NOTE: Some links in this syllabus page may only be accessible to currently enrolled students.

Course Description

Introduction to the "back end" of the software engineering lifecycle implementation; verification and validation; debugging; maintenance.

Prerequisites: CS 261

Other Prereqs:

Experience with object-oriented programming and data structures (e.g., CS 161, CS 162, CS 261). CS 361 is recommended but not required.

Instructor Introduction, Wendy Roberts

To introduce myself, my name is Wendy Roberts, and I’m a full time Software Engineer and part time Instructor. This is my third term teaching at OSU and prior to this, I taught for a little over 3 years at Linn-Benton Community College. I’ve been a Software Engineer for most of my career, working in various industries; Defense, Ecommerce, Computer Security, and Financial Applications. Currently I work at a small company in Corvallis that provides automated lumber scanning and optimization through propriety sensors, sophisticated algorithms, and artificial intelligence. I absolutely love Software Engineering, each day is a new challenge, and I’ve never regretted my career choice or thought about changing career fields.

Most of my code these days is in C#, C++, Python, and Java. I’ve worked with all the major database systems. I’m a huge proponent of using Agile Development processes and Test-Driven Development. I’ve seen the industry change with Unit Testing techniques, and I know the quality of my software is improved. It’s been many years since I’ve worked with a QA team now that I’m able to build in automated verification, validation, and regression testing with Unit Testing techniques and Continuous Integration servers.

I teach part time because I enjoy working with students and sharing what I’ve learned during my career. I know firsthand the benefits of education and lifelong learning and I like to convey that to students. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in this career field after my first programming class long ago, but it took hold and I’ve enjoyed my choices ever since. I like to encourage students who struggle through the learning process and begin to see that they can master the skills needed for this field. I’m here because I love learning and I love working with students who want to learn. It’s a real privilege to be at OSU and to journey through this learning process with you.

Syllabus

Course Calendar

Syllabus Quiz

Please post all course-related questions in the Piazza page so that the whole class may benefit from your conversation. Not all posts require a reply from the instructor/TA and often it is better for students to hash out an answer to a question.

To contact the TAs, open Canvas Inbox, compose a new message, select this course, then next to the ‘To’ box click the address book, select “Teaching Assistants”, then choose the name(s) of TAs you wish to contact.

The instructor or a TA will reply to most course-related questions within 24-48 hours.

Contact Information for Wendy Roberts, Instructor

• Email: roberwen@oregonstate.edu
• Office hours: Monday/Wednesday 7 PM to 9 PM (You can always email me with questions)

Message or Email at any time

eCampus Resources These resources will be useful for all of your classes throughout the term... Library Information, Helpdesk Contact Info, Canvas Tech Support, etc.

Slack Channel (See 'Tools' tab for usage instructions): CS362 Slack Channels

Piazza Discussion Board: CS362 Piazza Discussion Board

Slack

Slack on our OSU enterprise Workspaces is a FERPA-approved, online chat and videoconferencing tool. We will use Slack to be more connected and accessible to you.  Think of it as a much-more-interactive chat client.  A Slack Workspace is essentially a membership subset specific to some THING (like a course section, for instance).

There are multiple methods to connect to Slack.  We recommend using the desktop application and mobile app. You can find links to download these at our Departmental Slack Info Site Alternately, entering the slack Workspace URL in your web browser will allow you to log on without downloading an application, but notifications don't work as well using this method.

NOTE: You can also view a Demo Slack has put out which shows many of its capabilities in use, and our Departmental Slack Info Site has some useful information as well.

Connecting to our class Workspace

After you've downloaded Slack, when you boot it up you should arrive at a login similar to the following. 

Please connect to the Workspace oregonstate.enterprise.slack.com - this is the central connection point for all OSU-oriented slack workspaces. You should then select the "Sign in with ONID" and be able to connect. Now you're in!

Here's how we'll use the Class Slack Workspace:

• #announcements
  The landing channel when you first join. We will use this for announcements specific to Slack.
• #random
  Random chat among course members (students and teachers)
• #general (You will have to join this channel manually to really get anything out of Slack)
  Class-specific discussions, office hours, etc.

Tips for getting the most out of your Slack

Slack will only be as helpful as you let it be.  We use Piazza as a fantastic Q&A board, but it is by nature asynchronous.  For greater continuity of conversations, Slack is it!

• Create your own channels
  For group-work or study-groups you can create your own (private or public) channels!
• Create ad-hoc teleconference sessions
  Click the "phone" icon next to the channel title and invite people to join you!
• Engage with the TAs and Instructors
  We're involved the channels, so you can ask us questions directly! Refer to Instructor Communication Preferences on the Syllabus page for best-practices.
• Engage with each other
  OSU's primary motivation in providing this Slack experience is to give you, the student, a built-in mechanism for building relationships and collaborations among yourselves.  We hope you'll be able to use this amazing tool to do so!