In this paper we present our first steps in defining the type, scope and relevance of writing in higher education of software engineering. We aim to identify lacks of scientific research and raise a new and necessary research interest to push research in this area. First we clarify the relevance of writing in higher education in general. In a second step we highlight the relevance of writing in the domain of software engineering in particular. Soft skills to be taught to students of engineering professions and especially to software engineering students are highly discussed. We discuss the skill of writing from a theoretical view as well as reasons for the high relevance of this skill for future engineers. An obligation of teaching writing in the higher education is formulated.
The pedagogic motivation of this contribution is to develop, to adapt and to examine a specific tertiary teaching-learning situation and its changes due to a constant reflection. Within the scope of the BMBF fostered project " EVELIN " the learning teaching-Arrangement (TLA) " The Online Learning Journal (OLJ) – a tool complementing the software engineering lecture " is realized a second time at the OTH Regensburg. This further development is examined from a pedagogic perspective. This paper deals with issues concerning the conscious modification of specific teaching actions, therefore the changes of the teachers' attitude as well as the reaction of the students regarding this teaching actions. Two important findings are: (1) The teaching staff is able to adapt their teaching–actions on given conditions because of the awareness of their own teaching-attitude. (2) Due to a reflective teaching practice, there is a great potential for goal oriented learning in the context of higher education.
Software Engineering is very abstract and complex by nature. Teaching Software Engineering in higher education is therefore still a big challenge. Although we implemented inductive teaching and learning methods in our courses for several years, we do not have a panacea. This paper aims to identify the remaining teaching obstacles in our Software Engineering courses with regard to the concrete teaching content. We present first ideas on how to overcome these teaching obstacles by the application of Augmented and/or Virtual Reality techniques with regard to the identified obstacles.