Complete thesis - Murdoch University

fessional education was previously based on the ‘normative’ education described in Chapters2 and 3, current trends are to apply alternative learning models. This is particularly true ofPBL.However, recent discussions of the ‘failure’ of PBL in critical disciplines (eg Glew (2003)discussing PBL in medicine) supports the findings discussed in this thesis that extensivecommitment and training are required to successfully (firstly) align the learning model withthe discipline to (ultimately) provide a discipline-appropriate learning environment.The discipline of Requirements Engineering is shown to be one of multiple perspectives. Practitionersreport a discipline of knowledge discovery facilitated by opportunistic behaviour andcreativity, requiring experience in a wide range of soft and metacognitive skills in order topractice competently. The literature reports a smooth evolutionary process of goal-directedproblem solution 4 . What deserved examination, not attempted in this research, is the relationshipbetween the reporting and the needs of the ‘client’. As an example of this dichotomy,this thesis aims to present a logical argument supported by evidence for the examiner, whichonly incidently models how the research was undertaken. For communicating this knowledgewith that client, a ‘structured’ approach is mandatory. However, for presenting the disciplinein a learning context, such an approach provides a false model of practice. In that contextthis research shows that a knowledge discovery model of the discipline addresses more closelythe competency expectations of practitioners. It is suggested that further study examine themodel of RE as a discipline of Learning and Teaching (discussed in Chapter 3) in relation tothe nature of the communications/dialogue for different stakeholders.SE education must include an element of training during and after formal education. Mc-Connell and Tripp (1999) suggest at least four years of apprenticeship for Software Engineers.The reality is that new graduates are expected to perform on the same level as their experiencedcounterparts – the idea of an apprenticeship period is foreign to software development.The best that can be hoped for is a sympathetic, experienced mentor as coach.The progression to Studio Learning in RE was a journey undertaken by all participants ofthe study: in empowering graduates to be industry-ready, the researcher benefits from adouble-loop approach as the espoused theory of teaching becomes aligned with the theoryin practice. It provides learning situations to examine and experiment with our theories ofaction (Argyris and Schön, 1974). For the student, the collaborative nature of the learningenvironment that has evolved transcends the classroom, fostering self-directed learning andreflective practice that integrates class and work experience.4 the thread from the RE online forum discussed in Chapter 2 looks at this issue from a practitionerperspective415