Teaching of agile UML modelling: Recommendations from students' reections

Paper in proceeding, 2017

Our research aims to develop a teaching method that solves or addresses the main difficulties for students to integrate modelling in their common practices in software development. In particular, the use of modelling has been challenged by adoption of agile processes. In this paper we propose an educational approach that reveals several practices for teaching modelling based on evidence distilled from students' peerre ections. Our approach, that was inspired by pair programming, is used as a means to: i) reveal what typical dificulties students face during software modelling, ii) help students create better (UML) models, iii) enable students to better understand the difference between domainand design models, and iv) integrate modelling in an agile development process. In this study we asked student pairs to reect on each other frequently during an UML analysis and design assignment.We qualitatively analysed these reections.We observed that this approach triggers reective thinking in our student modellers. Based on the distilled practices, we discuss pitfalls and recommendations for lecturers that are teaching UML analysis and design.