Learning and Practicing Systems Analysis and Design with StudentUML
Dimitris Dranidis, Ioanna Stamatopoulou, Marina Ntika · 2015
In the context of a Systems Analysis and Design course, satisfying students' demands for hands-on practice with UML diagrams presents an interesting challenge. Instructors have reported a variety of UML tools they use in order to satisfy the demands on drawing analysis and design diagrams for modelling software systems. In this paper we present our experience using StudentUML in the lab sessions that we offer as part of the Systems Analysis and Design course. We argue that StudentUML meets most of the requirements that suit our criteria for selecting the most appropriate UML modelling tool. We present the main case study that we use for the lab sessions and how StudentUML facilitates analysis and design diagrams editing, thus satisfying the learning outcomes of the labs and the course as a whole. Furthermore, we present the results of the analysis of an evaluation questionnaire that has been distributed to students. The results of the study reinforce our personal view, that StudentUML is an appropriate choice for the lab sessions of the Systems Analysis and Design course.