The Software Engineering course has a strong applied component, but it also requires a theoretical foundation, based on experience, from which practical decisions are implemented. Therefore, the course will not follow a purely PBL (Problem-Based Learning) approach, but rather a combination of PBL and traditional methodology. Students will be presented with a practical case (a generic problem) of real-world scale, around which problem-solving sessions and practical work will be structured. The student must assume the role of software analyst/architect in order to make the appropriate decisions leading to the construction of a design proposal for the proposed system. The instructor will take on the role of tutor and, in certain situations, act as a client, encouraging developer–client dialogue simulations.

The course consists of 4 weekly in-person hours. No formal distinction is made between lecture, problem-solving, and lab sessions. During class hours, lectures, problem-solving sessions, or practical work will alternate according to a schedule that will be provided on the first day. In general, the fundamental theoretical content will be covered during the first sessions of the course (approximately the first 6 weeks), but some problem-solving and case-based sessions will also be progressively included. Once the theoretical content has been delivered, all remaining sessions will be dedicated to problem-based work, with certain mandatory attendance sessions where practical work will take place (in teams of n people, with n defined at the beginning of the course) or problems will be solved and submitted at the end of the session.

THEORY

Consists of lectures with multimedia material available on the UAB Virtual Campus. The main goal of these lectures is to introduce the basic concepts of the processes, methods, and tools related to the software life cycle from an engineering perspective. Principles and paradigms of Software Engineering, the various activities, and the tasks to be carried out in each activity will be presented. These theory classes are intended to provide students with a realistic view of the rigor, planning, and systematic approach required in professional software development.

SEMINARS / PROBLEM SESSIONS

Seminars are participatory sessions involving student engagement. They serve a dual purpose: on one hand, linking with the lectures, and on the other, with the practical sessions related to the problem to be solved in teams. Seminars will complement the technical content presented in the lectures, supporting a deeper understanding. At the same time, they will provide the framework in which the guide problem is discussed, its foundations are established, and development is carried out. Students will be given the necessary knowledge to advance in the practical work or will be guided on how to acquire it. Seminars primarily foster analytical and synthesis skills, as well as critical reasoning and decision-making by the students when addressing the guide problem. Since this is a very practical course and the theoretical content is relatively straightforward, practical work is often reinforced with problem-solving or participatory activities. Seminar content will be coordinated with the stages of the practical project.

PRACTICAL WORK MONITORING

There will be no dedicated in-person lab sessions. Students will solve the guide problem autonomously insmall groups, with progress monitored during the regular class schedule. The practical sessions (12 hours over the course) will consist of two parts. First, each practical team will present their project progress to the rest of the class (the presentation will be done by the team member acting as Scrum Master for that iteration). In the second part of the session, the practical tutor will hold an individual interview with each team to monitor and evaluate their progress. Development will follow a SCRUM-based approach, where each increment, or sprint, corresponds to a session.

Attendance to the follow-up interviews is MANDATORY for all students. Absences will negatively affect the evaluation of the practical work, and failure to attend more than 15% of the sessions will result in not passing this component. In case of justified absence, instructors may provide compensation mechanisms. Team sizes will be determined at the beginning of the course, and as a guideline, teams will consist of 5 members. Since attendance to follow-up sessions is mandatory and takes place during class hours, it is important that all team members are enrolled in and attend the same group.

PRACTICAL PROJECT

At the beginning of the course, students will be given a guide problem. This problem serves two purposes. First, it will be used as an example in seminar sessions, where relevant parts will be addressed in line with the course content. Second, it functions as the specification for a practical assignment that will be progressively solved in stages throughout the semester. Students will organize themselves into work teams. The project will be carried out autonomously, with the weekly follow-up process described above.

INDICATORS AND ASSESSMENT

This course does not offer the single-assessment system.

Assessment will be based on the practical work developed by the student and included in their portfolio (final resolution of the guide problem, material generated in seminar activities), the degree of involvement in seminars, and the technological knowledge acquired in the subject. The following assessment instruments will be considered:

• Theoretical Assessment (TA). An in-person written test to evaluate the degree of knowledge acquired by the student on an individual basis. Two midterm tests will be held during the course that will allow students to exempt content, provided the grade is equal to or higher than 4. Each midterm will account for 50% of the final theoretical assessment grade.
• Practical Assessment (PA). Evaluation of the overall performance of the different working groups in solving the guide problem (project) and the various activities presented in seminars (problems). It consists of two components:

Project Grade

Documentation submitted by the students about their practical work. The technical resolution of the guide problem will be assessed, as well as the defense of the work during submissions, monitoring of work progress, and active participation in seminars.

Assessment will be based on interviews with the professor, short written tests, submissions, or presentations of problems and case studies presented during the activities. Although this instrument is collective, at the tutor’s discretion, it may be graded individually in cases where a student's participation stands out (positively or negatively) compared to their group.

Problem Grade

During the course, the professor will ask students to solve some problems independently, in addition to those solved jointly during problem sessions. These submissions are individual.

The final grade will be calculated according to the following table:

At the time of publishing each evaluation, a review period will be established. These review periods will be strictly respected, and no grades will be reviewed outside of the official review period.

The course will be graded as \"Not Assessable\" only if the student has not attended any of the evaluation activities and has not submitted the assigned work (in full or partially).

If the student does not pass the course because any of the evaluation activities do not reach the required minimum grade, the final grade recorded will be the lower value between 4.5 and the weighted average of all marks.

Exceptions:

• A \"Not Assessable\" grade will be given to students who do not participate in any evaluation activity.
• A grade of zero (0) will be given in the event of irregularities during an assessment activity, in which case passing by compensation will not be possible.

Honours distinctions will be awarded according to UAB regulations (depending on the number of enrolled students) to the highest grades equal to or above 9.

For each evaluation activity, the place, date, and time of the review will be indicated so that students may review the activity with the instructor. In this context, claims regarding the grade can be submitted and will be evaluated by the responsible teaching staff. If the student does not attend the review session, the activity will not be reviewed later.

See the “PLAGIARISM” section for measures related to irregularities in evaluation activities.

RECOVERIES

• Theoretical Assessment (TA): Two midterm theory exams will be conducted during class time. Students who do not pass one or both tests will have a chance to recover via an exam scheduled on the official final evaluation date of the program.
• Practical Assessment (PA): The practical work is assessed through continuous evaluation during follow-up sessions. Therefore, there will be no recovery activity at the end of the course. However, regarding project resolution, failure to submit or pass an intermediate delivery may be recovered by rescheduling the project plan for later sessions during the course, subject to agreement with the instructor.

ASSESSMENT DATES

Thedates for continuous assessment and work submissions will be published on the virtual campus and may be subject to changes due to unforeseen circumstances. All changes will be communicated through the virtual campus, which is the standard channel for information exchange between teacher and students.

REPEATING STUDENTS

Partial grades (theory or practice) from previous years are not retained. However, at the discretion of the instructor and based on prior assessments, some compensations may be granted.

PLAGIARISM

Without prejudice to any disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, any irregularities committed by a student that may affect grading will result in a zero (0).

For example, plagiarizing, copying, allowing copying, etc., will result in failing that assessment activity with a zero (0).

These activities will not be recoverable.

If passing such an activity is necessary to pass the course, the entire course will be failed, with a grade of zero (0), and no opportunity to recover it within the same academic year.

Such irregularities include, among others:

• Total or partial copying of a practice, report, or any other assessed activity.
• Allowing others to copy.
• Submitting a group project not entirely completed by all group members.
• Presenting material created by a third party as one’s own, including translations or adaptations, or any work with non-original content.
• Having communication devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartwatches, etc.) accessible during individual theoretical-practical exams.

A student who commits irregularities during an assessment will not have any of their other evaluation activities validated.

In short: copying, allowing to copy, or plagiarizing (or attempting to) in any assessment activity equals a FAIL with a zero (0), non-compensable, and not valid for future course recognition.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

The use of AI technologies as part of the project development is permitted as long as the final result reflects a significant personal contribution by the student in the analysis and reflection process.

Students must clearly indicate which parts were generated using AI, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final outcome.

Lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in grade penalties or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

MANDATORY ATTENDANCE

Attendance at the project follow-up sessions is mandatory. These sessions are part of the continuous assessment process for the practical work. Unjustified absence from more than 15% of the follow-up sessions may result in failing the project assessment. In the case of justified absence, the teaching staff may establish appropriate compensation mechanisms.

RESCHEDULING

There is a protocol for requesting the rescheduling of assessment activities in the cases specified in the assessment criteria and instructions of the School of Engineering. Students who are unable to attend an assessment activity for a justified reason must submit the corresponding request to the relevant academic management office. Rescheduling will only be applied in the cases provided for by the regulations and by the School’s criteria.

FINAL CLARIFICATION

The detailed planning of activities, submissions and sessions will be published on the Virtual Campus, always within the framework established in this teaching guide.