Service oriented programming (SOP) is a programming technique to build software applications using services provided on the web as the building blocks. With cloud computing and mobile devices becoming ubiquitous, SOP is becoming even more crucial, but has not made significant inroads into the U.S. undergraduate computing curricula. This project represents a well-conceived effort to address this shortcoming by developing coursework in SOP to ensure that U.S. students are prepared in this crucial technology, thus competitive in the global software development marketplace.
This project is being jointly conducted at three diverse participating institutions: Howard University in Washington, DC, the State University of New York at Oswego, and the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Three reusable curricular modules in SOP are being designed for different undergraduate computing courses - a first year introductory programming course, a sophomore course, and a senior-level course. These curricular materials are being constructed on a carefully crafted platform that provides examples and visualization to help achieve effective learning. A modular approach is being used to ensure that the developed curricular materials will be useful for a variety of undergraduate institutions across the United States. Project results are being broadly disseminated through various channels, including regional and national workshops, institutional websites and the National STEM Distributed Learning Resource Center.
