Growing a software quality culture in an educational environment

The technical skills students must acquire in a typical computer science program are often mandated through standards or curricular requirements. How are nontechnical skills assessed? computer science educators must teach and encourage the development of other critical skills needed in the workplace such as personal accountability, a strong work ethic and an ability to deliver on-time and correct work. This paper describes the results of a student survey designed to provoke some thoughts about the evolving work ethic and work culture of today's students. Along with the survey results, the importance in asking the questions and a brief analysis of how the behavior or activity fits into the quality cycle are presented. Finally, a section on continuous improvement strategies is proposed.