1. Software Engineering Experimentation
Ways to Acquire Knowledge
Part A
Science, Engineering, and Computing
Jeff Offutt

2. Goals of Science and Engineering
Behaviors
observe
achieve
find and
describe
Science
Engineering
design and
develop
Structures
© Jeff Offutt

3. Computing Doesn’t Quite Fit
Behaviors
Science
Engineering
find and
describe
Structures
design and
develop
achieve
observe
Behaviors
achieve
Computing
design and
develop
imagine
model
Structures
© Jeff Offutt

4. The Changing Face of Computing
1980
80% of people in IT industry were programmers
CS curricula were based on the research interests of the faculty (automata, OS, compilers, AI, …
Almost no experimentation
2012
< 20% of people in IT are programmers
Industry and research interests have diverged
CS departments struggle to get people to teach compilers
Curricula have changed very little – added networks and graphics
These changes, and many more, mean that our academic field must change
© Jeff Offutt

5. Historical Perspective
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Math
1800s
Mechanical
etc.
Civil
ECE
Physics
1900s
etc.
Computer
Science
2000s
Computing
???
© Jeff Offutt

6. Computing Departments
(my 2020 predictions)
Software Engineering
Artificial Intelligence
Games & Graphics
Computer Science
Information Technology
Information Systems
Cybersecurity
© Jeff Offutt

7. Computing and Science All science requires validation
Computing almost invariably requires experimental validation
The behaviors, based on our imagination, must be validated
Because they come from our imagination, the validation must be empirical
Our goal is to solve problems with computing … the solutions must be demonstrated and validated through executing software
© Jeff Offutt

8. Summary Change is coming We have the choice : Embrace it or Fight it
and lose
© Jeff Offutt