[Year 12 SofDev] Diagrams in the SRS - of which system?

Lisa Kerekes Lisa.Kerekes at donvale.vic.edu.au
Sun Mar 19 20:00:29 AEDT 2017


Hi all,

Interesting to read your responses so far - thanks for taking the time to reply!
Was hoping there was more consensus on this in 2017, which would especially help all the teachers new to SD this year.

My thoughts -
      a)  Working with an opportunity (not a need) means those students cannot draw quality diagrams for an 'existing' system.

      b)  There is limited value in diagramming the existing system.
      Why look back in even more detail, when students have already collected data, written up the new requirements and wish to move forward in designing a new solution?

      c)  As Chris pointed out, the diagrams are useless in the Design stage if you've diagrammed the existing system which is going to be replaced.
      The diagrams are most useful to depict/communicate students' analysis and understanding of the new requirements. These diagrams would then be referred to when designing their new solution.

      d)  The Glossary definition points to the diagrams being used to analyse/describe the new solution. (Thanks for locating that reference, Tony!) As do the past VCAA exam references added by Mark.


What I've planned with my class this year:
*       Asked students to sketch Use Case & DFDs of the existing system (if there was one) as an exercise that consolidated their understanding of how the diagrams work/what they depict/etc when applied to a RL situation.
*       Used any gaps discovered in their understanding of the existing system, to write more specific and useful questions for the Data Collection stage
*       Will use the results of Data Collection to draw diagrams for the new solution (these would be the ones I assess)


Thoughts welcome :)

Kind regards,
Lisa Kerekes
Secondary Teacher (Computing, Media)



-----Original Message-----
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Tony Crewe
Sent: Sunday, 19 March 2017 3:16 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List <sofdev at edulists.com.au>
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Diagrams in the SRS - of which system?

James

The Glossary definition says nothing specifically of an exisiting system, but breaking down a problem ... description of the intended purpose ... of solution.

"Software requirements specification is a comprehensive description of the intended purpose and environment for purpose-designed software solutions. It documents the key activities associated with the analysing stage of the problem-solving methodology.
Software requirements specifications (SRS) fulfil the purposes of breaking down a problem into component parts, providing input to the design stage and serving as a reference point for further stages of the problem-solving methodology."

Tony

> On 19 Mar 2017, at 3:10 pm, Tony Crewe <TonyCrewe at caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au<mailto:TonyCrewe at caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
>
> James
>
> Not sure about that James,
>
> There may not be any existing system in a need or opportunity.
> Can't the analysis can be of the desired need or opportunity.
> That is, the SRS would be analysing the requirements, processes and flow of data of the need of opportunity?
>
> Tony
>
>> On 19 Mar 2017, at 2:57 pm, Vella, James <jvella at mackillop.vic.edu.au<mailto:jvella at mackillop.vic.edu.au>> wrote:
>>
>> The diagrams should be of the existing system or process.
>>
>> Regardless of whether students are looking to meet a need or opportunity, there is almost always some existing system or manual process in place.
>>
>> The SRS is part of the Analysis stage - not the Design stage.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> James
>> ________________________________________
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>> Today's Topics:
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>>  1. Diagrams in the SRS - of which system? (Lisa Kerekes)  2. Re:
>> Diagrams in the SRS - of which system? (Tony Crewe)
>>
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>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> -
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2017 03:14:21 +0000
>> From: Lisa Kerekes <Lisa.Kerekes at donvale.vic.edu.au<mailto:Lisa.Kerekes at donvale.vic.edu.au>>
>> Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Diagrams in the SRS - of which system?
>> To: "Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List"
>>       <sofdev at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev at edulists.com.au>>
>> Message-ID:
>>       <c112a04d34714ca78b79283e0f369dfb at MAIL03.donvale.vic.edu.au<mailto:c112a04d34714ca78b79283e0f369dfb at MAIL03.donvale.vic.edu.au>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Just seeking clarification/confirmation as to whether the diagrams in
>> the SRS (the Use Case & Context & DFDs) - ought to be
>>
>>
>> -        of the client's existing system (if they have one)
>> or
>>
>> -        of the student's proposed solution
>>
>> I guess I'm asking whether the diagrams are more useful to be drawn so students can grasp how the current system works ... or to plan how their solution should function.
>>
>> Page 2 of VCAA's Admin Info for SBA<http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/SBA_General.pdf> suggests that the majority of the SRS is written to describe the new solution, based on data collected about the existing one. "An analysis that defines the requirements, constraints and scope of a solution in the form of a software requirements specification"
>>
>> Assessment Criteria 3 reads:
>> "Draws a set of logical conclusions with most being consistent with the data represented in the analytical tools."
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Lisa Kerekes
>> Secondary Teacher (Computing, Media)
>> Phone: (03) 9844 2471 Ext: 266
>>
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>> Message: 2
>> Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2017 03:26:58 +0000
>> From: Tony Crewe <TonyCrewe at caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au<mailto:TonyCrewe at caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au>>
>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Diagrams in the SRS - of which system?
>> To: "Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List"
>>       <sofdev at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev at edulists.com.au>>
>> Message-ID:
>>
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>>
>> I think best for proposed solution,
>>
>> A number of students create solution based on a need or opportunity rather than an existingsituation  in any case.
>>
>> Tony
>>
>> From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au>
>> [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Lisa Kerekes
>> Sent: Friday, 17 March 2017 2:14 PM
>> To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
>> <sofdev at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev at edulists.com.au>>
>> Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Diagrams in the SRS - of which system?
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Just seeking clarification/confirmation as to whether the diagrams in
>> the SRS (the Use Case & Context & DFDs) - ought to be
>>
>> -          of the client's existing system (if they have one)
>> or
>>
>> -          of the student's proposed solution
>> I guess I'm asking whether the diagrams are more useful to be drawn so students can grasp how the current system works ... or to plan how their solution should function.
>>
>> Page 2 of VCAA's Admin Info for SBA<http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/SBA_General.pdf> suggests that the majority of the SRS is written to describe the new solution, based on data collected about the existing one. "An analysis that defines the requirements, constraints and scope of a solution in the form of a software requirements specification"
>>
>> Assessment Criteria 3 reads:
>> "Draws a set of logical conclusions with most being consistent with the data represented in the analytical tools."
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Lisa Kerekes
>> Secondary Teacher (Computing, Media)
>> Phone: (03) 9844 2471 Ext: 266
>>
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