Homework 11: Questions for Final Exam,
Due Wednesday 11/25 at 12pm (noon)
CSCI 510, Fall 2015
30 points
Purpose
The purposes of this assignment and the Final Exam Q&A class are to answer questions of
interest to class members, to help you study for the exam, and to clarify the concepts
presented to you via the lectures, assigned readings, and homework assignments.
Assignment Expectations
Provide a numbered list of 3 questions you would like to be answered during the Final
Exam Q&A class on Mon 11/30, in order of priority (1 being highest priority to 3 being the
lowest). The questions you list will influence the topics covered during that class. Since we
have limited time in the class, the first question you list will be given heavier weight
compared to the last 2.
Note that you are not being asked to suggest questions for the exam; you are being asked to
suggest questions that you would like answered during the 11/30 lecture.
Topics Covered
Below is a list of the lectures and their corresponding assigned readings and homework.
These topics are sources for possible questions, but you may submit questions on other
topics related to the course.
 ICSM
o EC-0
o ICSM book Prologue, Ch. 0
 The ICSM 4 Principles
o EC-0, EC-1, EC-2
o ICSM book Ch. 1-4
o HW-1 (identifying success-critical stakeholders, applying ICSM Principles),
HW-2 (applying ICSM Principles, Making Decisions during life cycle,
Identifying and mitigating risks)
 Cost Estimation and COCOMO® II
o EC-3
o EP-1, EP-2
o HW-3 (Cost estimation, Feasibility Evidence, Prototyping)
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Using COCOMO® II for Software Decisions
o EC-4
o Section 2.6 of EP-2, ICSM book Ch. 14
Business Case Analysis
o EC-5
o EP-3
o HW-5 (Evaluating Net Value and ROI)
Future Cost Estimation Challenges
o EC-6
o EP-4
Economic Analysis
o EC-7, EC-8, EC-9, EC-10
o EP-5, EP-6, EP-7
o HW-5 (Evaluating Net Value and ROI), HW-6 (Comparing Bids and
Payments), and HW-7 (Decision-Making under Risk)
Risk Management
o EC-11
o ICSM book Ch. 15
o HW-8 (Risk Mitigation Strategies)
ICSM Life Cycle Stages and Patterns
o EC-13, EC-19
o ICSM book Ch. 5 - 11
Balancing System and Software Qualities
o EC-15
Evidence Based Reviews
o EC-16
o ICSM book Ch. 13
Riding Herd on Total Ownership Costs
o EC-18
Economics of System and Software Reliability Assurance
o EC-21
Software Engineering History and Future
o EC-22
Guest Lectures
o Service-Based Architectures and Cloud Services (EC-12)
o Stakeholder WinWin Requirements and Requirements Prioritization (EC-14)
o COCOMO® and the Courtroom (EC-17)
o Process Improvement for Software Projects (EC-20)
Grading notes:
 Your questions should be specific (for example, asking “Please explain COCOMO® II”
is too broad).
 Your questions should include references from lecture slides, assigned reading,
and/or homework.
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Each question is worth 10 points:
o 5 points for demonstrated grasp of content and non-triviality (question
should not have a direct answer in lecture or reading, and the question
should include one or more references);
o 5 points for focus and specificity (question should not be broad).
Graphs, figures, and multi-paragraph questions are discouraged (unless you
construct a graph or figure to explain your question). If your question refers to a
specific part of the book, slides, or homework, then the material referenced should
not be copied into your question.
Note that the grade you get on a question will not affect its likelihood of being
answered during the 11/30 lecture.