Speclad

Speclad: an Online Collaborative Problem-Based Learning Environment.
In Proceedings of AaeE, Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education. Melbourne, Australia, 9-12 December 2007.
Authors: Chandika Jayasundara, Sandrine Balbo, Rod Farmer & Michael Kirley.
Abstract: : This paper describes an online collaborative learning environment – Speclad –, for problem and peer based learning. Speclad was originally developed as a platform to support student learning when constructing object-oriented class diagrams in software engineering and information system development. A number of enhancements have recently been introduced, which extends the functionality of the Speclad environment, including: the use of diagram annotations and a collaborative web space. Here, we discuss the motivations for developing the environment, key aspects considered during the design stage before presenting an overview of the system in action. The generic features of the Speclad environment are transferable for many modelling and design tasks encountered by undergraduate engineering students.

SpeCLaD: A Community Based Self-Learning Environment for Object Oriented Design (pdf, 1.4MB)
Paper published in the ED-MEDIA conference proceedings, Vancouver, June 2007
Authors: Sandrine Balbo, Rod Farmer and Chandika Jayasundara
Abstract: Learning and understanding how to build UML class diagrams from simple textual description is often a challenging task for anybody new to Object-Oriented software design. The aim of the SpeCLaD project is to develop an effective and supportive community based self-learning environment for supporting the understanding of how to build these diagrammatic representations. This paper first introduces the SpeCLaD environment before exploring the theoretical and practical foundations for this work. It concludes with the possible extensions that were highlighted by a first expert review of the project.

Eclipse plugins to create a learning environment for novices to understand how to build a UML Class Diagram from simple requirement specifications (pdf, 88K)
Initial IBM Eclipse Innovation award proposal
Author: Sandrine Balbo
Project objectives and goals: This project has 2 sets of users with very different objectives and goals.
The instructors' main objective is to illustrate, to the students, how to extract, from a requirement specification (or, in other words, a plain text description of a problem), the design of the set of Object-Oriented classes that will implement that requirement specification.
The students' main objective is to learn effectively how to build a UML-CD from a requirement specification, either in their own time, or within a specific course/subject. The student will be able to experience this by observing, building and reading feedback from the instructors.