Reflect on Software Engineering: Tools for the Future
16 Dec 2024I. Introduction
As I reflect back on this past semester taking ICS 314, I was thrown into the world of software engineering. I was able to learn different languages like Typescript, new frameworks like Bootstrap 5, and essentially learned the building blocks of how to develop a web application from scratch. However, through it all, the most important thing I learned was the fundamental concepts of software engineering.
Though these concepts are meant to help software engineers keep their coding to a certain standard, I have found that some of these can definitely help one be successful in all avenues of life, not just software engineering. Two topics I feel that do just that are “agile project management” and “ethics in software engineering”.
II. Agile Project Management
Agile project management refers to the management of a project through the approach of incremental steps towards the completion of a project. This type of management promotes speed and adaptability towards the project. Essentially, while you’re still aiming for the end goal, the iteration allows for the project to adjust, as opposed to following a linear path. Some key characteristics of a successfully managed agile project are: there is a task for you to work on, you know what task to work on, when done with a task, you know which one to go to next, and you are rarely blocked, waiting for someone else to complete a task.
Issue-Driven Project Management is a type of project management that fulfills the standards of Agile project management and characteristics of an efficient software process. Some basic rules of an issue-driven project management style are: the work is divided into tasks, no task should take longer than 3 days, each task should have an issue, each issue has a single owner, issues are organized into milestones, milestones have due dates, milestones are represented by project boards, and every person should have at least one issue to complete. For our final project, we used the approach of issue-driven project management through the use of GitHub’s version for their repositories.
Personally, I found this approach very useful. I felt that it made sure that our group was constantly talking about what needed to get done, which helped get everyone on the same page. Everyone had their own tasks to complete, and we felt as if we were making good progress. This approach helps to keep things well-organized and truly helped to adapt our course when we ran into problems. I could definitely see myself using this in the future when tackling goals outside of software engineering. Especially in group settings, it helps to distribute the work and work towards the same task. As I am a senior, I will be entering the workforce very soon. If I end up in a leadership position, this will be one of my first options to manage the project or even suggest this type of project management to my colleagues.
III. Ethics in Software Engineering
As a software engineer, I would say many professionals are at the forefront of technology and innovation; with that comes a great amount of power. It is their responsibility to ensure that the analysis, specification, design, development, testing, and maintenance of software are conducted in a manner that benefits society and maintains respect for the profession. This responsibility is guided by a commitment to the health, safety, and welfare of the public, which is upheld by adhering to eight principles: public, client and employer, product, judgment, management, profession, colleagues, and self. These principles are essential to ensure that software engineers act ethically and contribute to the improvement of society.
In this class, we were given case studies involving controversial issues tied to software engineering and were tasked with analyzing them based on these eight principles. One case I learned about was Google Maps and its unethical collection of data from the public. Not only did they gather information without consent, but they also misled the public about their true intentions. As I went through each of the principles to analyze this case, it truly opened my eyes to what is necessary when dealing with software. While Google Maps wasn’t created with the intention to invade privacy, the lack of ethical standards allowed it to happen.
I chose this case because it reinforces the perspective that, in whatever we do, our actions don’t only affect ourselves, but also everyone around us. It’s crucial to be aware of how our decisions impact others. This mindset, especially in software engineering, emphasizes the importance of considering the broader consequences of our actions. This applies not just to software, but to all aspects of life, ensuring that we make ethical decisions and avoid harmful actions.
IV. Conclusion
Overall, this course has taught me a lot, not just about software engineering, but also about concepts that can be applied to life. Learning about agile project management will help me when working in groups as I move forward, as well as in tackling personal goals. It will allow me to keep my focus on the main target while being adaptable along the way.
The ethics in software engineering component reminded me of how everything is connected and how our actions constantly affect others. While innovation is important, taking shortcuts or going about things in a deceitful or unethical way may come at a cost that society as a whole is unwilling to pay. This serves as a reminder to strive to reach your goals while still acting ethically. Though this course was geared towards software engineering, it provided us with powerful tools to build a bright and prosperous future.