Modeling software processes from different domains using SPEM and BPMN notations: An experience report of teaching software processes

In a current application development scenario in different environments, technologies and contexts, such as IoT, Blockchain, Machine Learning and Cloud Computing, there is a need for particular solutions for domain-specific software development processes. The proper definition of software processes requires understanding the involved teams and organization’s particularities and specialized technical knowledge in Software Engineering. Although it is an essential part of Software Engineering, many university curricula do not dedicate as much effort to teach software processes, focusing more on the basic principles of Software Engineering, such as requirements, architecture and programming languages. Another important aspect of software processes is modeling. The modeling of a software process provides a basis for managing, automating and supporting the software process improvement. In this context, teaching software process modeling becomes challenging, mainly due to the great emphasis on theory and few practices. This work presents an experience report teaching the definition and modeling of software processes in different domains. We applied in the discipline of software processes a practice for defining and modeling processes in various application domains, such as: IoT, cloud, mobile, critical systems, self-adaptive systems, machine learning, blockchain and games. The processes were modeled in the Software & Systems Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) notations based on references from the literature for each domain. We evaluated the process modeling practice with the SPEM and BPMN in 3 classes of the software processes discipline and compared the use of the two notations applied to the different domains. We concluded that the modeling tool and the maturity in the domain are essential for the excellent performance of the process.