Description of the course
This is an introductory course in Software Engineering programs. It provides knowledge and skills to develop an object-oriented software application in Java(r). The course focuses on designing and coding a program. Students apply design thinking to define the application user interface.
Description of the participants
This is a mandatory course in the Bachelor’s in Software Engineering program at International University. Lecturers from JVN were invited to present the ICT-INOV innovation building method. The course took place in fall 2023 with an attendance of 50 students.
Description of gamified design thinking activities
Students were required to develop software for stimulating basic services of account management in a bank. Students were challenged to design and develop a highly innovative application mobile interface for customers.
Students were divided into groups of 3 – 4 individuals and completed the course work in 8 sessions. Work was organized in the following steps:
Step 1. Definition of context and basic requirements.
Students started their activities by engaging in team building exercises. They defined a team name and logo. Subsequently, they engaged in software application requirements analysis for allowing bank customers to access their account. To achieve this, students conducted interviews and brainstormed.
Step 2. Identifing must-have and nice-to-have features.
Students continued with requirements analysis by categorizing features in terms of how critical they are for customers. They engaged in immersion for insight generation and clarification of assumptions.
Step 3. Prototyping and modification.
Students developed a Java(r) program that integrated the identified user requirements. They prototyped their ideas for demonstrating them to the class. Prototype presentations and follow-up discussions provided opportunities for students to better understand the course objectives.
