The Mywick Residential Rental Property Management System Case
HEADNOTE
ABSTRACT
This paper describes a project suitable for use in an upper division course requiring the completion of analysis, design and implementation of a software system. It is especially useful for illustrating multiple cycles through the development process, as well as for integrating key concepts from a number of fundamental knowledge clusters in a typical undergraduate IS program of study. These knowledge clusters include database management, project management, programming principles, and system analysis and design. In the pilot class, students employed use case analysis as well as standard object-oriented techniques such as class diagrams and sequence diagrams. Students followed a modified version of the Team Software Process, with special attention paid to the postmortem following each of two cycles. Teaching tools included the use of a special email address allowing students to converse with the "client."
Keywords: iterative development, team process, software development, object-oriented analysis and design, database application, programming, and triage
1. BACKGROUND
The Mywick Residential Rental Property Management System case was designed for use in a capstone project course for undergraduate information systems (IS) majors. As such it is particularly useful in classes where a completed team software system is required. It was designed to elicit the development of a front-end data entry and reporting system, as well as a companion back-end database system. Students are expected to engage in analysis, design, and implementation using object-oriented techniques (Dennis, 2002). This case is also useful in teaching the need to set system priorities. The concept of triage (Yourdon, 1999) is better understood within the context of a case requiring that choices be made. While oriented towards a completed system, this case may also be useful in a standard database or system analysis and design course where students do not actually implement or
ABSTRACT
This paper describes a project suitable for use in an upper division course requiring the completion of analysis, design and implementation of a software system. It is especially useful for illustrating multiple cycles through the development process, as well as for integrating key concepts from a number of fundamental knowledge clusters in a typical undergraduate IS program of study. These knowledge clusters include database management, project management, programming principles, and system analysis and design. In the pilot class, students employed use case analysis as well as standard object-oriented techniques such as class diagrams and sequence diagrams. Students followed a modified version of the Team Software Process, with special attention paid to the postmortem following each of two cycles. Teaching tools included the use of a special email address allowing students to converse with the "client."
Keywords: iterative development, team process, software development, object-oriented analysis and design, database application, programming, and triage
1. BACKGROUND
The Mywick Residential Rental Property Management System case was designed for use in a capstone project course for undergraduate information systems (IS) majors. As such it is particularly useful in classes where a completed team software system is required. It was designed to elicit the development of a front-end data entry and reporting system, as well as a companion back-end database system. Students are expected to engage in analysis, design, and implementation using object-oriented techniques (Dennis, 2002). This case is also useful in teaching the need to set system priorities. The concept of triage (Yourdon, 1999) is better understood within the context of a case requiring that choices be made. While oriented towards a completed system, this case may also be useful in a standard database or system analysis and design course where students do not actually implement or