'slick systems' and 'happy hackers': experience with group projects at UCL

In this paper, we describe our experience of group projects in the practical teaching of software engineering over a period of eight years. Our initial projects tended to be too challenging, and few groups managed to produce complete pieces of work. Recently, we have deliberately simplified tasks slightly, resulting in less frustration and better projects, so that students reap more benefits. Students learn about division of work, co-operation with others and scheduling of time. As students are required to provide assessments of other projects and of the contributions of members of their own project group, they are also encouraged to develop critical faculties. The staff effort involved in this method of teaching compares quite reasonably with traditional lectures