Blueprint for Software Engineering in Technology Enhanced Learning Projects Ralf Klamma, Michael Derntl, István Koren, Petru Nicolaescu, Dominik Renzel RWTH Aachen University Advanced Community Information Systems (ACIS) Aachen, Germany klamma@dbis.rwth-aachen.de 9th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2014) September 18-21, 2014 Graz, Austria

1. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
9th European Conference on
Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2014)
September 18-21, 2014
Graz, Austria
Blueprint for Software Engineering in
Technology Enhanced Learning
Projects
Ralf Klamma
Michael Derntl, István Koren, Petru Nicolaescu, Dominik Renzel
RWTH Aachen University
Advanced Community Information Systems (ACIS)
Aachen, Germany
klamma@dbis.rwth-aachen.de
1 These slides are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

2. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
2
Motivations and Objective
■ Most research projects in TEL include software
development activities
– Need to set up distributed work force
– Set up software engineering process
– Set up internal procedures and strategies (e.g. OSS)
– Lack of development resources
■ Many projects reinvent the wheel every time
■ Objective: software engineering infrastructure
blueprint based on previous good practice

3. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
3
Project Context: Layers and ROLE
■ Large scale projects on
– Responsive open learning environments (ROLE), completed
– Scaling up technologies for informal learning (Layers), running
– Technical lead, architecture, integration
■ Challenges
– Fast deployable, scalable, secure solutions
– Short development cycles
– Distributed developer community
– Large, heterogeneous end-user groups
– Procedures for code management, licensing, issue tracking,
etc. are needed
– Open Source as key factor for public funding agencies
– Danger of lack of stakeholder commitment

4. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
4
Developer Support
Open Developer Library (ODevL) – main information and
link hub for developer task force

5. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
5
Blueprint – Overall Approach
Requirements
Eng ineering
Co-­‐Design
Research
Themes &
Activities
Continuous
Integration
Integ rated
System
&
Prototypes
(Open
Source)
Software
Development
Open
Developer
Library
(ODevL)
Issue Tracking
(J IRA)
Source
Code
Repository
(Github)
Source
Code
Integ ration
(Jenkins)
Requirements
Bazaar
House
of
Quality
■ Cross work
package roles:
– Researchers
– Co-designers
– Developers
■ Core architectural
processes reflected
in the architecture
■ Core instruments:
House of Quality,
ODevL
■ Continuous
integration of
processes, artifacts,
and instruments

6. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
6
Lessons Learned (1)
■ People
– Social process, many stakeholders, different goals
– Requirements change
– “Not invented here” syndrome
■ Open Source Development
– Strong commitment required; sensitive OSS communities
– Research projects often lack development resources
– OSS training and licensing issues

7. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
7
Lessons Learned (2)
■ Awareness
– Internal and external awareness, e.g. through events like
developer camps, competitions
– Tools for reflection among developers
– A process of becoming for members
■ Time
– Essential factor
– Early provision of development infrastructure important
– Entry barriers for partners (new tools, new infrastructures)
– Danger of passive resistance

8. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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Conclusions
■ Unfolded a blueprint for software engineering in TEL
research projects
– Common challenges regarding the software architecture
and development process
– Offer an aligned set of instruments and activities to adopt
– Based on Open Source Software and decentralized
control
■ Preserve and share successful practice
■ Establish a culture of sharing and continued
refinement

9. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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Thanks

10. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
10
Layers Developer Task Force
■ Informal community of developers
■ Autonomy in realizing short-term development
agenda
■ Bi-weekly meetings
■ Consulting role for
technical issues in
design teams
10

11. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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Technologies Integrated in
Year 1 Architecture
■ i5Cloud: hybrid cloud infrastructure, initially developed in German
Excellence Cluster UMIC (Ultra High-Speed Mobile Info. & Comm.)
■ M-learning Platform: private/public cloud repository for m-learning
content by TRIBAL
■ LAS / LAS2peer: Lightweight Application Server, an extensible
peer-to-peer middleware for community oriented services
■ MobSOS: framework for community service success analytics for
formative evaluation, see WP1
■ Social Semantic Server: framework for social-semantic data, see
WP5
■ ROLE SDK: development and runtime infrastructure for personal
learning environments (came out of ROLE IP)
■ SeViAnno: Semantic video annotation technology
■ Intradoc247: candidate GP practice intranet solution for 500+
practices in our cluster region

12. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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Requirments – Input Examples
12
Context card
Storyboard

13. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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Requirments Bazaar – Discovery
13
http://requirements-bazaar.org

14. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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Requirments Bazaar – Requirements
Page
14

15. Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Information Systems)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
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House of Quality App
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http://is.gd/hoqchrome