Teams need a process!

Abstract

This paper begins with a discussion of the importance of software development and the problems encountered by those trying to work effectively on software project teams. It is argued that for students to be effective in working on teams they need the discipline and organization offered by a rigorous team software process. The author describes his experiences in using the Team Software Process (TSP) to teach an introductory course in software engineering. The structure and key elements of the process are presented, along with techniques used in selecting and forming teams. The paper examines the TSP quality assurance features and finishes with a discussion of the techniques used to acquire feedback and to evaluate the affect of the TSP on student learning.