Resumen de Project and team-based strategies for teaching software architecture

Melina Vidoni, Jorge Marcelo Montagna, Aldo Vecchietti

• Software Architecture remains a difficult topic to teach. This is because of the problem’s complexity, and the integration ofinterpersonal and technical skills with knowledge from different areas. This paper presents the introduction of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Team-Based Learning (TBL) in a Software Architecture undergraduate course. The goal forstudents is to apply in practice the concepts learned using ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) to evaluatecase studies of real-world architecture. PBL is known for allowing students to experiment with realistic problems andimprove their negotiation and communication skills. TBL offers a different approach to group-based activities, by usingthem to determine the structure of the course. This approach is applied in an optional course in a Systems Engineeringdegree; its results are positive, having increased students’ attendance and active participation levels. A student survey alsoshows acceptance of the new methodology.