SWENG Program
SWENG program
Masters in Software Engineering
The online asynchronous graduate program focuses on cutting-edge concepts and techniques needed by software engineers, including mobile and cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data. Using multimedia elements, e-learning authoring tools, and visual design standards, my focus was on enhancing engagement, accessibility, and inclusivity while ensuring consistency and quality across the program. I developed strategies for creating instructor-agnostic and evergreen multimedia content that remains relevant and engaging over time, catering to diverse learner needs and preferences. Below are 6 courses the demonstrate the programs style, learning theories, and complexity to capture learning needs.
The design I created had standard layouts that become familiar to them as the move through the courses using the style guides for the goal of having a sense of cohesiveness and follow Penn State branding protocol.
Audience: Graduate students in the Master of Software Engineering
Responsibilities: Instructional Design, Action Mapping, Storyboarding, Visual Design, eLearning Development, and Graphic Design.
Tools Used: Canvas, Articulate Storyline & Rise, Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, Kaltura, WellSaidLabs AI, AI Chat GPT, Equatio, and AI Speechify.
CHALLENGE
Many instructors teach the same course throughout the year.
SOLUTION
Maintaining instructor-agnostic content for courses taught by various instructors requires careful planning to ensure consistency and coherence in instructional delivery.
CHALLENGE
Courses may span an active life of over 7+ years with only minor adjustments.
SOLUTION
Creating evergreen content for courses spanning over 7+ years demands foresight and strategic content development to ensure its relevance and effectiveness over time.
CHALLENGE
Design should be intuitive and simple to navigate the courses and materials used.
SOLUTION
Establishing a comprehensive styling guide and course structure to define and adhere to consistent design principles while accommodating diverse learning needs.
CHALLENGE
Courses should autonomous and be inclusive for all learners.
SOLUTION
Addressing accessibility, usability, and diversity in design requires a concerted effort to incorporate inclusive design practices, accessibility standards, and diverse perspectives throughout the course development process.
Challenges & Solutions
Instructor
Many Instructors teach this course throughout the year.
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STORYTELLING
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DESIGN
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CONSULTING
Learning Theories
Malcolm Knowles' Six Principles of Andragogy
The Master of Software Engineering program effectively fulfills Malcolm Knowles' Six Principles of Andragogy by integrating real-world examples and hands-on practices into its courses as follows:
Need to Know. The program begins with a comprehensive overview orientation of the relevance and application of each course, explaining how mastering specific software engineering skills is critical for real-world problem-solving and career advancement. For example, the course in Software Architecture starts with a case study on how architectural decisions directly impact a major tech company's ability to scale its services.
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Learner's Self-Concept. The program empowers students to take control of their learning journey by offering flexible project choices and encouraging self-directed learning. In a Mobile Computing course, students choose to develop a mobile app of their interest, thereby aligning the project with their personal and professional goals.
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Learner's Experience. Courses are designed to build on the diverse professional backgrounds of the students. The Requirements Engineering course, for instance, includes peer reviews of requirements documents, where students bring in their unique experiences from various industries to provide feedback and insights.
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Readiness to Learn. The curriculum is aligned with the immediate applicability of skills to students' current or aspirational job roles. For example, in the Software Construction course, students work on developing and deploying a microservice, reflecting the practices they would encounter in their workplaces.
Orientation to Learning. The program is problem-centered rather than content-oriented, focusing on practical applications and real-world challenges. The Software Engineering Capstone project involves collaborating with peers to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), ensuring that students apply their knowledge to solve actual industry problems.
Motivation to Learn. The courses are designed to tap into intrinsic motivators by connecting learning outcomes to personal and professional aspirations. Throughout the program, learners are given real-world examples and hands-on practices to show the direct impact of their skills on their career progression and the tech industry.
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By embedding these principles into its design, the Master of Software Engineering program ensures that adult learners are engaged, motivated, and equipped with the practical skills needed for their professional success.
SWENG 861
Software Construction
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This course is one of the first courses in the program. To connect the learners to why they should be learning the topic throughout the program, I use real-world examples such as the Uber App in the video I created below. This course lays out the foundation for user stories, functional and non-functional requirements as well as other basic concepts the are relevant throughout the program. To make sure the learners are really engaged with their learning, I created Articulate Storyline interactives from tables the instructor created. I used Speechify for these AI voiceovers and Chat GPT 4.0 for the real-world example of a SOA script.
SWENG 886
Requirements Engineering
This is the second course in the program. Throughout the program, my focus was to breakdown complex topics and long blocks of text into easy to use interactives that are engaging and styled to capture the interest of the learner. Below are two of the interactives used in this course which were originally large blocks of text.
SWENG 887
Software Systems Architecture
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This is the third course in the program. Throughout the program, each lesson has ungraded knowledge checks which are a quick check and guidance of important topics and information. Drag the blue box term to the matching white box definition. When you are correct, the blue box will turn green. When you are incorrect, the blue box will turn red and you can try again. To complete, click the check mark at the bottom left of the screen. Check your answers for the multiple choice questions with the checkmark at the bottom of the interactive.
SWENG 888
Mobile Computing & Applications
This course is an elective course for students in the master program. Since the course is focused on mobile computing, I built the modules in Articulate Rise that gives learning experiences that are beautiful, interactive, and engaging and adapts perfectly to every device. Other courses in the SWENG program used Rise as well. Click the phone below to view a portion of the course.
SWENG 894
Software Engineering Capstone Experience
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This is the last course of the 12 course program. In each course in the Software Engineering masters, there are many hands-on activities that the student must accomplish with-in a semester. I created a video and timeline that gives the learner an overview of the course, the projects they will be completing, and the timeline in which you must complete the projects. This helps the student plan accordingly.