Studios in Software Engineering Education - ICSE 2013
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Studio-based teaching is a method commonly used in arts and design that emphasizes a physical "home" for students, problem-based and peer-based learning, and mentoring by academic staff rather than formal lectures. There have been some attempts to transfer studio-based teaching to software engineering education. In many ways, this is natural as software engineering has significant practical elements. However, attempts at software studios have usually ignored experiences and theory from arts and design studio teaching. There is therefore a lack of understanding of what "studio" really means, how well the concepts transfer to software engineering, and how effective studios are in practice. Without a clear definition of "studio", software studios cannot be properly evaluated for their impact on student learning nor can best and worst practices be shared between those who run studios. In this paper, we address this problem head-on by conducting a qualitative analysis of what "studio" really means in both arts and design. We carried out 15 interviews with a range of people with studio experiences and present an analysis and model for evaluation here. Our results suggest that there are many intertwined aspects that define studio education, but it is primarily the people and the culture that make a studio. Digital technology on the other hand can have an adverse effect on studios, unless properly recognised.
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Studios in Software Engineering Education - ICSE 2013
- 11. Goals Long-term: • Transfer studios to SE • Improve enrich studios • Create studio applications
- 12. Goals Short-term: • Better understanding • Evaluate studios
- 13. Methodology
- 16. - James Tomayko, “Teaching software development in a studio environment”
- 21. - Harrison & Dourish (CSCW’96)
Editor's Notes
- Before we dive in, a question for you to ponder over:“What’s the best way for someone at ICSE to present their paper or share their idea?”
- Broadcasting informationSize of room and audience can affect intimacy, but it is still a lecture.Computer labs are really about supplying a resource to the students: the computersAs an experiment, Google Image search “University education”Old buildingsIndicative “Graduation cap”Books/libraries& Lecture theatresSignificant practical elements…but I’m sure you’ve seen something like this. (next slide)
- Motivation issues:Lectures tend not to engage as they are a mechanism for broadcasting information.
- Development teams have various team dynamics, and perform a multitude of activities.Studios can help:Software Engineering has significant practical elements, and studios naturally encourage a collaborative culture.
- …to tackle the varied understanding and lack of definition, let’s start from the beginning.The roots of the design studio can be traced back as far medieval times where guilds would take on apprentices Most literature that discusses the origins of the design studio often describes two main schools of studio education: École Des Beaux Arts and the Bauhaus
- École des Beaux-Arts (France, 1819-1914), or School of Fine Arts, is a French school of design.Environments used are known as ateliers, French for ‘workshop’ Students worked under the guidance of a patron (tutor) The purpose was to allow working and learning to occur simultaneouslywhilst working under their patron, the students would also be studying a theory of design There is a tradition where older students helped younger students
- Bauhaus (Germany, 1919-1933) “School of Building”Well known for mix of theory and practice but more importantly, art and craft“apprentices were to be instructed, not only by 'masters' of each particular craft, but also by fine artists ”the teaching program aimed to develop the personalities of the students, as this was considered key to the future design experiences. Both of these examples were closed due to the war effort at the time.
- What you’re told when you ask: “What is a Studio?”Year = 1983Some common aspects described:Reflective PracticeCritique
- Previous prominent software studios:CMU, MIT, UQBenefits of studiosThey promote and support numerous human-centric aspects of learning, including collaboration, mentoring and peer-learningImplementations widely vary.Language is limited – we get hung up on wordsSome people prefer atelier, because studio can be too vague – but “studio” is prominent word in literatureClarify:Studio, atelier and even baseroomIt has had many names in the pastDesign studio, not art studio--“Family Resemblance” approach to identifying a studio leads us to determine how “studio-like” a space is.A studio can potentially still be a studio if it misses integral aspects of other studios.What a studio “is” is, at least in part, based on some tacit knowledge and complex ideas – witnessed in the various implementations of a studio.software studios have often ignored experiences and theoryfrom arts and design studio teaching…unless the studio had a designer (or similar) to help with the design of the studio: to guide it. (not based on research, but the tacit knowledge of an individual)- Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, it doesn’t show how it relates to other studios.Why can’t we define studio?- It’s about transferring tacit (as well as explicit) knowledge, in a community of practice- Tacit knowledge is inherently difficult to share
- Long-term:Transfer Studios to SEExplore how to improve/enrich current SE studiosA view to creating applications and services to support SE education in studiosWhy I am passionate about it?- Amongst other things, because students are.In conversations, no one ever has a bad thing to say about them – or at least rarelySo, why don’t we all use them?In countless discussions, studios appeared tacit
- Short-term:This paperBetter understand studios (there are various definitions and interpretations)Evaluate studiosLook for common issuesHow to improve Software Studios: “I had to ask the question: ‘So what is a studio?’”Problem: Lack of a definition
- How I did the research: Interview people who have been immersed in studios for most of their lives-What do they think studios are?What is it? My findings from the interviewsGain understanding of how studio-like a space is.
- Methodology:- Who I interviewed15x peopleSemi-structuredArchitecture, Design & Art (commonly referred to as creative disciplines)Various institutions & countriesExperiences (Taught, Teach, Industry)Aim: to get their perspectives on what they think studio education is about (what is important, what makes it work etc.)Taught, teach and sometimes worked in studios in industryAnonymous!Output:Taxonomy
- 2-level taxonomyAct like a checklistPurpose of taxonomy:Determine where an environment falls on the studio spectrum.“How studio-like an environment is”
- Studios are not just project courses.Studios have elements of project courses in them, and more:Supporting a collaborative culture and attitude (not just around individual projects or modules of work)Why do we need a Studio model?Variety of spaces:“I’ve seen it manifest in many different forms in different places.”a participant
- Physical:Open environmentReconfigurable furnitureStudents control aesthetic factors (lighting, heating)Shared spacesIndividual spacesSocial spacesPrivate spacesFacilitation:Studio belongs to the studentsStaff do not dictate use of space24 hour accessFood and drink allowedHigh availability of staffSmall group size (about 10)Modes of education:Switch approach based on activityMentoring/coachingPeer-learningImpromptu teaching
- Awarness:Visual workDisplaying workVisual history of progressEasily observe other people’s workSocial interactionsCritique:Direct feedbackDevelop ideasMultiple formats (formal and informal, individual and group)Peer-coachingCulture:SharingSocialTreated like second homeGood work ethicPeer-learningSerendipity“You learn a lot from your colleagues or friends, as much as you do in terms of being taught” – a participant
- Individual:Personalisation of spacePrivate and quiet spacesInspiration:Proximity to other peopleRelevant available mediaLibrary of liked/fun thingsPlayful spaceCollaboration:Impromptu collaborative spacesSupporting equipment
- Continuing on with findings…Digital Technology *Not essential for studioAccess work outside studioReduces social interactionsReduces visibility of activities
- Space and Place.A common misconception:- “Just the room”“The studio is created by the culture, not by the furniture” – a participant
- There's an old saying:“Show me someone who's never made a mistake, and I'll show you someone who has never leant anything”Students are motivated by gradesFailure is not conducive to gradesPermission to fail is importantProminent in some creative coursesMaking mistakes improves “Good judgement!”Studios afford “permission to fail”Electric Cloud:“If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough”
- Take away message 1
- Take away message 2
- Don’t just listen to a talk - this goes back to what I was saying earlier about lectures and broadcasting information.