Learning Environment for Problem-based Learning in Teaching Software Components and Service-oriented Architecture Muthu Ramachandran and Rezan Sedeeq School of Computing and Creative Technologies, and Engineering, Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology, Leeds Beckett University, Headingly Campus, Leeds, U.K. Keywords: Problem based Learning (PBL), Neural Pathway based Learning (NPL), Learning Environment for CBSE (LECBSE), Learning Environment for SOA (LESOA), SOA, Cloud Computing, e-Learning. Abstract: CBSE (Component Based Software Engineering) has been with us nearly two decades since the popularity of object-oriented programming in some form or other. The concept of component abstraction is to increase the abstraction level to provide large chunk of software solution (building blocks), therefore, it results in increased productivity. Sadly, CBSE has been taught in the way we have been teaching programming with smaller abstraction known as functions and procedures. Similarly, OO programming languages have also been taught in a similar manner. Therefore, we have adopted a combination of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Neural Pathway Based Learning (NPL) techniques to teach high level CBSE modelling and concepts, large-scale design, and design for reuse with UML components. One of our main objectives of this paper is to develop a learning technique based on PBL and NPL. The research methodology is based delivery of the developed learning content into existing VLE and to study how well the learning has improved on these two modules delivered on the MSc Software Engineering course. The evaluation by students shows high satisfaction for this semester batch of post-graduate students. This paper presents the learning environment for PBL based learning on our VLE which provides an excellent learning experience for students to learn advanced topics such as software components and service computing. 1 INTRODUCTION CBSE (Component Based Software Engineering) has been with us nearly two decades since the popularity of object-oriented programming in some form or other. The concept of component abstraction is to increase the abstraction level to provide large chunk of software solution (building blocks), therefore, it results in increased productivity. Sadly, CBSE has been taught in the way we have been teaching programming with smaller abstraction known as functions and procedures. Similarly, OO programming languages have also been taught in a similar manner. In addition, CBSE has also been proposed as a container of classes in the UML paradigm (a de-facto standard): composing objects/packages into components in the deployment view. Components do support OO design concepts; however, our ultimate aim is to decompose requirements into components: no doubt we will use OO models as a kind of one of modelling view to capture requirements. In addition, there is a shortage of skilled software engineers who are trained in component-based software development, secure software development, cloud service development (service computing) and domain specific languages. Therefore, we have developed a taught MSc Course in Software Engineering focussing on these skills and delivering individual modules. To teach these subjects at the Post Graduate Level, we needed a unique pedagogical research, one of which is problem-based learning and the other is neural pathway learning. The definition of a Problem-Based learning (PBL) is learning by solving a large, real-world problem (Barg, M et al. 2000). Fee and Holland-Minkley (2010) states that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a pedagogy that centres student learning around open-ended, student driven problems facilitated by an instructor in order to achieve the learning outcomes of a course. Our definition of PBL has been tailored for computing courses and defined as “Mapping real-world conceptual models (a set of software solution to a real-world problem) directly to high level component abstraction”. PBL is suitable for all levels and courses as it helps to develop Ramachandran, M. and Sedeeq, R. Learning Environment for Problem-based Learning in Teaching Software Components and Service-oriented Architecture. DOI: 10.5220/0006257702490255 In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2017) - Volume 1, pages 249-255 ISBN: 978-989-758-239-4 Copyright © 2017 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved 249