BR5008 - Requirements Engineering

At The Bridge you learn through a blended approach where short, focused and interactive face-to-face sessions are underpinned by guided and independent online learning. Your attendance for scheduled activities is monitored regardless of whether you are on campus or joining the session remotely. This ensures you access all of the learning opportunities which have been purposefully designed for your success.

A range of teaching and learning approaches are adopted to accelerate your learning in this module.

During the first week of this module, you will receive information about the module and Teaching & Learning Plan. The teaching and learning plan (TLP) sets out
• Learning outcomes and overall module and programme aims
• Teaching, learning and assessment strategy
• Teaching schedule
• Directed reading references (text and journals) and core texts for the module
• References to data sources and details of lab activities

You will also receive the assessment brief which sets out the formative and summative assessments throughout the module.

There are three key sources of academic support available to you during your time at the Bridge in addition to Ask4Help who are available 24/7 for general queries related to your studies.

Your Module Tutor
Your module tutor is responsible for your learning outcomes on the module. They deliver the workshops and provide guidance in relation to learning and assignments. They develop all of the key resources and make them available through the eLP (electronic learning portal module) Blackboard, which is used to provide support materials, interactive learning tasks and give you regular opportunities to test and get feedback on your learning. You will be given both written and verbal feedback and guidance on your work and progress during the semester by your module tutor.

Your Learning Mentor
On programme, you will have your in-person and online engagement activity tracked against the learning plan with key check-in points built into the academic calendar to ensure you maximise your learning potential. Engagement with formative assessments will also be used by the learning mentor to discuss any action planning required to ensure success.

Academic Skills Team
The Bridge aspires to build a range of student skillsets, including digital skills, academic writing and discourse, working alone and in teams. Your learning mentor may refer you a dedicated academic skills team which is based in the centre. Here you can attend drop-ins or schedule 1-1 sessions on issues which have been identified at the diagnostic stages of the programme however you may also have self-identified areas for your own growth and self-refer yourself for support.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO1 –Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the place of requirements engineering in different systems development lifecycles and assess how different development methods affect its effectiveness
MLO2 – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the different types of requirements and their origins and to what extent trade-offs between requirements can be managed
MLO3 – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a variety of requirements engineering techniques and their suitability in different contexts

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO4 –Apply appropriate requirements engineering techniques to develop a requirements specification in a clear and detailed manner with a stakeholder

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MLO5 – Demonstrate clear engagement with contemporary RE research and development

You will receive formative feedback throughout the module including at the following checkpoints:-

•Week 2: Navigating the course materials
•Week 4: Completing the in-module reflective tasks
•Week 6: Completing the in-module knowledge checks and tasks

This module allows the option for you to chose how you are assessed formally depending on your learning preference and approach to the specific module. You should indicate your chosen assessment choice by the in-module reflective check-point at week 4.

Your summative assessment is to conduct a requirements engineering assessment based on a written brief with associated technical data and provide a 2,000 word report. The brief can be provided for you or you may propose one from your current employer which the Module tutor will approve.
Universal Design for Learning

You may alternatively chosse to complete a 2 hour simulation exam where you will conduct a requirements engineering session (with open notes) with a proposed client. Component 1 addressed (MLO1-4) should be underpinned by an evidence base (Literature Review or similar research) which will be individually assessed (MLO5). This alternative assessment will be discussed and agreed with your Learning Mentor.

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Requirements Engineering (RE) is an essential part of any systems development and business analysis lifecycle. RE is used to understand what has to be built, and why. In this module you will learn through lectures and interactive seminars how RE fits into different software and systems development life cycles, how to conduct its key activities using a variety of techniques employed in industry (stakeholder analysis, elicitation instrument design, conceptual modelling using visual notations, requirements writing). Throughout the module you will learn how to specify a variety of requirements artifacts in a clear and detailed manner to minimize the likelihood of building systems that are not fit for purpose—a critical skill sought after by employers in the IT industry. You will put your skills to the test in an assessment developing a requirements specification for a provided brief , with the support of a team of research-active tutors.