Introducing SEED: Educational discussions with software engineers
Introduction
Do you work in the software industry? Are you interested in sharing your knowledge and experiences with up-and-coming members of your field? Do you want to influence the way academics teach and conduct research? If so, then please allow me to interview you through the SEED survey. Want to learn more about this initiative? If yes, then keep reading this post.
I am an educator who frequently teaches courses in areas like software engineering. While I am an active researcher and I teach courses in a wide variety of areas and contribute to numerous software projects, I do not currently work full-time in the software industry. Although I do everything possible to ensure that my teaching and research are practically applicable, I would like to engage with professionals in the software field so that I can do an even better job. I want to improve how teachers equip the up-and-coming members of the software field and, if you are already in this profession, I hope that you will take fifteen minutes to help me achieve this goal.
Launch
Today I am introducing Educational Discussions with Software Engineers, or the SEED project, in which I will interview and publish the insights from influential members of the software industry. If you are a software or hardware engineer, quality assurance engineer, database administrator, software project manager, technology evangelist — or an individual who operates in one of the many other important roles in the software field — then I hope that you will complete the SEED survey right away. I’d love to publish your insights!
You might have noticed that I named this project “SEED” instead of “EDSE”, which would be the most direct acronym to choose. I did this because I want practicing Software Engineers to have Educational Discussions with the students who enroll in my courses and students and educators who read my blog. By partnering with software professionals, I want to “turn around” the educational process in the same way that I “turned around” the project’s name. This will allow the interviewees to teach both students and educators about the realities of the software industry. I also hope that the interviewees will plant seeds of inspiration in all of the individuals who read their published responses.
Connections
My role in the SEED project is to administer the SEED survey, copy-edit and analyze the responses, and then publish them on my blog. I may also release a retrospective at the start of 2018 in which I will report back on the key lessons taught by the interviewees and make suggestions for ways in which educators like me can improve their teaching and research.
Are you an industrialist who wants to make a difference? Please complete the SEED survey now! Although I have not published SEED interviews for several years, I would like publish your insights shortly after you complete the survey! As always, your feedback and support is appreciated!