Boosting Student Capacity to Ensure Software Quality with an Inquiry-Based Learning Tool

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving curricula in undergraduate computing education to prepare students for the challenges of understanding and managing Technical Debt (TD) in software systems. Technical debt arises when software developers make technical compromises that may bring short-term benefits but result in lower software quality in the long term, often leading to challenges in maintaining and evolving software. By integrating technical debt concepts into computing curricula at multiple levels, the project intends to contribute to building a strong foundation for students to develop high quality software, and prepare them to become part of a more effective and competitive STEM workforce. The project plans to develop an innovative inquiry-based learning tool, called TD-Tutor (Technical Debt Tutor), to help students recognize, evaluate, and manage technical debt. TD-Tutor will enhance outcomes for student populations from different backgrounds and types of institutions, aligning with NSF’s mission to advance STEM education and workforce development. TD-Tutor will be implemented, used, and evaluated at three curriculum levels: introductory programming, mid- level software engineering, and senior level decision-making courses. The tool will feature annotated examples, interactive exercises, and conceptual feedback to guide student learning, and will incorporate guided inquiry and spiral learning approaches. Pre- and post-evaluations will assess the tool’s impact on student learning, skill development, and readiness to manage software quality. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.