We built a preliminary OER for software development or engineering courses for undergraduate information technology (IT) majors using a free and easy hosting method based on Github. In the session, we will describe both the OER contents and the components of the hosting system with step-by-step instructions for those who want to adopt for their own OERs.
https://youtu.be/rW04obAZU5YThe field of software technologies has been growing steadily. In this work, we present a preliminary OER for software development or engineering courses for undergraduate information technology (IT) majors. Specifically, we have been designing no-cost resources for an undergraduate-level Agile Software Practicum course. A practicum brings real-world projects and clients into the classroom to improve both students' software development and soft skills. Agile methods and processes have become prevalent in the software engineering industry and in business generally.
A good method to develop an OER that can be updated more frequently is using a file versioning service for hosting and writing the contents using a simple markup language. This approach is free and convenient to update by multiple authors. To adopt the OER, one can use the forking feature on websites like Github that makes a second copy that can be freely modified. OERs can become large and therefore using a content management system that is easily managed is very important. Using a static site generator (SSG) system gives the author complete control over the content and offers a simple method of managing files and output. Our OER uses this workflow by hosting source materials on Github, using a SSG to produce the output, and publishing on Github Pages.
After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:
- Understand the steps for designing an OER for undergraduate students
- Distinguish importance of open materials for teaching Agile Software Engineering
- Find tools necessary for an OER that is easy to set up and maintain
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