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Year 12 — Software Engineering Project

This capstone module guides students through the complete software engineering lifecycle, from project conception to delivery and evaluation. Students apply all their learning to create a substantial software project, developing professional skills in project management, documentation, testing, and stakeholder communication.

Module Overview

The Software Engineering Project is the culmination of the HSC course, where students demonstrate their ability to manage and deliver a complete software solution. This module teaches the full project lifecycle, emphasizing professional practices, documentation, and the soft skills needed for successful software development.

Key focus areas:

  • Project identification, requirements analysis, and feasibility assessment

  • Research and planning with development methodologies

  • Implementation, documentation, and quality assurance

  • Testing, evaluation, and project presentation

Learning Outcomes

Students will develop the ability to:

  • Define and scope software projects including requirements analysis and feasibility assessment (SE-12-01)

  • Apply software development methodologies including Waterfall, Agile, and hybrid approaches (SE-12-06)

  • Implement software solutions using appropriate technologies and development practices (SE-12-02)

  • Manage projects and stakeholders including communication, ethics, and quality assurance (SE-12-05, SE-12-09)

  • Test and evaluate solutions using systematic testing and evaluation methodologies (SE-12-08)

Chapters

Chapter 23: Identifying and Defining

Project identification, requirements gathering, feasibility analysis, ideation techniques, and selection of implementation methods (direct, phased, parallel, pilot).

Chapter 24: Research and Planning

Development methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, WAgile hybrid), project management tools, stakeholder communication, ethical considerations, and quality assurance planning.

Chapter 25: Producing and Implementing

Solution development, documentation practices, version control, troubleshooting strategies, UI design, and prototype development with focus on incremental delivery.

Chapter 26: Testing and Evaluating

Testing methodologies, feedback collection and analysis, solution evaluation against requirements, and comprehensive project assessment and reflection.

Implementation Philosophy

This module emphasizes professional software engineering practices:

  • Complete project lifecycle from concept to delivery

  • Emphasis on documentation, planning, and stakeholder management

  • Integration of all technical skills learned throughout the course

  • Focus on real-world project management and communication skills

  • Systematic testing and quality assurance throughout development

Prerequisites

  • Completion of all Year 11 modules

  • Solid Python programming skills across multiple paradigms

  • Understanding of software development processes and methodologies

  • Experience with version control and collaborative development

Getting Started

  1. Begin with Chapter 23 to identify and define your project scope

  2. Progress through Chapters 24-25 to plan and implement your solution

  3. Complete with Chapter 26 to test, evaluate, and present your project

The module culminates in a substantial software engineering project that demonstrates mastery of all course concepts and professional development practices.