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Student view of SE study program at FER, Zagreb

Student view of SE study program at FER, Zagreb. Ivan Belfinger Mentor: prof. dr. sc. Krešimir Fertalj Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. Overview. Introduction Analysis of three years of undergraduate study Other issues Conclusion. Introduction.

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Student view of SE study program at FER, Zagreb

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  1. Student view of SE study program at FER, Zagreb DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012. Ivan Belfinger Mentor: prof. dr. sc. Krešimir Fertalj Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb

  2. Overview • Introduction • Analysis of three years of undergraduate study • Other issues • Conclusion DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  3. Introduction • Study program at Faculty of EE and Computing - 3 years undergraduate + 2 years Masters DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  4. First year of study program • 1st semester: • Programming and Software Engineering: Fundamentals of programming, C programming language • 2nd semester: • Algorithms and Data structures: Hash and sort algorithms, data structures (OO programming removed few years ago), C programming language • Computer Architecture 1: Processor and computer architecture; ARM too early? DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  5. First year of study program • Badly organized • Large number of students • Uninterested professors and assistant profesors • Low criteria because of the students who have courses they might not find useful in later years DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  6. C programming language problem • Used extensively during first years • Ok for basic concepts that are being demonstrated – hard to use for future projects • Students finish first few years with a thought that C programming language is only language they need to know • Problems in later years practically unsolvable using C • Alternatives: Python, Java, migration? DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  7. Second year of study program • 3rd semester: • Operating Systems: Operating system design, multithreading, C programming language • 4th semester: • Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science: Automata and grammars, programming language of choice • Databases: Relational databases, SQL – useful! DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  8. Second year of study program • Noise – courses in Physics 2 and Electronics • Useless in their current form, badly lectured, high criteria • Computing courses are marginalised; at the end of the second year, only few useful courses in computing • Introduction to Theoretical C.S. issue • Problems unsolvable using current knowlege • C is not enough • Some students buy solutions from older colleagues DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  9. Third year of study program • 5th semester • Communication Networks, Software Design Project • Programming Language Translation: Students write their own compiler in teams, again, without proper programming skills • Software Design: Based on Sommerville book Team project (8 students per team) Theory hardly applicable in practice DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  10. Third year of study program • 6th semester • Development of Software Applications, Programming Paradigms and Languages, Design Patterns in Software Design, Artificial Intelligence etc. • Students lack fundamental knowlege, most courses have to start from beginning • OO programming is taught for the first time DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  11. Later years • Because of the shortcomings in study program, students suffer the most • Student who are warned about these problems by older colleagues and fill gaps in knowledge themselves, have better results • Temporary solution – warn students about those problems • Premanent solution – change study program in first years DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  12. Literature and lectures • Doesn’t seem to be reviewed by those who use it most – students • Understandable to those who wrote it; isn’t adapted for studying • Important stuff isn’t emphasised enough DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  13. Motivation • Students aren’t motivated enough with interesting problems • E.g.: Programming for social networks, smartphones, graphical interfaces • Programming can and should be interesting • Lecturers sometimes seem uninterested to their own lecture (students notice that) DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  14. OO paradigm • Lectured too late • Lectured too fast – concepts that take months to understand are lectured in just a few weeks • It’s importance is demonstrated too late • Alternatives: Make enrolment to at least one skill course of object oriented language obligatory (Java, C#, Python) DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  15. Team projects • Extremely positive experience • Students learn from other students, especially from older colleagues • Best students in teams are often preoccupied • These students often learned most things themselves • Overworked because of their previous extra work • Encourages mediocrity DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  16. Syllabus • Before: three cycles + one repeated exam; now: two cycles + multiple indepedend exams • Positive change, allows students to adress gaps in their knowlege and not lose an entire year • Less stress, more chance to rectify mistakes • But, distribution of problems during semester and literature at some courses stayed the same DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  17. ECTS credit • Distribution of ECTS credits is nonrepresentative: Programming and Software Engineering – 6 credit Skills of Communication – 3 credit Development of Software Applications – 4 credit Development of Software Applications takes more time than both of those courses, by the factor of at least 3 • Examples are abundant • This makes planing a semester hard (especially during semesters with elective courses) DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  18. Conclusion • Many positive and negative examples of courses and lecturers • Some professors are uninterested • Others put a lot of effort and energy into teaching (weekend skill courses) • Big gaps in knowledge • Earlier segregation of study programs and modules? • Offer older students to work with younger students in exchange for extra credit? • Feedback by polls (surveys) – ignored by students and professors DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

  19. Q & A Thank you! DAAD Workshop Opatija 2. – 9.9.2012.

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