the pressure on students during placement and created job opportunities in software development. The framework consists of three important phases- The first phase includes the identification of the problem as a need for customers, writing requirements and analyzing the same. Students apply modular design principles and break down the codebase into distinct modules. This technique enhances code organization, reusability, and maintainability. The second phase focused on developing the front end by harnessing the power of Angular, a leading web framework, to craft a sleek and interactive user interface. The backend is built using Node.js, which serves as the foundation, enabling the software system to cater to highperformance server environments. These modules communicated seamlessly through well-defined APIs, facilitating the integration of various components within the application, ultimately delivering a seamless and responsive user experience. An industry expert conducted a workshop on Angularsoftware testing workshop was conducted for students by industry experts to expose the students to designing test cases, test plans, and testing strategies. The hands-on experience on testing tools was provided during the workshop. Faculty reviews are conducted on each phase, and rubrics-based assessment is done on each phase. Approximately sixty teams created web-based applications for real-world scenarios. Positive aspects of the framework in feedback indicated that more than 87% of the students agreed that they could apply Software engineering principles and practices such as requirements management. modular design and testing in web applications. Also, more than 85% of students acquire skills from code-to-web design mastery by developing web applications in Angular Node.js and backend implementation. This framework helped to improve teamwork, presentation and communication skills. Confidence in software development improved to a greater extent. The design and implementation of the framework met the stated outcome of the courses. The student's academic performance improved by 10% compared to the previous year when students were not involved in the integrated project development. Keywords— Framework, learning, practices, project, skills, technology, testing, web

Online Learning Platform Development

This research focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of online learning platforms for language learning by integrating principles from software engineering, instructional design, and multimedia resources. Emphasizing the development of platforms conducive to transnational cultural engagement and equitable access, the study leverages the ADDIE model for instructional design, integrating task-based language teaching and online intercultural exchanges. Key to this approach is the development of user-friendly interfaces and content that supports diverse learning styles through multimedia integration, including social media, gaming, and virtual environments. The study also addresses the digital divide by ensuring accessibility across different regions and socioeconomic groups. The research methodology includes a comprehensive literature review, needs analysis focused on Arabic language learning, and the application of multimedia authoring principles. The ADDIE model guides the creation and evaluation of educational content, while software engineering principles ensure platform robustness and scalability. Findings indicate a significant potential for these platforms to enhance cognitive learning outcomes. The research validates the effectiveness of these integrations through experimental designs, user feedback, and expert evaluations. The study underscores the importance of digital literacy and intercultural competence in online learning environments and suggests emerging technologies like virtual and augmented reality for immersive experiences. In conclusion, the research demonstrates that well-designed online learning platforms, a synthesis of software engineering excellence, sound pedagogical frameworks, and engaging multimedia content, can substantially improve the learning experience and outcomes for language learners. The study recommends continuous integration of online methods with traditional learning to maximize educational benefits for language students.

Design and Implementation of Puzzle Adventure Game Based on Unity

With the progress of Gaming industry, the classic genre Puzzle adventure games, due to their friendly difficulty level, low learning curve, and interesting game mechanics, have been favored by a large number of players. This paper follows the guiding principles of software engineering and game development, designs and implements an adventure puzzle game using the Unity game engine. The game design is carried out through multiple aspects such as game art style, plot, sound effects, and game puzzles to provide players with an interesting gameplay experience. For the implementation part of the game, various plugins and functions of the Unity engine are integrated to complete the development of the game system, such as using Unitys navigation system to bake navigation meshes and implement automatic pathfinding for game characters. The animation state machine is used to arrange and control game character animations, and the Unity event system is used to implement click-based interactive functions in the game. At the same time, optimization was carried out based on the test results, improving the experience of user interface and the stability of game program, further enhancing the players gameplay experience. Finally, players can experience thrilling adventure in a mysterious world, and achieve a sense of accomplishment by solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles.

Modeling software processes from different domains using SPEM and BPMN notations: An experience report of teaching software processes

In a current application development scenario in different environments, technologies and contexts, such as IoT, Blockchain, Machine Learning and Cloud Computing, there is a need for particular solutions for domain-specific software development processes. The proper definition of software processes requires the understanding for the involved teams and organization’s particularities and specialized technical knowledge in Software Engineering. Although it is an essential part of Software Engineering, many university curricula do not dedicate as much effort to teaching software processes, focusing more on the basic principles of Software Engineering, such as requirements, architecture and programming languages. Another important aspect of software processes is modeling. The modeling of a software process provides a basis for managing, automating and supporting the software process improvement. In this context, teaching software process modeling becomes challenging, mainly due to the great emphasis on theory and few practices. This work presents an experience report teaching the definition and modeling of software processes in different domains. In the discipline of software processes, we applied a practice for defining and modeling processes in various application domains, such as: IoT, cloud, mobile, critical systems, self-adaptive systems, machine learning, blockchain and games. The processes were modeled in the Software Systems Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) notations based on references from the literature for each domain. We evaluated the process modeling practice with the SPEM and BPMN in two classes of the software processes discipline, and we had discussions about the use of the two notations applied to the different domains. In general, students reported good experiences in defining processes, highlighting the importance of practical modeling applications for professional life. As the main results of the study in teaching process modeling, we have that: (i) students accepted HEFLO tool better than EPF Composer tool; (ii) most students are not aware of specific domains and that anticipating the study of these domains in the discipline is a good strategy; and, (iii) the students also highlighted the need for more support for the two notation tools.

Fairness in Machine Learning Meets with Equity in Healthcare

With the growing utilization of machine learning in healthcare, there is increasing potential to enhance healthcare outcomes. However, this also brings the risk of perpetuating biases in data and model design that can harm certain demographic groups based on factors such as age, gender, and race. This study proposes an artificial intelligence framework, grounded in software engineering principles, for identifying and mitigating biases in data and models while ensuring fairness in healthcare settings. A case study is presented to demonstrate how systematic biases in data can lead to amplified biases in model predictions, and machine learning methods are suggested to pre-vent such biases. Future research aims to test and validate the proposed ML framework in real-world clinical settings to evaluate its impact on promoting health equity.

Pyrit: A finite element based field simulation software written in Python

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the freely available finite element simulation software Pyrit.Design/methodology/approachIn a first step, the design principles and the objective of the software project are defined. Then, the software’s structure is established: The software is organized in packages for which an overview is given. The structure is based on the typical steps of a simulation workflow, i.e., problem definition, problem-solving and post-processing. State-of-the-art software engineering principles are applied to ensure a high code quality at all times. Finally, the modeling and simulation workflow of Pyrit is demonstrated by three examples.FindingsPyrit is a field simulation software based on the finite element method written in Python to solve coupled systems of partial differential equations. It is designed as a modular software that is easily modifiable and extendable. The framework can, therefore, be adapted to various activities, i.e., research, education and industry collaboration.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of Pyrit are static and quasistatic electromagnetic problems as well as (coupled) heat conduction problems. It allows for both time domain and frequency domain simulations.Originality/valueIn research, problem-specific modifications and direct access to the source code of simulation tools are essential. With Pyrit, the authors present a computationally efficient and platform-independent simulation software for various electromagnetic and thermal field problems.

Embedding Software Engineering in Mixed Methods Research: Computationally Enhanced Risk Communication

Mixed methods research ameliorates many convergent research challenges within the contemporary sociotechnical landscape. We suggest the integration of software engineering in mixed methods research is a critical step to address some of the remaining and persistent challenges. One such research challenge where computational science is particularly well suited is in hazard preparedness—in particular, the creation of risk communication messages to mitigate or to prevent harm. Computationally enhanced risk communication is convergent research that integrates software engineering and social science research for the benefit of protecting humans and infrastructure. To this end, we developed a mixed methods framework for the efficient construction of risk communication messages. We call this the Domain Agnostic Risk Communication (DARC) framework and present it here. The DARC framework formalizes connections between computational science and social science methods. It incorporates the best available science in risk communication research and a cadre of natural language processing techniques to impart validity, reliability, and precision into resultant messages. The DARC framework is highly modular owing to the incorporation of the software engineering principles of abstraction, extensibility, and encapsulation. Although the focus of this position article is on risk communication, we encourage the incorporation of software engineering into mixed methods research and the incorporation of mixed methods more broadly into software engineering experimentation.

Software engineering for internet of underwater things to analyze oceanic data

Internet of Things (IoTs) represents a networked collection of heterogeneous sensors – enabling seamless integration between systems, humans, devices, etc. – to support pervasive computing for smart systems. IoTs unify hardware (embedded sensors), software (algorithms to manipulate sensors), and wireless network (protocols that transmit sensor data) to develop and operationalize a wide range of smart systems and services. The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUTs for short) is a specific genre of IoTs in which data about ocean ecosystems is continuously ingested via underwater sensors. IoUTs referred to as context-sensing eyes and ears under the sea operationalize a diverse range of scenarios ranging from exploring marine life to analyzing water pollution and mining oceanic data. This paper proposes a layered architecture that (i) ingests oceanic data as a sensing layer, (ii) computes the correlation between the data as an analytics layer, and (iii) visualizes data for human decision support via the interface layer. We unify the concepts of software engineering (SE) and IoTs to exploit software architecture, underlying algorithms, and tool support to develop and operationalize IoUTs. A case study-based approach is used to demonstrate the sensors’ throughput, query response time, and algorithmic execution efficiency. We collected IoUT sensor data, involving 6 distinct sensors from two locations including the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea for 60 days. Evaluation results indicate (i) sensors’ throughput (daily average: 10000–20000 KB data transmission), (ii) query response time (under 30 ms), (iii) and query execution performance (CPU utilization between 60%–80%). The solution exploits SE principles and practices for pattern-based architecting and validation of emerging and next-generation IoUTs in the context of smart oceans.

Review on Software Technology

Abstract: Software technology is the term employed to describe the assortment of instruments, approaches, and procedures used in the creation, upkeep, and deployment of software systems. It covers a wide range of topics, including testing methods, software engineering principles, databases, frameworks, libraries, and programming languages. Programming languages are one of the major components of software technology. Different programming languages provide varying degrees of functionality and abstraction, enabling programmers to construct code for certain goals. In addition to many others, popular programming languages include Java, Python, C++, and JavaScript. These languages are always changing to accommodate brand-new features and improvements as well as adapt to shifting requirements

Optimization design of electronic commerce system based on the basic principles of software engineering

Based on the basic principles of software engineering, this paper optimizes the design of e-commerce system from the aspects of demand analysis, system design, coding, implementation, testing and maintenance. Specifically, this paper adopts the object-oriented software development method, using the UML modeling tools to model the system, adopted the MVC architecture mode to realize the stratification of the system, using the front-end technology such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript to realize the user interface design of the system, combined with the back-end technology such as Java, JSP, the Servlet system. Through the system test and the use of code quality control tools, the system is accepted, and the maintenance of the system is planned and designed. Finally, this paper realizes an easy-to-use, stable, safe and efficient e-commerce system.