SBIR Phase I: OODLE: An Object-Oriented Design Learning Environment

Stottler Henke Associates, San Mateo CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop and evaluate a software prototype to assess the technical and commercial feasibility of an Object-Oriented Design Learning Environment (OODLE) that will help software engineers acquire expert-level object-oriented design skills rapidly and economically. Unlike earlier tutoring systems that help novices learn to write short programs that generate "merely" correct results, OODLE will help software engineers learn to design more complex software systems by appropriately balancing factors such as the importance of each functional requirement, time and space efficiency, simplicity, flexibility, clarity, and code modularity. Because complex design problems have no single correct solution, the tutoring system will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each student's design and then "converse" with the student within a Socratic dialog to clarify understandings, intentions, and rationales, as well as point out additional facts, issues, and experiences that suggest design alternatives worth considering. Although OODLE will teach object-oriented software design skills, many of the findings of this research may also apply to other engineering disciplines. Thus, this research would significantly advance our ability to create curriculum development and learning assessment tools that help student and professional engineers enhance their design skills. Software engineers require better methods of acquiring the extensive experience and instructional feedback needed to become proficient designers. Ideally, the engineers would receive individualized instruction in one-on-one or small group mentoring situations. In practice, however, mentored instruction can be difficult to achieve because expert mentors are an expensive resource that is infrequently available. To satisfy this market need, the company will develop an object-oriented design skills tutor that can be marketed to software vendors and IT organizations. Initially, the OODLE technology will be packaged within semi-custom solutions sold directly by the firm to large end-user companies or indirectly via licensing or reseller arrangements with software training and consulting companies.