.NET in the IT Curriculum

1
.NET in the IT Curriculum

• Paul Roe
• Queensland University of Technology, Australia
• p.roe_at_qut.edu.au

2
QUT

• Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
• One of largest universities in Australia 40,000
  students (undergraduate, postgraduate, 10
  international)
• Applied emphasis, strong links with industry e.g.
  Microsoft
• Motto A university for the real world
• Faculty of IT, 4000 students, 20 international

3
My Background

• Academic at QUT for 12 years
• Spent last 5 years utilising Microsoft .NET in
  teaching and research
• Initially Project 7 - academic programming
  languages for .NET
• Subsequently other projects and teaching
• I am a computer scientist interested in
• Programming languages
• Distributed computing
• Practical / applied emphasis
• Disclaimer these are my views, not Microsofts,
  not QUTs

4
Overview

• Teaching using .NET
• Some QUT Subjects using .NET
• Brief Aside Research
• Conclusions
• Based on my experience (and others at QUT)
• what we tried, what worked, what didnt work,
  what we might try next,

5
Why use .NET in Teaching?

• State of the art languages, runtime, libraries
• Industry strength technology
• Can do simple things with minimal effort
• This can enable teaching new subjects / ideas
  e.g. web app design for non IT students
• Can do exciting new things e.g. web services,
  mobile devices, games
• Excellent support for internationalisation
• In demand by industry
• Students love it
• .NET subjects very marketable
• Add balance to degree (most degrees, lot of Java
  Linux in subjects)

6
How to use .NET in Teaching?

• Mix of technologies including .NET
• Some subjects naturally comparative
• E.g. Component technology, comparative
  programming languages
• Or require a mix of technologies web services
• Single technology
• Technology is a vehicle for teaching concepts
• E.g. web applications, intro programming
• Industry relevance e.g. ASP.NET
• Simplicity e.g. business process design for
  business students using Biztalk

7
Academic Reality CheckWhat should you really be
concerned about in order to teach a subject with
a new technology like .NET ?

• Resources, resources and resources!
• Documentation
• Textbooks
• Reference material
• Tutorials
• Courseware
• Videos
• Software availability, cost, resource
  implications, student access
• Labs set-up and administration, systems
  administrators,
• People (with necessary skills)
• Teaching assistants
• Instructors
• Students
• Systems administrators

8
1. Documentation

• Documentation is excellent for .NET
• (my favourite feature!)
• Problem is navigating through all the doco and
  finding what you want
• There are good textbooks for .NET covering
• Intro programming using VB and C
• Compilers
• Component software
• Web applications
• Web services
• Even free online ones http//www.brpreiss.com/boo
  ks/opus6/
• Etc.

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1. Documentation Professional

• SDK and Visual Studio documentation is excellent,
  includes
• Lots of example code
• Walk throughs http//msdn2.microsoft.com/library/s
  zatc41e.aspx e.g. Creating a web app
• Programming guides e.g. C http//msdn2.microsoft.
  com/library/67ef8sbd.aspx
• .NET framework class library http//msdn2.microsof
  t.com/en-us/library/ms306608.aspx
• Quickstarts http//www.asp.net/Tutorials/quickstar
  t.aspx
• Developer website msdn.microsoft.com inc.
• MSDN magazine well written technical articles
• MSDN developer centres for technology specific
  info http//msdn.microsoft.com/developercenters/
• Videos, discussions, PDC conference videos e.g.
  Don Box on SOA http//microsoft.sitestream.com/PDC
  05/, Channel 9 http//channel9.msdn.com/,
  training videos etc.
• Demos walkthroughs, Quickstarts and PDC

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1. Documentation Academic

• Academic Alliance web site http//msdn.microsoft.c
  om/academic
• Courseware MS curriculum repository
  http//www.msdnaa.net/curriculum/repository.aspx
• I use all these resources extensively
• Augment lecture notes with 3rd party
  documentation
• Can be difficult to find good overview documents
  suitable for academia

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1. Documentation Community

• Dev Hood www.devhood.com (for prof developers)
• Gotdotnet www.gotdotnet.com
• Singapore http//www.microsoft.com/singapore/msdn/
  academic/
• Community site for students http//thespoke.net
• MSDN connection Singapore http//www.microsoft.com
  /singapore/msdn/connection/default.mspx for
  professional, faculty and students

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2. Software

• .NET SDK is free, as is Rotor (SSCLI - Shared
  Source .NET) and Mono (Open Source .NET)
• Visual Studio 2005 and SQL server express
  editions free
• Good for basic development, inc basic web dev
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/
• MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDN AA)
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/academic/
• Cheap scheme for
• Labs Can install Microsoft development s/w in
  labs
• Students They can legally install same software
  on own PCs (for free!)
• A great scheme! Includes Windows, VS 2005,
• If going to teach .NET ask Microsoft rep. about
  this
• Overview presentation on the scheme
  http//download.microsoft.com/download/f/f/8/ff8c8
  040-d1a7-4402-90df-5d1aaa7d37af/program_overview.p
  pt

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3. Labs

• Lots of issues, many different ways to set up
  labs, depends on circumstances
• May need to use Virtual PC or dual boot or boot
  loader if want to run other OS e.g. Linux too
• Can also use Windows terminal server
• Must automatically install Windows patches
• A good source of information
• MSDNAA IT Solutions http//msdn.microsoft.com/acad
  emic/solutions/itsol/
• Also http//www2.msdnaa.net/devsystem/devsystem_20
  03.aspx (for building a development server)
• Generally easy to set up a lab for simple
  programming, can be tricky for web applications
  with databases, COM, servers etc. ask MS for
  help

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4. People

• Tricky
• Ok if small subject and can do everything
  yourself lectures, tutorials, grading
• If got graduate students undertaking research
  using .NET ? teaching assistants
• May need to promote .NET in your department
• Can be difficult (but easier in current climate)
• Can use .NET to teach standards e.g. web services
• Use .NET in a mix, comparative subject
• Systems administrators can be very difficult
• It can be expensive to get staff up to speed with
  new technology such as .NET, J2EE etc.
• Time investment
• Ive often started subjects then handed them to
  others

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Cost effectiveness

• New technology subjects are expensive to develop
  and have limited shelf life ?
• You cant learn e.g. ASP.NET overnight (despite
  what some books might claim)
• Conversely traditional and theoretical material
  doesnt age quickly
• Need to cost new subject and course development
• Need lightweight ways to test new subjects
• Just in time subject development
• A strategy
• Keep intro subjects e.g. first year stable
  traditional material
• Innovate and invest in final year just before
  students leave (or go on to research)
• Have open subjects which can be changed without
  involving university bureaucracy e.g. Modern
  Topics in IT, change material from year to year
• Use new technology to spice up old subjects e.g.
  computer architecture using video games, PCI-X,
  Xbox etc
• Teaching research nexus use ideas, techniques,
  technologies in research and teaching

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Some QUT Subjects using .NET
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Some Subjects at QUT which use .NET

• Web applications development
• Web Services
• Projects
• Mobile devices
• Programming Principles
• Internationalisation
• Compiler Construction
• Component Technology
• Subjects Ive taught and Ill discuss today
• ? Tips, tricks and ideas I think are especially
  useful

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Subject Web Applications Development

• Subject about theory and practice of web
  application development e.g. eStores, web
  portals, etc.
• A capstone elective subject of 3 year Bachelor of
  IT degree
• Run four times since 2002
• Serious programming subject
• Uses .NET, in particular ASP.NET

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Aside What is ASP.NET?

• Framework for generating HTML presentation tier
  for 3 tier web applications
• (ASP.NET often used to describe whole of .NET web
  applications)
• Very sophisticated framework for web applications

Web server
Client (web browser)
ASP.NET Presentation
Business Logic
ADO.NET Data Access
HTML over HTTP
Database
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Student Learning Objectives

• Understand issues of s/w development for web
• Different from PC s/w development
• Client server
• State management
• Architecture and design n-tier architecture,
  data access
• Security, scalability, performance, etc.
• Learn about some standard technology e.g. HTTP,
  HTML, XML, web services
• ? Gain programming experience with .NET,
  particularly ASP.NET

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Subject Structure

• 2-3 hour lecture 1 hour prac X 13 weeks
• (¼ full time student load one semester)
• Assessment 35 assignment, 65 exam
• ? Some guest lectures by Microsoft and their
  partners
• ASP.NET overview and demos
• Real world issues - deployment, project
  management, legacy code, etc.
• Prerequisites intermediate OO programming, basic
  HTML, SQL

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Documentation

• Lot of professional texts, few academic ones
• Visual Studio and SDK excellent documentation
• Walk throughs e.g. Creating a web app
• Tutorials e.g. C Tutorials
• Reference e.g. SqlConnection Class
• Quickstarts http//www.asp.net/tutorials/quickstar
  t.aspx
• Web, particularly for generic technology HTTP,
  HTML, XML
• MSDN Academic Alliance notes

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Lectures

• Topics
• Web basics, HTTP, HTML, CGI, ActiveX, ASP/JSP
  (evolutionary perspective)
• .NET basics CLR, C / VB.NET, VS.NET
• ASP.NET
• ADO.NET, N-tier architecture
• Security
• XML, web services
• Real world issues deployment, teamwork,
  debugging, performance etc.
• New developments P2P, business integration
  servers (Biztalk), etc.
• Most lectures mix of
• Concepts, design, architecture
• Standards (e.g. HTTP, XML, web services)
• .NET practice inc. demos
• ? Also tutorials covering practical aspects of
  .NET, often using VS.NET walkthroughs

Core topics
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Lab Setup and Software

• ? Students developed and tested code on
  individual machines
• Run web server and database on each PC
• ? Labs set up to run a boot loader (Rembo)
• Multiple images, can force re-image if necessary
• Students have admin permission
• Machine configuration
• Windows XP Professional
• Internet Explorer 6
• Visual Studio.NET Professional 2003 (moving to VS
  2005 in 2006)
• IIS (optional Windows XP Professional component)
• SQL 2000 Server Developer Edition (moving to SQL
  Server 2005 in 2006)

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Assignment (Project)

• Students work in pairs
• Serious programming assignment
• Use SQL Server, Visual Studio.NET, ASP.NET,
  VB.NET/C, ADO.NET
• Demo and present system at end of semester

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Assignment Modify an Existing System

• ? Give an existing system, make modifications
• Study a well architected system
• Easier marking, less variation
• Easier to scope project
• Realistic dont start from scratch
• Students write less code, spend more time
  understanding existing well designed system
• Can constrain system e.g. give them database
• Fewer installation issues
• ? Have server to deploy final system easier
  grading (almost xcopy deployment)
• Use server virtualisation technology?

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Example System gasTix

• gasTix example event ticketing system like
  Ticketek
• http//www.informit.com/title/0672322196
• Example system
• Best practice
• Well architected
• Uses C and VB.NET, database, security, ASP.NET,
  web services
• Comes with all source code
• Described in G. Sullivan, .NET e-Business
  Architecture, SAMS, 2002 (ISBN 0672322196)

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Extending gasTix

• Gave them a database with some new tables
• Force them to use that database, only access via
  stored procedures!
• Additional features
• Customer registration
• Support different counties
• Web services address validator
• Assignment required them to understand existing
  code, but less coding for them to do

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Example Assignment
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New Front Page
Choose country
Login
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Region Map
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Region Map
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Searching For Events
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Booking
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Alternatives to gasTix

• MS Duwamish books example well documented,
  exemplar design
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url
  /library/en-us/dnbda/html/bdasampduwam7.asp
• New starter kits for portals etc.
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/vwd/star
  terkit/ (often only simple architecture )
• Business case studies http//msdn.microsoft.com/as
  p.net/info/casestudies/default.aspx

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Results

• Lots of interest from students 180-230 students
  each year
• Lot of material to cover
• Made good use of academic alliance program
• Students can work on assignment using own PCs
• Couldnt run the subject without this!
• Assignments
• Generally very good, extending an existing system
  works well
• Used postgraduate students for staffing tutorials
  grading assignments
• Prizes for best assignments
• Grading very time consuming for start from
  scratch assignments, modification ones better
• Main issue setting up database / shared machine
  for marking
• Good support from Microsoft
• Guest lectures went really well
• Better student behaviour and participation than
  for academics!

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2. Subject Web Services

• Why Teach Web Services?
• Represent an important evolution in distributed
  computing
• Next generation internet
• For all communications interprocess - Internet
• Will enable many new and exciting applications
• Design principles still being worked out
• different from traditional distributed objects
• interesting research follow ons
• Hot and important topic for industry
• Very attractive to students WS is a hot topic

38
Web Services Subject

• Run twice
• Masters level
• ? Covers business and technical aspects of web
  services
• Used multiple platforms inc. .NET, Apache Axis
  (Java), perl, IBM WebSphere etc.
• Cover theory and practice of web services inc.
• Service orientation
• XML processing
• WS standards such as WS Addressing, WS-Security
• ? Taught jointly by Information Systems (IS) and
  Computing Science (CS)
• Mix of IS and CS students
• WS representative of IS CS convergence

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Content

• Business rationale
• Service orientation and web service introduction
• XML and XML processing inc Schema, XPath, XSLT,
  XQuery
• Emphasised XML foundations of WS
• Low level WS SOAP, WSDL, UDDI
• Inc. implementations .NET and Java
• High level WS protocols including WS Security
• BPEL, workflow, choreography
• Semantic web
• Some guest lectures from industry and researchers
  at QUT
• No textbook, lots of web references

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Web Services Project

• Large assignment/project 40 (60 exam)
• Groups of 4/5
• Not designed to be realistic!
• Code all pieces suppliers and consumers
• Deliberately use a variety of implementation
  platforms techniques
• ? Use WS-I interop example as a starting point
  supply chain management (http//www.ws-i.org/)
• Emphasised
• Build all WS aspects of a system
• Use a variety of implementation platforms,
  techniques and technologies
• Web services
• Deemphasised data storage and GUIs

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WS Project

• Use a mix of implementation technologies
• .NET most popular because easiest and most
  powerful
• Also used other MS WS e.g. WSE, Indigo and Java,
  perl, PHP,
• Equal cover of
• Business rationale
• Service orientation, architecture etc.
• Implementation
• ? Run Tomcat and IIS on one machine (different
  ports)
• nice for students, can develop systems on one
  machine e.g. own PC
• ? Prototype demo mid-semester
• 30 min presentation / demo at the end of semester
• Two other check points during the semester
  meeting with each group

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Results

• 70 students excellent for a postgraduate
  elective
• Web service specifications changed underfoot!
• Many technologies immature bleeding edge
  teaching!
• .NET by far easiest and most comprehensive
  support for WS
• Assignment
• Large variation in designs, technologies etc.
• Groups a little large
• Many groups workflow / choreography was poorly
  expressed
• Some advanced systems using WS Security interop
  etc.
• Groups submitted source but difficult to rerun
  for further testing
• ? Asked groups to state any known problems,
  robustness issues etc.
• This plus careful questioning during demo worked
  well
• Technology and specs should start to stabilise
  next year

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3. Subject Projects

• ? Projects (u/g p/g) are a good way to test out
  technology for teaching or research
• Ive run .NET projects involving
• Web applications development
• Programming languages and compilers
• Web services and grid computing
• Mobile devices

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4. Subject Mobile Devices

• Subject on Software Development for Mobile
  Devices
• ? Uses .NET Compact Framework
• ? Builds on success of an u/g mobility project
• Also incorporate some wireless networking
• Restrict to a small class of 24 students (only
  got 12 devices!)
• Alternative is to use device emulator, much
  improved in VS 2005

45
.NET Compact Framework

• Reduced version of full .NET framework for small
  devices
• Program using C, VB.NET etc. in Visual Studio
• ? Great way to develop for smart devices such as
  Pocket PCs and MS Smartphones (students love it)
• Demo

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Mobile Devices

• Run as a project / reading subject
• ? 100 project assessment, but with structured
  classes, lectures etc.
• Lectures on
• Intro to mobile devices
• .NET Compact Framework
• User interfaces inc thick and thin clients
• Data, communications and synchronization
• Advanced topics security, background processing,
  native code interop
• Guest lecture from MS local industry
• Prototype demo and final presentation
• ? Tried peer review for final systems rather
  variable some students very hard on one another,
  some too easy

47
One ProjectBlood Glucose Monitor

• (Diabetic student)
• Blood glucose value entry
• History charts
• Upload data to doctor

48
Research
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Research using .NET

• Many possibilities to use .NET in research
• build on it and move up the food chain
• no more reinventing the wheel
• E.g. research a programming language or debugger
  whichever interests you but you dont have to do
  both
• Utilise the extensibility of .NET
• You dont really want the source code
• .NET can add impact to your research

50
Research using .NET at QUT

• Programming languages
• Component Pascal
• Ruby.NET
• Metaphor Staged programming language
• GPSL Web service language based on XQuery join
  calculus
• Distributed computing
• G2 Cycle stealing framework
• Bio workflow using Biztalk
• .NET wiki collaborative environment
• For more details email me or see
  http//plas.fit.qut.edu.au

51
Conclusions
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Recommendations

• .NET good for
• New subjects e.g. web services, mobility,
  internationalisation
• Making old subjects more interesting
• Can move up food chain and do more complex /
  interesting things
• Can do easy things for non-IT students
• Combination of new subjects and .NET itself are
  attractive to students
• Other possible subjects include games, security,
  business process modelling

53
Technology Evolution

• Change nature of IT (organic)
• Need to stay ahead of the wave
• In addition to research papers, read product
  roadmaps etc.
• Three generations of .NET (1.0, 1.1, 2.0)
• Use the latest generation 2.0
• Visual Studio 2005
• SQL Server 2005
• Keep up with cool new stuff e.g. Project LINQ
• I expect future .NET SE developments in
  architecture, modelling and software lifecycle
  management

54
Students

• Students like to be involved, consider
• Local MS events
• Community user groups
• Student community
• MSDN connection
• thespoke.net
• Student MS rep
• Competitions e.g. ACM or Imagine cup
• http//thespoke.net/ViewContent.aspx?PostID807740
  
• QUT won Australia round of Imagine cup twice 2004
  and 2005
• Showing off project exhibitions c.f. trade show
• Invite industry

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Where to From Here?

• Consider what you want to achieve, check costs
  and benefits
• Contact local MS rep very helpful
• Investigate and sign-up for MSDN Academic
  Alliance http//msdn.microsoft.com/academic/
• Check out curriculum repository
  http//www.msdnaa.net/curriculum/repository.aspx
• MS language is different from academic language
• become conversant
• alternative views can offer insights
• Start small, build knowledge and confidence
• E.g. undergraduate projects good starting point
• Build team (if got large classes) e.g. post grad
  students for TA
• Speak to book reps good .NET text books
• Pay attention to lab sys admin issues
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/academic/solutions/itsol
  /
• Make teaching research nexus work for you
• Use research students, create Research / TA
  positions, use .NET in both
• Look out for MS RFPs, faculty events etc.

56
Thank you

• Questions?
• (Please feel free to email me if you have any
  questions which arise later p.roe_at_qut.edu.au)

57
5. Subject Programming Principles

• Intro programming subject for conversion masters
  students (non IT graduates)
• Teaches programming fundamentals using C
• Conventional programming in the small philosophy
• Objects second
• Textbook Ira Pohl, C by Dissection. Addison
  Wesley, 2003.
• Uses .NET SDK , Visual Studio (MSDNAA) and ELP.NET

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Standard Topics

• Fundamental concepts of programming
• Syntax and semantics of C
• Problem solving through creating, editing,
  compiling and running programs
• Programming techniques
• dynamic memory allocation, file input/output,
  linked structures
• Programming abstraction
• using abstract data types such as stack and queue
  
• Testing, documentation including assertions, pre-
  and post-conditions
• Ethics in programming

59
ELP.NET IDE

• Environment for Learning to Program
• Programming environment to support students
  learning to program in .NET languages inc C and
  VB.NET
• Web embeddable intro programming environment
• Features
• Gap coding
• Custom error messages
• Small, written in .NET
• Shared source
• Available from http//plas.fit.qut.edu.au/elpnet/
  
• ? Result of a Microsoft RFP we were awarded
• Look out for MS Teaching and Research RFPs

60
6. Subject Internationalisation

• ? Covers internationalisation of software
• Important for Asia Pacific region
• Uses .NET, Oracle and Linux
• .NET has excellent support for internationalisatio
  n
• Main assignment, and emphasis, .NET
• Project Internationalisation of a contacts
  database/phone book
• Internationalisation is an area of expertise at
  QUT

61
7. Subject Compiler Construction

• Traditional compiler construction subject
• Been using .NET since 2001
• Subject revolves around a toy compiler which
  generates .NET intermediate code
• Assignment involves extending this
• Just uses .NET SDK not Visual Studio
• Loudon, Kenneth, C. 1997, Compiler Construction,
  Principles and Practice, PWS, Boston. (doesnt
  cover .NET)

62
8. Subject Component Technology

• Distributed computing and component technology
• Java Beans, COM, .NET
• Assignments in each technology
• Uses Clemens Szyperskis book Component
  Software Beyond Object-Oriented Programming, 2nd
  edition, Addison-Wesley 2002