Valuable Learning Experience in ICS 314
09 Dec 2023
Introduction
In my ICS 314 software engineering class, I found teamwork a valuable learning experience, especially near the end of the semester in our final project. Coding standards and agile project Management definitely played a vital role in ensuring collaborative success. I feel that what I’ve learned from this class would be applicable for future classes and maybe in our future career.
Experience 1: Coding Standards
Coding standards served as a key feature in maintaining consistency throughout our final project. As our group completed each task of our final project, adhering to a coding standard allowed for easier and seamless collaboration. It ensured that our code was not only functional but also easily understandable by all team members. This not only enhanced quality of our work but also provided a common ground for reference and seeking help whenever we needed. In a collaborative environment, I found that following these coding standards became a essential tool whenever we wanted inspiration. Since other sections of the ICS 314 class was connected via class discord, we were able to see how others approached their problems which became a source of inspiration.
Experience 2: Agile Project Management
The principles of agile project management played a vital role during our final project for ICS 314, where effective teamwork was crucial. Our final project for ICS 314 followed the Issue Driven Project Management (IDPM) guidelines. Each team member had a designated task, and staying on task was crucial for the efficient completion of our project. I thought that this was a great practice that can be utilized in the future for group projects since this provided a sense of responsibility and discipline.
Experience 3: Open Source Development
Open source software development was seamlessly integrated into my ICS 314 class structure. Given that many students worked collaboratively on the same project, the adoption of common coding standards created a shared foundation. This enable easy access to others work and made collaborating on project easy. The class’s utilization of platforms like Discord and GitHub, where various students would interact, provided diverse perspectives on problem-solving and approaches to whatever project they are working on. Some of the assignments given in the ICS 314 class often utilized open source code from our professor. Some of the assignment would require us to use the code provided by the professor and modify them. This made me focused on the given task and the parts that really mattered. This provided a solid foundation for understanding of how code is structured.
Experience 4: Development Environments
Personally, the most valuable experience was the emphasis on development environments. The tools that were introduced in the ICS 314 class, such as IntelliJ IDEA and GitHub Desktop, was a good introduction to many other tools and ways to approach programming. Unlike the other classes I’ve taken in the past, debugging and outputs were constrained to messages, but these tools offered a dynamic, real-time view of the code. I was pleased with how these development environments made the ICS 314 class more valuable. The ability to visualize and understand the impact of changes made the learning process more engaging and practical.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, my class experience was highlighted by teamwork and values of using tools efficiently, supported by coding standards, agile project management, and open source software development. Putting the emphasis on development environments further enhanced my learning experience, making it not just extremely educational but also enjoyable while being applicable in the real world.