Software engineering process improvement: aligning curriculum and industry requirements

The paper outlines the development and pilot testing of a software engineering audit and assessment instrument suited to the requirements of software engineers and educators. The instrument, approximately 100 pages in length, must be completed during a site visit. It enables researchers to examine software development organisations, processes, tools, development experience, and pricing in a consistent way. A combination of closed items suitable for statistical manipulation and open items in which clients identify critical factors facilitates triangulation between statistical and narrative data. Sections include an introduction to the background, nature, and development of the instrument. A discussion of areas studied; a brief description of the research methodology; and a discussion of implications for educators and practitioners.