GQM+PA: um framework baseado em goal-question-metric e pesquisa-ação para ensino de medição de software

Abstract

Software Engineering emerged from the need to build software systems with high quality and with minimal resources. Hence, Software Quality is identified as an important area of Software Engineering,preciselybecauseitisconcernedwithensuringthatsoftwareproductsandprocesses have quality. In order to better understand whether a process or software product is of quality or not, it is necessary to evaluate it. A often practice for such a process is software measurement, whichisintrinsicallyrelatedtotheconceptofsoftwaremetrics. However,thedefinitionofwhich metrics should be evaluated in a software project demonstrates a complex activity, thus requiring methods for support decision. Among the methods usually adopted in software projects, one can highlight the Goal-Question-Metric (GQM). GQM aims to align the definition of metrics with the objectives of the organization. However, it is known that the understanding and execution of processes adressing software measurement is naturally linked to the level of qualification of the professional that performs it. Therefore, there are several challenges in teaching software quality, which makes it necessary to investigate different approaches that encourage students to align theory and practice and, consequently, make them professionals better prepared to continue their careers. Faced with such motivations, the present work aims to propose a framework, called GQM+PA, based on the integration between the research-action method and GQM. Concerning totheempiricalevaluationofGQM+PA,multiplecasesofstudywereinvestigatedinthePractical Center of Systems Development (NPDS), headed at the Federal University of Ceará (Campus Crateús). Regarding the contributions, one can highlight i) provide a integrated framework for enabling both theoretical and practical learning about software measuring, ii) empirically empower the students to the process of thinking about the relevance in carrying out software metrics analyses and iii) all the routines, dashboards and sheets be available to be adapted for other projects ans exploited as an organizational asset.