Blueprint for software engineering in technology enhanced learning projects

Abstract

Many projects in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) aim to develop novel approaches, models, and systems by field-testing new ideas with software prototypes. A major challenge is that project consortia need to establish a distributed, typically understaffed developer community that has to align its development efforts with needs from application partners and input from research partners. Tackling this challenge, this paper provides a blueprint for software engineering process and infrastructure, which was distilled from successful practices in recent TEL projects. We present a composition of freely available instruments that support open, distributed software engineering practices using continuous integration processes. The blueprint considers the full development cycle including requirements engineering, software architecture, issue tracking, build management and social aspects of developer community building in TEL projects. Some lessons learned are provided, particularly related to open source commitment, innovation as a social process, and the essential role of time. We aim to make software development in TEL fit for Horizon 2020 with processes and instruments that can be readily adopted for planning and executing future projects. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.